The Sun.
London, England, 1856-10-20 00:00:00

EARTHQUAKE AT MALTA.

MALTA, OCT. 15.
On Sunday, the 12th of: October, at precisely 11
minutes before 2 a.m., the islands of Malta and
Gozo were visited by shocks of an earthquake, so
violent in their nature, and so long in their dura-
tion, that the oldest inhabitants do not re-
member ever to have experienced anything so
severe. The first shook made itself perceptible
by a tremulous motion similar to that caused
by the passing of a heavy gun- carriage, a
thousand times repeated, accompanied by a rumb-
ling noise, as it were, of distant thunder,
which rapidly increased in violence, until every
building shook and trembled. Scarcely a minute
had elapsed when a second and still more violent
shock, accompanied by a louder noise, occurred.
The alarm occasioned was general throughout town
and country. Men, women, and children, of all
classes, suddenly aroused from their slumbers,
issued from every house, some in their night-
dresses, others enveloped in a sheet or blanket,
and others in the first articles of apparel they
could hurriedly catch up, and rushing into the streets
made the best of their way to the squares, the line
walls, and other open spaces, which soon became full
of people who had quitted their dwellings, fearing
to be included in a general destruction. The sentry
at the Treasury left his post and ran to the main
guard, which he turned out, under the impression
that shells were being thrown into the town by au
enemy from some steam fleet. The two shocks,
the interval being so brief as to be incalculable,
lasted fully two minutes. In the city of Valetta
scarcely a building has escaped injury, and all
corner structures have more particularly suffered
from having no support on one side. Among those
most seriously injured are the residences of Mr.
Leonard, the agent for Lloyd's, in Strada Ponente,
corner of Strada Teatro; Mr. Davidson, the Supe-
rintendent of the Peninsular a,nd Oriental CompanY/
in Strada Mercanti, corner of Strada Santa Lucia.
Mr. Stevens, solicitor, in Strada Sant' Orsola,
corner of Strada Teatro ; Mr. Schembri, merchant,
t
Pn ,
in Strada San Cristoforo, corner of Strada
Mr. Scerri, agent of the Grain Com a_ n ui
Strad
Forni, corner of Strada San Cristofo-raelYgir. Grant
President of the Chamber of Conam ercaen,ti,n Strada.'
Orsola ;
San Cristoforo, corner of Stradane 6
merchants, in
Messrs. Woodhouse and
Strada San Cristoforo, corner of owfiStrada Irlandese ;
Strada. San Paolo,
Mr. Pullicino, architect,
Mr. Christian,
norn,enico, corner of Strada
corner of Strada San Crisltoforo ; M
banker, in Strada San
States, Netherlands, and
United
Stretta, and the
Church from
its Consulates.
of QuFten Ad.elaide's
, rom
The steeple
y, was naturally an
its height and tenuity,
object
most seriously affected by undulation,
likely to be
five or six of, the coursesof
and, in fact, stories
of the spire downwards
from the point
h d th t have been
so shaken and wrencd e ,_ a probably they will
have to be remove to be properl—
y relaid. Th
stone cross and ball which crown the
P e
stee l e
are
thrown out of their perpendicular, the former
the lean-
ing to the westward and the latter to
eastward
while the pomegranate which formed the knob of
i the vase on Ponsonby's monument has been thrown
to the ground. Of the Roman Catholic churches
St. in Valetta those of San Giacomo
St. Domenico appear to have suffered Orsola, and
many buildings are rent in such ered most ; and
render immediate repairs necessary.a manner as to
From all we
can learn the convulsion was most severely felt
along the north front of the
_island, the forts on that
coast having been much shaken, while those on
the south seaboard experienced
the in '
shocks a
much slighter degree,and
are, we are informed,
not the least damaged.
At Floriana and in each
of the three cities, as well as in the harbour,
the shocks were felt wi •
th considerable vigour, and
at Senglea, Cospicua, and Vi • ttoriosa many of the
buildings are inured. erso p 3
ns on board ships in
the port describe the effect of the earthquake, as
felt by them, as of 1 te
e ing-go the ship's boats from
the davits by the run, only much stronger. The
sea receded two feet and a half. The night had
been without a breath of air, with a sultry sensa-
tion, the sea perfectly calm, and the moon shining
in a clear blue sky a rig with b • htness that seemed
to transform night into day, it being within 21
1 hours' of full moon.
• At Citta Vecchia, in the interior of the island,
the shocks must have made themselves felt se-
verely, all the churches, monasteries, nunneries,
and hospital (the church of St. Augustine ex-
cepted) having sustained greater or less damage.
A Te Deum or thanksgiving was chanted in all
the churches, to which was added the ceremony of
the exposition of the Holy Sam ament, and sermons
were delivered to crowded congregations. So im-
pressed were thenatives with the common persuasion
that a repetition of the phenomenon would occur
at the expiration of 24 hours, that few went to
their beds on the following night until after the
clock had struck 2, remaining until then from
sunset on the squares, bastions, and parade grounds,
grain fosse at Floriana, Marina, and other places
more secure than under roof. The motion of the
:locks was by no means uniform. At the out-
break it hove the ground perpendicularly up-
wards and afterwards rolled it from side to side,
appearing to be in the direction of due S.E. and
r, W. Sentries report a great red glare in
the heal ens to have preceded the outbreak, and all
the market dogs joined chorus in a yell and howl
for an hour or two previous. The thermometer
stood at about 74, and the barometer at 30.21 ;
there was a slight fall in both shortly after. The

shrieks of the female part of the community were
of the most distressing kind, and those of: the in-
mates of the nunnery of Santa Catarina were even
audible on the Piazza San Giorgio, some distanu
therefrom.

