The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1836-11-04 00:00:00

EARTIIQUAKE.

On Monday night week, at eleven o'clock, a smart shock of
an earthquake was felt at Paisley and the neighbourhood. The
most general impression excited was, that a heavy body had
fallen to the floor or to the ground. Many compared it to a
person falling from a bed, others to a sack of meal falling from
a man's shoulder to the floor, or to the falling of a heavy bale
of merchandise. Great numbers were awakened by it from
their sleep, sprung from their beds, and searched the Louse, in
the belief that they had been attacked by robbers. Some fe-
males were so much terrified that they would not again venture
to bed. Several people connected with public works ran out
to see whether their stalk vents had nut fallen to the ground.
At the Canal Office it was felt with great force, not by the clerk
only, who was at his desk, but by the watch dog, who sprang to
his-feet, and began to bark, as if the workhouse had been at-
tacked. The bells in several houses were put in motion, and
the windows, doors, and earthenware were shaken with consi-
derable noise. A letter from one of the persons in charge of
the dredge-boat lying off Elderslie House, describes it as feel-
ing like is smart heavy blow struck on the mooring chains.—
Earthquakes being so seldom felt here, the noise and motion
were ascribed to almost every cause but the true one; and it
was not until next day, when the conversation relating to it be-
came general, and when the effects of it were so widely spread,
that an earthquake was deemed the cause—several, however,
who in distant lands kid witnessed such a phenomenon, at once
recognised it. One young lady in town, born in the East Indies,
the moment she felt it, exclaimed, "An earthquake!" sprung
from her bed, and fled. for shelter to the apartment of the ser-
vants. We have not learned that the shock was felt at Neils-
ton, or in any other place to the southward or S.W. of Paisley,
our does it appeal to have been felt at Glasgow. We have
heard of the shock being felt in Houston, Kilbarchan, and
Johnstone, to the west, and as far as Stonehouse, in Lanark-
shire, to the south-east. In the parishes of Renfrew, Inchinuan,
Erskine, and Old Kilpatrick, the shock was felt its a still higher
degree than in Paisley. One gentleman near Bishopton, was
wakened out of his sleep by the noise, which he compared to
the firing of heavy artillery, and his first impression was that
the house was tumbling about his ears. A lady near the saute
place was so much alarmed that she nearly fainted, and another
who was lying ill trembled from head to foot, in the belief that
the last day was at hand. At Freeland House, Erskine, the
inhabitants were much alarmed, and state that the cattle around
the house were seen in a state of agitation. The tolhnan ott
Greenock road was awakened by the noise, and believing► that
the lead had been stripped from the roof and thrown to the
ground. he seized the tongs, and ran out, exclaiming, "
catch them. they cannot be far away." On both sides of the
Clyde the shuck was pretty severe.—the bells of Blythswood
House were set a ringing. With the exception of the break-
ing of a little crockery ware, we-have heard of no damage be-
ing done.---Paisley Adrister.