The Cleveland leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1865-1865, 1865-08-25
THE EARTHQUAKE SHOCK.
Iueide1Is OF the Phenomenon al Mem.
ph1s.
From the Memphis COmmertiI !

LNN- ~ ANA-PA NNLAeANAAA 1
About ten minutes before nine o'clock
yesterday morning the shock of an earth.
quake was very p~srceptibly, and in some
localities very violently, felt throughout
our city, startling nearly every one from
his or her accustomed propriety, and ere.
sting for q few moments 8 very general
alArm, varying in degree from open
mouthed wonder to q high state of nervous
dlsmsy. Ire shock was most distinctly
perceived BY persons within doors, and in
an especial manner by occupants of the
higher stories Of four-st0rY buildings, most
OF whom changed their base TO terra frTna
with q rspidity which would have done
credit to the inmates of q New York tene.
ment house on 3 fire alarm. Il was, of
course, the part of wisdom, on an occasion
like this, TO vscate az speedily as human
locomotion would permit but the general
escspade, in less than five minutes became
the subject of amusement and its ludicrous
incidents were the stap.e Of town talk for
the whole day.
aye local., who, in accordance with
the weil-known habits of the profession.
had retired TO rest at the early hour of
three O'clock A. N, and had Just risen with
the lark-thst il, the nine o'clock lark
when the subterranesn wave rolled beneath
the corporation Of Memphis. He Wal in
the second story of 8 brick house, high
storied, upon 8 high basement,-in fact
considerably high up in the world, and
some distance up Adams street; and the
fret intimstion of the phenomenon was a
violent rafting of the windows and doors,
which partially subsidized, and was subse-
quently repeated with still greater violence,
the whole building seeming to be affected
with q tremor, and rather sbrubtly sway
ing in several directions, as if anxious 10
fall to pieces. The writer's first impulse
was to rush streetWsId, but the scanty sup
ply Of wardrobe with which he was in
vested at the time checked the venture, and
he resigned himself heroicslly 70 eternal
smash. Making bold, however, to approach
the window, 8 countrynsn, evidently OF
Anglican descent, sung Justify out, Eres
yer foine peaches" and the danger wss
over, the unsuspecting fruitmsn never
dreaming that he and his stock we're so
near being "swAllowed up" like "Korah's
troop" In fact the shock Wss scarcely
noticed by people out doors, and is do
scribed by those who did perceive it as a
gentle vibratory motion, slightly produce
tive, like an extra mini juleP, Of u vague
atop heaviness"
Many personal incidents are relsted, all
of interest," yet of great similarity, with
the single exception of the impressions de-
rived as to the direction of the "Wsve."
In one office 9 framed show card leaning
against q southern wall was thrown north
ward, and 8 gentleman sitting at q northern
window felt himself ~involuntsrily incliaed
90 pitch out on the sidewalk. In another
office, on Second street, 3 piece of paper
tackled over ar opening on the West filled
and reflled like 8 sail, as if the atmosphere
was affected by a force moving from Yves!
to East. In other places gas burners ri.
brsted and loose partitions sWsyed rapidly
backward and forward, but usually in the
direction which they would most readily
take upon any unusual CONFUSION of the
earth,
1t is theorizsd By some that the Internal
expansion or explosion of gases, or com
bustion OF igneous materials, supposed to
occasion earthquakes, assumes a sway"
motion and strAightfor ward direction; By
others, that the oscillations are equal in
force and irregular in direction, giving to
the she'll of the earth, and s~ublunary things
in general, a rotary as well as vibratory
motion. But, without attempting to dip
into the science of these wonderful and
fearful phenomena, we viii simply add
that, or this occasion, the city of Memphis
got a pretty efeeiual shaking up, though
certainly not one at all equal to our deserts.
We have heard of no serious damsge being
done, with the exception of several Chin
neys in different parts Of the city, which
lost their centars of gravity and fell with
q crash; while several walls we're cracked,
and q considerable amount of plaster dis
lodged from ceilings.
This portion of the Mississippi Valley has
experienced similar shocks on several &C.
cssions before, the last occurring about two
years and y half ago; but this exceeded al
Others In severity, unless, as some old citi-
zens relate, we should except the earth
quake of l843, and, of course, the frightfnl
%convulsion Of 1911, so caIamitOus in its eff
tects farther up the river, in the vicinity of
New Madrid. As to the duration of the
shocks experienced yesterday, reports do
not entirely concur, but it was probably
not less than two minutes and a half from
first to last.
A Descendant Of A1ng Kgbert.
The Gazette de France has the follow
ing:
A simple inspector of police has Just died
IN England, in whose veins ran the purest
blood Of the united islands-the 1oblest
and most ancient-and yet he was but a
simple commoner. He had no fortune and
no position. He bore q title, " the handle
to his name" (which the Gazette, quoting
the English words, seems to think is really
IL N.aN-