Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1853-05-05
Great Earthquake in the Indian
Archipelago.

The Singapore Free Press OF the 4ih Febru-
AIRY last, quotes from the Jaun Bode the follow
ing accaun, of IL terrible cuinnollon of nature,
which Commenced ON Tie Is h, or probably the
26'h ot November last:
On the 18Th of November. about twenty
minutes to eight IN The mornlng, heavy vert
CT oscillation of the ground was felt at Band,
Ne>ra. which soon changed INTO rapidly IN
ctenslng undnlaIlon trom The N. h. to the s.
E which listed Tor more lnan live minutes.
Every one lett his house, to remain standing
was lnipossbe; people were obliged to take
frm hOd OF something. or throw themselves on
the ground. In the 'nornlng slight shower Ut
ram fell, but otherwise the veal her was not
unf,vola.ir.
A. tn first shock nearly all the houses we're
'hro"n down. or vety much shattered. The
govennen o,i dl g, HE church, the officers
nouSee III tie cAcuupurnt, and the warehouses
suffered the grea e7I INJURY; Inc Chinese quar-
Ter was heap OF runs the native llage on
the Zennega, vas lana waste. The Paprnbtrg
tell partly IN, hnd Two bambno hnnses upon it
disappeared, ana On Great Bunda ine houses If
the park keeper. their oul-nons-s and smoking
houses tor Me uutmegs. underwent The same
fate; everything there was trown down or great.
!
thor hut a heap Of runs Saru terrible
shattered while detached pieces Of rock lay
everywhere scattered around There we're no
deaths, howev"r, to lament and only some per-
sons were sadly bruised o. wounded.
But The misfortune dii not stop here. About
eight O'clock disturbances OF the sea Zre-
bevlng) occurred which filled every heart with
fear and diSuiy, and caused every one to fly 10
the highest sr'uud. In quick succession the
bay filed and enpted, and at tunes 1t appeared
to be only llttle river.
The ship A lat al Rachman, laden with rice,
lying in the roads, twice touched the ground,
aiter-like Fl. Ms brig De Haai, which had
anchored the day Notwithstanding been driven
ba kwards and forwards number OF tines; bul
this seaqnake increased in frightfnI manner,
and thrice overwhelmed Great Baeda and Neirn
with the largest rollers on the last place they
rached several feet high in the houses and
burst the doors open. These huge waves formed
in the Zonnegat and in the channel of Lonlhoir,
and ran so high that thcg beat over Fort Mas
sau. and reached the foot of the hill on which
Fort Bclglcu is built carrying everything with
them IN Their fehux, but at the same time leav-
ing behind a quantity of fi-nee
The prahus IN The roads were driven amongst
and against each other, and carried to and from
the shore. They founde-rd or drove in the
Zonhegat, where they struck on h. shore ; only
a few could save Themselves by flight These
prahus belonged to the Saru and Key Island
and Ceram, and a plr Of their crews finding
themselves on shore, sought shelter in one o
the sheds on the old pier, but they could not
Withstand the force OF the rollers, and in no
ment they were torn out of their place of sheIle-
and driven stewards, there mserably to perish
II Is estimated that sixty men lost their lives IN
this way.
Miserable was the condition Of the inhabitants,
who saw the waves, twenty six feet hlah. rolling
50 lrresistaby towards them, Threatening to
engulf them: the ground constantly rocking
under their feet. the atmosphere echoIng with
loud reports. like cannon shots filing their hearts
with fear, aud this ali destructive. ,nd'scrlble
state OF things lasted, not merely tor five minutes
an hou,---a day-b1t for successive days
for these trlghtuI natural phenomena only ceuseC
on the 22d Of December, while all that time
SCARCELY an houf passed that the gtound did not
heaye and shake, now IN the heaviest manner,
and then lighter, but always 81 that dlstrust and
and fear remained imprinted IN the hearts of
the inhabitants, who, partly or wholly ruined,
without habltations. sheltetlng In hight banbno
luts, look forward TO the gloumlcst future, and
will perhaps never be able 10 r. cover from The
blow which they have received.
During tlesr earth and seaqnakes. which last,
hnwever, did rot extend bey omd the nnrih side
Of Nera aud to the south side OF Great Ban 'as,
Gunong Ap was qulescent, and 30 alienation
WAS observed in the smoke proceeding from It,
The accounts from the islands Rnsengein and
Al were even more traglCal, aud the destruc-
ton there not less great. The spice parks
kelie and Noo:wegen on Great Banda. the last
which remained standing, also at length Tell 10,
aud al present there are not more than two
habitable houses IN Nera The esd ncy house
has suffered much. Rock and earth slips from
the Papenbtrg occurred there tor length of
time.
The same dsa lrous account h We been re-
ce'ved IRON Ceram. An earth and seuGuake
mad also occurred there on the 26h November
and caused great damage. The heavy rollers
OF the sea had swept way the houses on he
oeach and thrown more than u hundred prahus
on shore, o, which number had been DESTROY
ed, while many persons fell victims to the terri
Die commollon oi nature.
From Amboyna we also learn, that on the
morning OF the 18th November about halt past
., the earthquake felt IN tho ti ecton fran N E.
to w. 5. w, with duration If about five
minutes. This was preceded on the 18th BY
some light shocks. Tho disturbance of the sea
also took place, but not to such destructive
and heavy extent as At Banda. althnnyh on thr
same day. Very little damage was caused.
me accounts from the island near Ambnyua
are not so favorable. Nearly ali experienced
the extraordinary commoton both OF sea and