The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1842-09-17
" Outh's Depar INN e m & i.
EA r. II II GU KES

| Il A X Il Ii @ u KES.
1t has often been remarked that there is no ca
lamity from which shrink with so much DIR cad
as from an earthquake. In countries which are
subject TO them, and which are among the most
fertile and pleasant in the world, the oldest resi-
| dents live in continual fear and trembling Mt the
omens OF an earthquake. They never become ia
mlliarIzed TO it, as they often do TO other caiami
| ties. writer says, "The feelings experienced Mt
such time wholly Undesirable and must be
felt to be known. have been in many irving
situations, but have found place or Giro UNI
stances that made one feel utterly helpless and
so wholly dependent upon the mercy of God as in
the moment of an earthquake The stable cart h
upon which you have walked without fear, is sta
BILE no more. Your habitation in which you have
rested securely, became your place OF greatest dan
ger, and you flee from it fol- your life You turn
TO your friends, and they helpless as your
self. You flee from the city to escape its falling
wallsan the gaping earth threatens you on every
side"
The last earthquake w hich was felt with any de
gree of severity in the United States, was that in
Louisiana in 1911 and which was felt through The
whole of the valley Of the M Mississippi making
great change in the surface Of large portion of the
country, which was then however but wilder
ness. The memorable earthquake in New Eng
land which was in the recollection OF many who
have lived since the present generation came on
the stage, was on the night Of the Goth Of Octo-
Der, 1927. The air calm and the atmosphere
! clear at the time, and there ing ofthe
first shock, which took place about quarter before
eleven: and was attended by very loud rumblng,
said to have resembIeG the noise of many Goa ches
driven with rapdiy over paved streets. The
shock continued at intervals until six o'clock i'm
the morning. Vast quantities Of stone wall were
| overturned, huge lodges of rocks broken down,
and chimnsys and some buildings thrown down
damaged. Slight shocks felt for week at
| forwards.
In January, l705, there slight earthquake
in massachusetts, and Connecticut In January,
1868 an earthquake was felt, which sensibly rock
ed the houses all over New England. In October
1868, and on the Cd January, 1888,
we're to shake articles from the shelves in the
houses, and TO nearly throw down many people
who were in tho roads and who were obliged TO
lay hold on what wa near them TO save them
selves from falling. The earthquake sensibly
felt by vessels on the coast
In the old world, there in tho last century
several disastrous earthquakes: the most recent of
Importance occurred in the north part Of Syria,
the 18th of August, 1922. The city of Aleppo
was destroyed TO its foundations, and about every
village in the province. 20 900 persons sup.
posed to have persisted in the ruins. A writer,
who was in Aleppo at the time, says, on the elev-
enth and twelfth the wind blew strong and was in
supportably hot and oppressive The frequent re-
marks of the people during the two days were that
ssthe wind came from an oven that it was like fire.,
etc. Iscemed to strike the face upon exposure,
as if it h ad been the blast ola furnace. On the
evening of the 18th, sill h shock was felt about
o'clock. Soon after, the people discovered that
the water in the wells hot that it could not
be drank.
About ten clock the earth began to move, as
if it had been placed upon the waves of the sea
THIS rapidly undulating motion continued for some
seconds, but produced no very serious injury
Some walls cracked hut resumed their places
when the earth re sted. 4 moment after the undu
ating motion ceused, came the dreadful shock 1t
was strictly vertical, seeming to strike directly
beneath the city The confusion and ruin that
succe eded that awful moment is beyond all de-
scription The crash Of falling houses,he shreks
of the diving aud .he wounded husbands calling for
wives hildren entreating help from their parents
and parents seeking for lost children mingled win
prayers and groans in many languages, presented
scene of suffering and wo from which The mind
turns instinctively away
The first impulse Of the surviving inhabitants
seemed TO be to rush The gates OF the city Many
were crushed in their fight, and those who were
permitted to reach place of comparative safety'
ou,side The walls, were compelled to pass over
manpled and dead bodies, and fly amid
titan thousand deaths on every side.
In 1871, in China, four whole popuous pfoV'n-
ces were suddenly swallowed by an earth
quake In 1854, great part of the city of C"nstan
t,nople was destroyed by earthquake; and the
same year two thirds of the houses OF Grand caro-
and 40 900 of the inhabitants were swallowed up.
In l775, d very remarkable and destructive ear'h
quake was felt over large part of Europe, AFRICA
and America 1t most terrible In fornga'
and the neighborng countries. St. Ubes was over