The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1857-10-13
DAILY DISPATCH.
tcSf
THE EARTHQUAKEA AT ST. LOUIS.

We have already recorded the f,ct that two
shocks OF an earthquake were felt at ST. Louis and
vicinity little after o'clock on Thursday morn
ing last. 1t appears from the papers Of that city
that one of them was very violent The Democrat
has the following particulars:
The first premonition is said to have been given
Dy slight conclusion about midnight; but at the
,ne stated .hose who were awake heard low and
distant rumbing, which failed to arouse attention
Till rapidly increased to the volume of the soupd
Oh heaVy trains OF cars laundering through every
street OF the city. Some likeu the noise TO pro.
tacted reSerberating explosion, others to the roar
OF whlrlwind others to the mere passing of mar.
ket wagons-but all agree that it was tremendous
when at Its height, the buildings began To rock
appailingly. Thousands sprang from their beds in
alarm, and rushed into the street. The northern
sky was clear, but from the southwark n heavy
mist was swiftly advancing, and in a moment
nearly obscured the street lamps In many in.
stances the lamps were in an instant unacconnta.
biy extinguished. The violent shock lasted fnIl
three-fourths Of minute, and was Instantly suc.
eeeded oy second roar and attendant shock OF
less severity. Many describe both as ono. and
afr mat the heavy shock lasted full three min.
utes. In about hve minutes afterward the noise
ana conclusion were repeated with comparative
mlldness, hut very perceptibly
We conversed with many on the occurrence and
thef statements, OF course various attest and cor
roborate the above A citizen living on Gracot and
fourth streets, in heavily built house, whose
WIS are OF eighteen inches thickness, and who
was sleeping on the first floor describes the shock
rs excessively violent, and the motion as a hori.
Hohtai vibration from east to west. mirror hang.
ing on north and south WALL swayed from an,
towards the wall, through an arc of several inches
lie ran into the street. expecting the fall ;f not .,
MS own house, of Trailer wall near and farnd !
aense log swiftly rolling from the soutbward n nd
shortly enveloping everything. - "1'
An intelligent gentleman, living on Centre, he.
tween Thirteenth and Fourteenth streets states
npaYV
wagons, proceeded from the southwark that tbincs
SHOOK from north to south, and with an annallnc
violence, that then dense mist appeared and in
zen minutes occurred another shock. the accompa
hying noise bearing more from the eastward
Well known physician in his vicinity was affriyht I
ed at hearing the brick walls of his residence nos
lively cracking and swapping around him.
we were apprised that slight shock was felt on
siohday, the court house being perceptibly iarred
though no vehicle was at the time nassinc
Another gentleman, living within sixfy feet n,
.he racine Mills AYERS that during the noise lust
pIecedlng the shock. the loud din usually made by
Tue engine and stone at the mills could no Ionqe,
be heard. The course of the noise scanned 70 b;,
from the southwestward. Immediately his door,
ana WINDOWS were so violently shaken that ba at
| nrst imagined burglars were entering-an illusior
also experienced by others.
At the city hail. which is deemed frai, st,o.,uo
the officers ran out of the police Office fearing tba
| 1t would fall. The watchman at the Necharics
bank, on Chesnut street, fled from beneath it
| A member of the night police started returpin,
home, when he was startled by the sound of a hea
Wy and prolonged explosion. aud nstantly felt him
sell being heaved by the ground, and nearly trir
ped from his feet. The concussion appeared to prc
ceed from the eastward, and as if il began on th
Illinois shore, and then crossing the river passe
on to the northward, reyerberating like deafer
| ing thunderciap.
A watchman on Franklin avenue and Sixtecnt
street states that with the noise he felt the groun
n mot To-,
ed him to sagger several feet before recovering hi
balance. The spring boards in the lumber ward
| near, were at snce in noisy motion, and so cont
| nued for some moments after the last shock In
mediately houses were lighted and Deople wer
rushing into the street.
gentleman from Bridgeton, fourteen mile
from the city, says that the shock there was ais
excessively violent, and that the motion was al
undulating one, accompanied with vertical vibra
tions of the earth.
commotion. Waves, several feet in height are SAT-
to have suddenly risen and dashed upon the banks
receding and again returning.
MI SlnlZer, living out on the Meramec river
states that between the shocks he saw meteor a
large as the full moon, and very brilliant. shoe
across the sky from south TO north, accompaniet
with roaring, cracking sound, and disappearin,
with loud explosion.
The marrow fiye-story building erected by Mr.
Barksdale on the corner of Vine and Fifth street,
was rocked to and fro with alarming violence 1T
rooms are mostly occupied by young men for sleep
ing apartments, and the way they tumbled dowr
the several flights Of stairs was said by those who
winessedthe scene 70 have been both lu Iicl rs aDC
fearful. One of the sleepers asserts that the vi
brations of the top of the building could not have
been less than foot.
All over the city, Immediately after the first
shock, the windows and doors OF the houses wsrs
thrown open, and great numbers of the people
rushed into the streets. The dogs barked and ran
bowling away from the rumbling as it approached
The pendilums of many clocks were stopped. and
many citizens state that on going out into the air
they found great difficulty in respiration.
gentleman in Illinois, who was returning tc
st. Louis, when some miles from the ferry report.
that the earthquake was accompanied with vivid
lightning and loud thunder, and that the animal.
were SO much alarmed that they added their la.
mentatons to those of the people, were in great
terror, and believed that the day of doom was al
hand. 1t appears, from all that hear from oul
sister State, that the shock came from the south
ern part, which is highly probable.