The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1857-10-21
he Earthquake at st. .i.Ouis.-incidents IN
Connection with Ii,

he Earthquake at st. .i.OuIs.-lncidents IN
Connection with II.
From The ST. Louis Evening News, of last
Thursday, we copy the following account OF
an earthquake in that vicinity:
About lweRty minutes past O'Clock this
morning, rather severe shock Of an earth.
quake was experienced at St. Louis, as also
in the surrounding vicinilies, likewise for
many miles on the Illinois side. Towards
midnight of yesterday moisture began 10
pervads the atmosphere, and finally some.
what ol dew was formed. This did not in.
crease in density until about half pas, two
O'Clock in The morning, when fog began TO
gather over The city and superseded the dew
II grew gradually thicker and thicker, unit
, about twenty minutes past four, when 10 give
the words of officer McMeans and fellow
officer, who were sitting in Third street, be.
tween Poplar and Plum, in doorway they
heard loud, rumbling noise. They jumped
up, and had scarcely reached their fee, befors
they were amazed at the shaking of the
ground beneath their feet so that they could
scarcely stand.
The windows of the houses on both sdes
of the street challered Oily in their rames,
The blinds flaw open, and out popped the
heads of scores of people in their nigh, dresses
who occupied the houses. A great number
run OFT of the houses, alarmed at the osclla.
ton Of their beds, windows and furniture in
their rooms, and The cry of an Earthquake"
soon broke the silence that Otherwise reisned
at this early hour of the morning. We may
state that tho evidences just narrated were
experienced BY the people all over the city.
Upon comparing all The accounts together it
is apparent lha, the shock proceeded from the
southwest and so travelled along. Parues
describe ii as coming up from the river west,
from which point il was fell most severely.
AT Merrmac, and all points below the river
ii was very acu,ely ielt. Persons coming in
from there state thai a. the time OF the shock,
the noise resembled at one moment the rum
bling induced by steam endeavoring 10 es.
cape through muffied apparatus, and a. an
other as though vehicles, heavily laden, with
muffled wheels, were being drawn with ex-
press speed over cobbe stone road. The
latter sound was heard in this city.
AT MeHimac it was pitch dark at the time,
and the people were very much alarmed ard
ran out of the houses. There was likewise
strong smell OF sulphur, and il is said upon
good authority that a sulpheric meleoIic ball
rolled about the streets in this city, leaving
wherever 1t went most unpleasant smell.
In consequence of the early hour of The morn.
ing, very little was known of whs, the outside
effects we're; but in regard 10 the inside once
they are visible in many parts. Plaster has
fallen from the ceilings, locked doors were
unlocked and thrown open, bricks knocked
down, beds and furniture displaced. The
Missouri Hotel, and many buildings in the
vicinity, are described by some of the board.
ers TO have rocked very nearly like a cradle,
and large number of them quickly arose
from their beds in alarm. Heads were pop.
ped out of the windows, and many persons
went into the street.
Feur mies north from here, just before the
shock, ii was very dark. About eight min
ules after The first shock, came the second
shock, which was felt all over the CITY, but
was not SO strong as the FIRST. although very
percephble, when the moon shone out as
bright as ever. This very strange phenom.
ena to be accounted for; how il is that while
the stock is in progress, darkness so pecu-
liar should prevail, and that no sooner had
The shock been fell, than it quickly disap.
pears, and gives way 10 the silvery path of
the moons rays. II is very certain tha. there
were two shocks the fret is stated by old
citizens of St. Louis 10 have been more Sc.
we're than any other which has occurred since
1911, when the great earthquake which de-.
siroyed Caracas, and other cities in Central
America, extended itself as near TO St. Louis
as New Madrid, where the property was all
destroyed and large number of lives lost.
That earthquake also did considerable dam.
age to ST. Louis.