Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1843-05-03
Earthquakes.
A notice Of some Of TIE most Importan

i"uiCo, oy "iICH doUut IU,UOU persons were
destroyed in Guadaloupe, has impaired an unu.
sual degree of interest TO these extraordinary
phenomena of nature. II will be remembered
also hat but short period has elapsed, since
Cape Hayden was destroyed with 0, 600 peo-
pie, while year or two before, similar ca
lamiiy occurred al Martinique. We have there
fore hunted up one or two authorities, and pro-
ceed 10 give a few interesting facts as 10 the
philosophy of earthquakes, and the most de-
struclive of which we have accounts In the
Encyclopedia of Science, earthquakes are de-
scrbed as usually preceded by general stiffness
in air, and unnatural agitation of the waters Of
the ocean and lakes. The shock comes on with
deep, rumbling noise, like that of carriage
over rough pavement, or with tremendous
explosion resembling discharge of artillery or
The bursting of a thunder cloud. Sometimes,
the earth is thrown up perpendicularly, and
sometimes ii rolls from side. A single shock
seldom lasts longer than minute, but they fre-
Quently follow one another at short intervals
for considerable length of time. During these
shocks, large chas,ns are made in The ground,
from which, sometimes, smoke and flames but
more frequently stones and torrents of water are
discharged. Cities are sunk, the course Of riv-
ers is changed, seas overflow the land, some
times disrupling the earth, and sometimes uni
Ting islands together. Professor Brands states
that the first earthquake worthy of notice, was
that which in A. D. 65, destroyed Herculaneum
and Pompei.
In the 4h and 5th centuries, Terrace, Syria,
and Asia Minor suffered severely by these aw-
ful visitations. On the Goth of January, A. d.
447, subterranean thunders were heard from the
Black TO the Red Sea, the earth was conyulsed
with lniermissions for the space Of six months,
and in Phrygia many large cities were swallow
ed up May 30,h, A. d. 205, the city of An
tioch was overwhelmed by dreadful earth
quake, and $4,000 OF its inhabitants crushed
in The ruins.
In l646-7, severe earthquakes were expe-
renced in Asia Minor and Egypt, and in Cy-
prus, Greece and Italy
In 1892 the Island Of jamaica was visited
by terrible earthquake, and the city Of Por.
Royal and a large tract of adjacent land, sunk
into the sea.
In 1893, great earthquakes occurred in Sici-
ly, which destroyed Caania, and I4O other
towns and villages; with 100000 Of their in
habitanis
In the 18Th century, the world was conyulsed
by righiful earthquakes.
In l746, an earthquake laid waste Lower
Peru.
In 1850, The town of Conception, in Chill,
was destroyed
In 1855. the city of Lisbon was dreadfuy in
jured. The shock continued only six minutes,
and 10000 persons perished. The sea, it is
said, first retired and laid the bar dry-,hen
rolIo o1 faa
level. The largest mountains in Portugal were
shaken, and some of them were opened at their
submits, and split and rent in wonderful man.
ner. During The catastrophe at Lisbon; an i'm
mense concourse of people fled 10 the new quay,
called Gays de Prada, when The quay sunk,
and the multitude were precipialed into the
hideous abyss. On the spot, there is now wa
ter to the depth of 100 fahoms This earlh-
quake was felt in various parts Of the world,
not only in Europe, but in the West Indies,
and on Lake Ontario We now quote from
Brande's Encyclopedia.
'ln 1859, Syria was agitaied by vio!en, earth
quakes, the shocks of which were protracIed FOR
three months throughout a space of 10000
square. leagues, and levelled TO the ground Ac-
con, Saphat, Babec, Damascus, Sidon, Tripo-
ces many thousands of the inhabitants pershed,
and in the valley of Balbeck alone, 10000 men
are said TO be victims TO the convulsion. In
1906, the Island Of Trinidad and part Of CO.
umbia were agilated by earthquakes. In nl772.
he lofty vocano of Papandayang, The highest
in Java, disappeared, and crcumja-
cent area fifteen miles by six, was swallowed
up. In 1888, north eastern part of Sicily and
he southern portion of Calabria were convulsed
BY violent and off repeated shocks, which over
htew The Town of Messina, and killed many
thousands Of the Inhabitants, as well as many
thousands IN Caabria. In the same years the
stands Of Japan, Java in l7S6, Sicily and The
Caraccus in 1850, Quebec in 1871, and the
Antilles and Peru in 1897, were violently agl-
ated by commissions of this kind. Since the
Of the present century, various
have occurred both in the Old and
New World. In 1911. violent earthquakes
hook The valley of the Mississippi, by which
axes of considerable extent disappeared, and
lew ones were formed. la 1912, Caraccus
vas destroyed. aud upwards Of 10000 of us
nhabiiants buried in the ruins. In 1915 the