Delaware weekly Republican. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1841-188?, 1856-11-13

EARTHQUAKE AT MALTA MALTA, Oct. I5-On
Sunday, the 18th of October at eleven minutes be.
fore o'clock A. M, the islands of Malta and Gezo
were VISITED by shocks OF an earth9 go violent
IN their nature and SO long in their Duration that
the Oldest Inhabitants do not mbar ever to have
experienced anything so severe. The first shock
made itself perceptible by tremulous motion sim.
var 70 mat caused BY the passing of heavy gun
carriage thousand time repeated, accompanied by
rambling noise, of distant thunder, which rapidly
increased in violence uutil every building tremblei
Scarcely minute had elapsed when more yiol ant
shock, accompanied by louder noise occurred
Ihe alarm oceasioned WIS general throughout town
and country,
Men, wemen and children, suddenly aroused
from their slumbers issued from every house. rushed
into the streets and made their way to the
and other spaces, which became full of people
The sentry ut the Treasury left his post and ran TO
the main guard, which he turned out nnder the i'm
preston that shells were being thrown into the town
by an enemy from some steam heet The two sbeoks
the interval being so brief as to DO incnlcuabIe,
lasted two minutes. In tho city Of Yeletin scarcely
building escaped injury, and all cornor structures
have more particularly suffered OF the Roman
Catholic churches those of San GiaeOnO St OrsOia
and st. Dominica appear to have suffered most.
At Floriana, and in each Of the three cities as
well as in the harboT the shocks we're felt with con
siderable vigor and ut Sengels Cospiena and Vittor
lose, many of the buildings are injured psrsons on
boaid ships in the port describe the effect of the
earthquake, as felt by them, as of letting go the
ships boats from the davits by the run only much
stronger. The sea Teoedcd two feet and a half The
night hal bsan without a breath Of air, with
sutrY sensation, the sea perfectly calm, and the
moon shining in clear sky with brightness that
seemed to transform night into day. it being within
twenty one hours offull moou
At Cvita VeccAia in the interior Of the island all
the churches, monastoros Aunneries and hospitals,
(thr church or5 AuSustias' excepted j sustafeoa
greater or less damage. The dome Of the cathedral
Is rent so as to admit the light and the belfEy Is
much shaken.
In Malta it is usual 10 ring the bells of tho
churches on occason imminent danger, and on
Sunday, soon after the shocks had ooased burst Of
tintinabular sounds was every where tC be heard.
On the same day, a re DeRm of Thanksgiving
was chanted in all the churches, to which was adj.
ded the ceremony Of the holy sacrament, and ser.
mons were delivered to crowded congregations. So
impressed wers the natives with the common Dor.
suasion that a repetition of the phenomenon would
occur at the expiration of tventy-four hours that
few went to their bed on the following night until
after the clock had struck two remaining until then
from sunset on the squares, bastans and parade
grounds gain fssse ut Floriena, Marina and other
places more secure than under roof Sentries re-.
pert great red glare in the heavens to have pre-,
oeded the outbreak, and all tho market dogs ianed
chorus in yell and howl for au hour to two pre.
vious. The Thermometer stood At about IA and the
barometer at ell there was a slight fall in both
shortly after.