The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1812-02-21
THE EARTHQUAKE

Extract from letter TO a gentleman in
Lea nSton, OK. J from his friend al Ne4o
MADRID, { u. IT, dated 1914 Dec. 1911.
6 About 2 O'Clock this morning we were
awakened by most tremendous noise,
while the house danced about, and seemed
;.s it 1t would fall on our heads. soon con-
Jectured the cause of our trouble, and cried
out it was an Earthquake, and for the ia
mly to leave the house which we found
very difficult to do, owing to its rolling and
jostling about. The shock was soon over
and no injury was sustained, except the loss
OF the chimney, and the exposure of my ia
mily to the cold of the night. At the time of
this shock the heavens were very clear and
serene, not breath of air stirring but in
five minutes it became very dark, and va
pour which seemed to impregnate the atmos-
phere, had disagreeable smell, and pro-
duced a difficulty of respiration. | knew
not how to account for this at the time, but
when saw in the morning the situation Of
my neighbors' houses, all of them more OF
less injured, l attributed it to the dust AMI
SUIT, &c. which arose from their fall. The
darkness continued till day break during
this time we had eight more shocks, none of
diem so violent as the first.
" At half past six O'Clock in the morning
| 1t Cleared up, and believing the danger over
left home, to see what injury my neigh
my departure, there was another shock, eX-
| tremcly violent-I hurried home as fast as
could, but the agitation of the earth was 81
great that 1t was wlth much difficulty kept
my bilance--ths motion If the earth 9vas a.
60ut IL inches 10 and fro. | cannot give YOU
| an accurate description Of this moment; tn.
earth seemed conyulSed-the houses shook
very mucl-chimnies falling i'll every direc
tlon.-l The loud hoarse roarings which at
tended TIE earthquake, together with the
cries, screams and Wells Of the people seem
still ringing i'll my cars
Fifteen minutes after seven O'Clock, we
had another shock. This was the most Sc
we're one we have yet had-the darkness re-
turned, and the noise was remarkably loud.
The first motions OF the earth were similar
| 20 the preceding shocks, but before it cca-
5ed we rebouEded up and down, and it was
with difficulty We kept our seats. At this
instant ! expected dreadful Catastrophe
| the uproar among the people heightened the
coloring OF the piCture--the screams and
yells were heard at great distance.
One gentleman, from whose learning
expected more consistent account, saws
that the CONCLUSIONS are produced by this
| 7oorld and the moon coming in contact, and
the frequent repetition Of the shocks is ow-
ing to their rebounding. The appearance Of
the moon yesterday evening, has knocked
his system as low as the quake has leyeled
my chimnies.-Another person, with a very
serious face, told me that when nc was GUST
ed from his bed, he was verify afraid, and
thought the Day Of Judgment had arrived,
until he reflected that the Day Of Judgment
could not come in the night.
THesday, 17th.-I never before thought
the passion Of fear, 50 strong as find it here
among tho people. It is really diverting, or
would be so, to a disInterested observer to
sec the ruefh faces Of the different persons
that present themselves at my teut-somc
so asitated that they cannot spcak-others
caDHOt hold their tongues-some cannot set
still, but must be in Constant motion, whilst
others Cannot walk. Several men, I am in
frmed, on the night of the FIRST shock, de-
serted their families, and have not been
heard of since. Encampmer ~ are formed
Of those that remain in the AoPcfeld, Of so
and 100 persons in each.