The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1828-03-13
TIE NIRGlNIAN.
lYNCnBuH6, MARCH Il. ISIS
EARILIOIAkE-

IAhi IitlN M l..
During the last four ~ five nights severe
shorks of the earth hiye been felt in aud near
thls place, neither of them. however. OF long do.
ration, nor causing any damage Wrbavc been
told hv gentleman. residing about. five miles
from town, that. IN his nrghborhnnd the shock
On sunday night last, (Which NJ believe WAS the
most seHslbly ict,) WAS preceded by tlrrr loud
explosions. We imagtne they are The effect, Of
earthquakes IN SOM distant country We co
py the following article. touching the subject,
from the Domestic Encyclopaedia
" Earthquake Is sudden aud violent eon-
cussion Of the earth. +" hrch Is generally attended
with uncommon muse. both in the an. ard an.
der ground ~ consequence OF which ,vaulr e..
IeS are NJ once l"eed, rs well as r1rt#s The
course Of rivers Is altered aud the uo4t dread
TIL desastation- are thus occasloncd
OF the observations, which md fadalLIe natu.
rall,ts have hrcn able 10 collect, tic following
are the principal / Where thcre arr any vol.
canoes OF burning mountains, earthquakes may
naturally BE- expected to occur more Frequently
than IA other countries >. Earthquakes are.
IN general, preceded by long droaghts; butthcv
Ito not always happen immediately aftpt tsrm.
-. They are, likewise, feqnend, indicated by
certain electrical APPEARANCES IN the atnlus=
ubete namely. the ddrord boreaIg. the filling of
stars, A.C. /. short time previous o tn shock
the sea SwcllS witt Il loud noise fountains att
disturbed aud become muddy and the irrati.
DUAL animals appraf htghtcned, A. If conscious
If approaching calamity. 3. The air ~ the
tune oil the shock, Is, III general, very Cdm aud
serene but afterwards bccomes dad, and clDu.
dy. Il. The conclusion begins with IA rumblmo
nolsc, simil II to that Of Carriages rushing
sound resembling tn wind is sometimes heard
at others, explo lous not unlike The firing Of cn
non and tIie ground IS agltatcd ia dlhetcnt III
rcctIonS \ single SHOCK seldom exceeds a MN
ute in neduation but frequent canrus SONS suc
coed each other at short intervals, tor a conSid-
cradle length OF time. !. BurrnP the shock
ChaSms are made IN the earth, whence flames
but ollenel vast quantities of water are disehar-
grd Flames aud smoke are also emitted from
spots otgrnnnd where no ehasms are prccrptl.
bic and though the aby,scs formed in the cnrth
are IN general not extensive, vet Ia violent calth.
quak, they are hequcntly 50 LARGE as 10 bur,
whole cities. g. The water Of the ocean Is. on
such OCCASIONS affected perhaps still more than
the land thu sea now risnp 10 u pfodipiouS
height, now divided 10 considerable depth aud
emitting great qua,tlties OF ar. flame, aud
smoke. Similar agitalions occur m the waters
OF ponds lakes, and even rivers
Earthquakes are sometime, confined to a mar
row space, which Is properly the effect oi the re-
action of the fire aud they ,hake the earth Just
rs the explosion OF a powder magazine causes Il
sensible concusSiOn at the distance OF several
leagues. Sometimes they are felt at con,iArra-
be distances, aid shake "A long tract of ground
without any interruption or volcano appear
ing, There are instances Of earthquakes y hlch
were fell al the sam time IN England France,
Germany, AID Hungary, add these nlwavb ex-
tend great deal more IN cng hthan in breadth;
the earthquake on the Isl OF Nog. Zoo which
destroyed Lisbon extended nom norm to south
$500 mules with the utmost violence il appears
10 have begun III Greenland, aud passing south
ward was felt In the islands OF Trinity, Ferro
sone "tthe western isles oi Scotland in ireland
in the southwest paris OF England Nc and
passing und"r the ocean shook ali Portugal and
great PAT 81 SPAIN, "ha1ce II passed IL the
Continent OF africa with incredible violence aud
having terrified the kingdoms Of Ecz and Mo-
II, Co, probably vented it,clfm the southern o.
ccan. Earthquakes shake tract of ground
with more - less vIoeI &c III duicIe nt places ~
proportion a. II Is remote from the fre: and
they are almost always accompanied with dull
nol,e liI,~ that of heavy carriage rolling along
with great rapid ty.
The caus" of earthquakes, OF the theory Of
| this tremendous phenomenon, j. but imperfect
| y understood. Thy may arse |. From thr
| confinement Of an within the bowels ofthc
earth where II is generated by chemical process
SEES. . Pom steam. g. From electricity
| We know not YET HeT causes.-T. {. -