Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1860-05-22
Earthquake Rxpericnces-'rhc Sensations
..I..H of n Land-Shalxe.

I|H of q Land-Shake.
An intelligent traveller writes as follows
During my long sojourn in the East on
| three distinct occasions experienced severe
shocks of earthquakes on land; and once |
was out Of sight of land, sailing away con-
| tentedly on the bosom of the Indian Ocean,
| and about sixty miles from Acheen Head.
The terrible calamity which lately befell the
town of Erzeroum and its unfortunate inhab-
itants, prostrating every house in the town,
uprooting the city walls, and positively ami
hilating the place-so that in few years it
may be a matter of doubt to the future trav-
eler where the exact site is situated-this
will be fresh in the memory of all, and con-
sequently, perhaps, my own pigmy experience
may not prove uninteresting.
The first earthquake ever felt in my life
was the shock which we experienced at sea,
/ and which, we afterward ascertained, did an
| immense amount of damage all over the west
coast of Sumatra. 1t was during the middle
watch, and all but the watch were down be-
low, asleep. There had been nothing to
indicate any great convulsion of nature. The
night was lovely calm one and the stars In
the armament shone out as brightly as they
usually do in these latitudes between the
monsoons. A light breeze swelled the sails,
aud urged the good ship pleasantly forward;
even the watch on deck felt so secure, that
most of them were more than half asleep.
| Suddenly the ship seemed to be flung back
violently by some agency or other. Every
| timber in her creaked and shook; the chain
cables ratified as though both anchors had
gone by the run; the sails tapped heavily;
| cordage, block, &C., creaked again, and there
| dismal howl from the Lascars that chilled
the very hearts blood. Everybody had
simultaneously arrived at the same conclu-
sion, and that was, that we had struck on a
rock and were laundering. The sleepers
l baI yxuifh in fqpae.
captain flew 10 the pumps and sounded them.
''Thank Godr' he cried, "there is no leak"
The chief officer, to his astonishment, found
the anchors all right and properly Gated.
| The second mate had a cast of the lead, and
reported no bottom. Meanwhile, the breeze,
which had momentarily ceased, as though 1t
had been rudely pushed back, now blew
fresher than BEFORE and we were sailing
away at very rapid rate. This, then, had
been an earthquake, finging its immense
power even so far out to sea.
My second shock was rather of ludicrous
nature, If anything can be said TO be ludicrous
connected with such an awful visitation as
an earthquake. was residing with my two
brothers at the small, out-of-the way village
of fAlexandretta the chief seaport town OF
AleppO, and my brother Williams bedroom
was contiguous to mine. We had retired to
rest at our usual hour, remarking that there
was something in the atmosphere and intense
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