Weekly national intelligencer., 1850-02-23
AN EARTHQUAKE IN NICARAGUA.
We are obliged to Mr.. SauIER for making this
paper the medium of communication to the Public
of the following Letter

We are obliged to Mr.. SauIER for making this
paper the medium of communication to the Public
of the following Letter:
LEON DE NIcARAeUA, DEC. 26, 1919.
Mr. DEAN SR press of business has prevented from
transmitting you my themometrca and other observations
for this point for the past three months but will endeasor
at an early day. make abstract of them for the Of the
Institution.
Residing in this volcanic region, you can readily compre-
hend that have been, pce, much interested in the sub
jec of Earthquakes. need tell you that they Of rc-
quen here and probably that class Of phenomena
could nowhere be studied with greater advantage have
perieced several but with exception they were very
slight.
The exception here referred occurred the 9th of Oc
obc last about o'clock in the morning was reused
from sleep by strong unduaory motion, which was suft
eny violent to move my bed several inches backwards and
forth roughpaved floor and to throw down books and
other articles which had been placed my table, The tiles
of the roof also ratified together violently, and the beams
and raers cracked like the tmbes of deeply vessel
in heavy sea- The people all rushed from their houses in
the greatest alarm and commenced praying in loud tones
The domestic animals seemed share the general consterna-
ton the horses struggled loose themselves, and the
dogs commenced simultaneous barking This andulaoiy
motion lasted nearly minute, steadily increasing in violence
until suddenly changed into rapid vbraory or horizontal
notion which rendered ii difficult to stand upright This
lasted about thirty seconds and followed as suddenly by
vertical movement series of shocks such as one would
experience being rapidly let down fight Of steps then
declined violence, but nevertheless seemed to stop abrupt
". The whole lasted about minutes, and can be com
pared TO nothing except the rapid movement of large and
loaded railroad car bad track in which there undu
lations, horizontal irregularities, and breaks.
No considerable damage was DONE Some old walls were
...~Ioao, tho have
observed that detached and portions Of cliffs broken
off by the Shocks The thick adobe walls Of my house
cracked in several places from top bottom Many other
buildings suffered in like manner The motion which
ed most dangerous that which have described
horizontal in which the earth seemed to slide away from be-
meath my feet.
The night clear moonlight, and it very still not
breath Of seemed stirring The orange trees in court
yard during the continuance of the unduatons swayed
and fro with steady regular motion but when the Other
motions followed they had unsteady remnlous motion
The my well, which is very Deep seemed also much
agitated The direction of the unduatons from north
to south and they were felt throughout the entire State
Nicaragua and in Honduras and San Salvador and
perhaps beyond these limits.
learn from old residents here that compared with the
others which occurred within the last quarter of
ury this earthquake ranked about Z, the maximum he
ing 10. gi
All observers here concur in saying that while earthquake
all times Of the year, they are much more u
eous and violent the and close Of the two
sons the and the dry that is about the last Of October
and the first Of November, and the last of April and the rs
of May. They observed particularly numerous ant
strong after the heavy rans the close of the wet season
October It is also observed that general squiet
prevail for period, both before and after their occurrence
Iis difficult discover the connexion between these 1
ren phenomena but there 10 be concurrence as
the facts here stated is certainly that the only shocks
which have felt in the periods indicated and is alse
certain that nearly all in the night Perhaps amids
the occupations and distractions Of the day. the lesser
, pass unobseryed
am, sir, your obcdient servant,
E. GEO. SQUIER.
Professor JosEra HEshr, &c
sThe direction Of all which have occurred since have
been in the country have been from north to south.