Had the earthquake lasted other five seconds few
would have been the houses left standing, and the
loss of life would have been most dreadful.

SPORTING NOTES.

NEWMARKET AND WARWICK,

The most remarkable incidents connected with the
Cesarewitch were the running of Vengeance and Pole
Star—" Palmer and Cook"—first and second, and the
circumstance of the three favourites obtaining the fore-
most positions. From the style in which the race was
run, I am inclined to believe that Vengeance, Pole Star,
and Malacca will prove the most prominent competitors
for the Cambridgeshire also; and I shall be fully prepared
to see Vengeance do the double event. His most dange
roue opponent will, I fancy, be Malacca, who ran very
fast for the first mile and a half. No large winners by
the result of the Cesarewitch are reported ; even the
noble owner of the horse throws in for only an insignifi-
cant stake. If Vengeance had been in other hands he
would have indeed been a "hot one" for the ring-
Why, four days before the race 1,000 to 15 might have
been obtained without difficulty about him. His trial
was clumsily managed ; it took place in the broad day-
light—four o'clock on Saturday afternoon—and within
half an hour after it, so vigilant had been the touts, the
result was known not only throughout Newmarket, but
it had been sent to all parts of the kingdom.
I believe I am the only sporting writer that selected
Vengeance and Pole Star—.the first and second horses
—for the Cesarewitch, and I may take some little credit
to myself for being the first to place before the public an
account of Vengeance's trial, and of the confidence which,
in " well-informed quarters," was placed in the horse's
success.

Loyola—the colt by Surplice, out of Latitude—is
a fine racing-like animal, and is worthy the support
which he has received for the Derby. Still, undue im•
portance must not be attached to his Clearwell success,
for he obtained a good start, and Sydney, who was
second, had his head turned the wrong way when the
flags were dropped. Sydney, however, won the Pren-
dergast easily enough on Friday, and proved that he
really does possess racing merit of a high order.

The minor races were in certain instances characterised
by some extraordinary proceedings. For a Ten Sovs.
Sweepstakes, T.Y.C., three runners were brought out,
two of them—Shiner and Rohallion—being in the same
stable. Odds were laid on Rohallion, and on paper
he certainly looked a " good thing." Now, when the
flag was dropped Rohallion never attempted to start,
and Shiner went away with a good lead, but Eardrop
caught him in the cord and beat him on the post. If
foul play was intended, and there are people who enter-
tain strong opinions on this subject, it was most signally
frustrated. It is said that the owner of Eardrop had
his suspicions excited, and that he gave orders to his
jockey to watch Rohallion, and if he saw anything
wrong to come right through and, if possible win•
These instructions, it will be seen, were carried out.
The light impost which was placed on Homily
for the A. F. Handicap on Thursday was suf
ficiently glaring to induce people to take 6 to 4
about her as soon as the weit,,hts were pub-
lished. She was beaten, it is true ; but the betting
varied ao much that the most unfavourable suspicions
were excited.

A foreigner remarked to me that racing men in Eng-
land seemed always to be going to either Warwick
or Newmarket. his surprise was natural, for
meetings at both places are frequent and at short
intervals. The programme of the meeting which
will take place at Warwick to-morrow and Wednesday
promises plenty of sport, and contains the first impor-
tant steeplechase event of the season.

Should Pole Star run for the Handicap I shall be
induced to let her represent my interest, but should She
be withdrawn, I shall stand on John Osborne's best
Lady Tatton or Yorkshire Grey.

For the Nursery Handicap I fancy Gitana and Little
Cob, and for the Welter Cup, Poodle and Rialto. The
501. Plate for "mixed" animals may be won by either
Pope Joan or the Kertch Chief.

Mr. J. Stubbs, of 27, Mount Pleasant, Liverpool,
has announced his intention to bring the Aladdin ease
before the Jockey Club, as he is dissatisfied with the
decision given in the matter by the stewards of Marl-
borough and Wolverhampton Races. If Mr. Stubbs is
the owner of Aladdin, of course no one expected him
to be satisfied with the decision. The case was fully
investigated, and an impartial verdict was pronounced.
This attempt to open the case again is most vexatious,
and can only be regarded as a ruse to delay a settle-
ment of bets. The stewards of the Jockey Club will, I
opine, either decline to entertain the matter, or will en-
dorse the decision already given.
Oct. 20. A FRESH MAN.