The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-12-30
TIE EARTHQUAKES At ST. THOMAS.

The Secretary Of State has received the following
communications
The undersigned. Otto Frederick Raupach, . Dane,
born in the West India Island OF ST. Thomas planter
and estate In said island takes tho liberty most
submssively 70 lay before your Exceilsncy . complete
and accurate st OF all tho shocks and rumbInz noise
psrenccd ON the 18Th Of November last Ny in,sntiou
10 not to give your Excssncy scientific description OF
said catastrophe but feel that perhaps the learned
societies OF your enlightened country may make OF
such minute observations those have made, and II
80 shall fee, highly nasred BY acceptance Of H.
ss
The list Of shocks and rumbas sounds which fol-
lowed the earthquake In the West India Island Of -
Thomas ON the 18th Of November last 10 ~ follows:
The 18th Of November was beautiful clear day, with
nns blue West India sky. The wind east By north,
The SON shons bright and warm, and the barometer
stood at twenty-four degrees Reaumur IN the shade
yhsrs was not me lss:, sa Of any Kind .h: ior:,oa
heard the underground rumblisg neiss, which was i'm
seemed 70 come from south By wess and pass on 70 che
north by east The earth seemed - II composed Of
small waves n. and sinking S.Ssf fee: . ss.
higher ground, and you put backward 10 also there
met higher ground To stand still in spot was i'm
possible. and when yng 70 walk II something
kept you back. The Underground sound while the nss
shock going on, for about one minute and half.
ms most dreadful II terrified every living soul Ths
sur seemed Il once 70 become dan Il wss - II scpssd
and ths dmnsss lasted that rst day SUNSET and
continued the whole a the next day, but smaller
degree, and only wore entirely away In the course
OF two days more. II ~ n the sun. though
apparently bright had lest some OF is
ing and Illuminating power. After the Arst terrific
shock the ground kept on sroaning and arunbinr,
whom about ten minutes after second strong shock
felt
Directly ansr this second shock the ocean. which
shortly before shock had receded from The land
several hundred fest seen 70 like ono huge
and in towards the harbor. II stood up like
one straight white wall about from fifteen IA twenty
feet high, and advanced very fast into the barbor,
sweeping upsessing the small vessels before H. and
raising the large meu-ofvar and steamers 70 ts top.
The Appearance Of this like q white mssonsd
wall erect and straight made after rule and bad
no appearance ~ oil Of wave In general broke IN
the lower parts OF the town 10 shs height OF .
couple OF feet and the extent Of about hundred
ity. This wave rising was repeated second time after
interval Of about ten mmuses and this seemed be
little larger than the nrst and wsnt little
further inland Amer these two waves had passed away
The remained, ~ far the eye could sse again
quite calm juss - before the FIRST shock Of the earth.
Quaka
Ths shscks oontisusd and we're fsls svery few
minutes Il - n the shocks Of the hnt day hung
together IN enc chain: but from . quarter before
three o'clock the m0rnng Of November 10 the shocks
felt separately and distinct and therefore,
seemed - " they wsrs more frequent.
From quarter 70 three o'clock r. n. on the 18th sll
. quarter V three A - on tbs 10Th thsrs were
n the feh I'll midnight there wsrs two hundred and
thiry-saht shocks. The shocks became les severe
from the 2lst Of November.
The writer gvss the exact hours Of every one also The
hour svsy runbling noise without psrcepble shock
sceompanyingh