Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1827-05-21
AWFUL EXPLOSION.


| About ten minutes before three O'Clock in TIT
afternoon Of yesterday week, the inhabitants o
Lancaster were drealfuIly alarmed by VIC
lent tremor OF the earth, which extended from
the southwestern direction to the norhward -
Tn" frs, indication Of this shock was a Sigh
mo,inn of the Garth, which increased for abou
| En- seconds, and terminated by tremendous
! concussion, which was felt every where, bu
without the least pefceptibe sound. The ter
mnation Of this, which was imagined to be an
earthquake, struck terror in every direction; The
| affrighled ihabitants rushed from their habra
tohs, and the hitherto deserted market cro":
was IN an instant thronged ny groups Of alarm
| I'd and anxious men. women and children, who
crowded together with that anxiety which the
unexpec ed calamity might be supposed to pro.
duce among Them. The four horses Of one oil
III northern coaches then about ONproceed to
IT'S destination, stood fast and trenbied excrs
sively, anc! one Of tne leaders fell down with T.
very appearance OF terror; and nere and there
cats were seen jumping and springing away
wtn that extraordinary activity which, at any
other time tlan this, would have caused merri
meni; but now every countenance sadly express
ed the expectation that minute, the town would
be included, aud overw lined in one universal
ruin Just before the shock came 20 its termi
nation, the well tower OF the Castle, which is
supposed TO be the most ancient part OF that
fortress. swayed and shook in SO violent a man
npr that the easements were thrown 10 the earth
The danger apprchendeG subsidized with the con-
cussion, but not the f'ars of the peoplc;al con
sdered it as the effect Of a CONFUSION OF nature
and that this was bu, the preliminary 10 more
tremendous crash that it was a shock Of an
earthquake no one doubted.
The shock was felt, il appears by the &C
~ac r-lu-'..-s'Sxs'-sf'" rliis-r'.Iss-..aE
Near the Shap Falls, "a range fhiily moorland)
in Wes,morrland, about % miles from Lancas-
ter, the shock was very violently experienced,
and the windows of Brougham hall, the resi-
dence Of Mr. Brougham, were shattered; cons-
derable damage was also done at Kendall, Low
lherCaslle, al Milnlhrope, Bolton-on-the- Sands,
pouhon, &c sc The Ulyerstone carriers de-
scribe the shock as very dreadful; the SANDS
were hurled into the air in heavy showers, and
horses were overthrow in several places OF that
dangerous tract Of sand, which these poor peo-
Die cross daily with peat, sc. to earn some
thing about IS cd AS we have stated, every
person for distance of above 100 miles cor.
sidered This shock Of an earthquake, until ny
he arrival OF the INVERSION over Sand coach on
Saturday night. the cause OF this alarming sen.
sa,ion was correctly stated A doggrr vessel,
trading coasiwise from the port Of Lancaster"
Livernoo! called the Commerce, commanded
b. C.p,sin naddock, Of Lancaster, in pursuing
us VOYAGE. laden with calicCts, was wlnd-bound
a, Poul,on for some days. and only got out on
"Wednesday night last, and took in about ten
tons OF empower. in bags aid barrels, al Back
barrow Mills.
The shi, proceeded on her voyage, heavily
laden. and was off Peel Castle, on the Eanca
shire coast, when The accidot happened. The
vessel sat deeply in the warr, and ou' indiifer-
en-, wav. When shortly afteItwo O'Clock in the
day, one of the crew observe smoke ascend
ing from the main hatchmy. his clreum-
s,ance was commune ated thoughout the ship,
and the tarpaulins were Immediately raised, and
through some creyices Of thfStowage thick
smoke was observed forcing isway. ! he cap
tain ordered the tiers IN The nov 10 oe delused,
bu, in few minutes the horrloitact OF the cot
toms being on fire. close TO the gppowder, was
discovered, and the crew found TIT the hire had
obtained such fearful ascendenevfha' before 1t
could possibly be subdued, the Pwder would
ignite, and the ship, cargo, crew. z all, would
be blown into the air. IhereioTeY'e boat was
lowered instantly, and the snip osP scu'.ieo'
and the water being admitted throth the low
err tier, the crew departed, being N about SIX
miles from the shore. A strong eatriy breeze
prev aing, the ship warped round,Hd losing
the direction Of the helm, sailed oelq the wind
for abou, two minutes, when ssien thick
ness of smoke arising from her, anti need the
awful explosion. 4.
The men say that in few secondlf'er, the
ship seemed lifted by her knees Out OF water,
and blew up momenlarhy ai'ef"ard WIN
! most terrible explosion. The shocshey ex-
perienced they described as dreadful fir boat
was lit,od out Of tie water, and out VINE cir
oums,ane Of the ship being to leeYd, they
mus, have persisted. They made forf shore,
which was lined by hundreds who had messed
the accident from the land, and manyHwhom
were seriously bruised from being he'd to
the ground by the force OF the concu y pro-
dsced by the explosion. The vessel was wn "a
most 10 atoms, scarcely ves,ite % IL nbe's
Of her cargo being reeovered;S II a2Tf from
the circumstance Of there being but o31plo-