The Portland daily press., 1867-12-31
Graphic Description of the 80. Thomas
-a.t a.. Earthquake. -., yl-s.t

The Secretary of State has received the fol-
lowing communication from Otto Frederick
Raupach, a Danish planter on ST. Thomas, CIV
ing a complete and accurate list of all the
shocks and rumbling noises which followed
the dreadful earthquake the island experience
cd on the 18th of November last; t...-l.
The 18th of November was beautiful, clear
day, with a fine, blue, West India sky The
wind was east by north: but very little of it,
The ocean was quiet-almost calm, The sun
shone bright and warm and the barometer
stood at "a deg. (Reaumur) in the shade.
There was not the least sign OF any kind that
foretold this great revolution in nature, when
at once, just about quarter to three o'clock
T. NJ, there was heard the underground
rumbling noise. which Immediately was fol-
lowed by terrific, earthquake, which seemed
to come from south by west, and pass on to
north by east. The earth seemed as if COM
posed of small waves, rising and sinking I'M
der your feet, so that if you made step for
ward your foot seemed to meet higher ground,
and if you put it back ward it also there met
higher ground. To stand still in one spot was
impossible, and when trying to walk it was as
if something kept you back. The underground
sound, while the first shock was going on, for
about one minute and half, was most dread
full. 1t terrified every living soul. The sun
seemed at once to become dim-it was as if it
was eclipsed, and this dimness lasted the first
the next day, but in smaller degree, and on
ly wore entirely away in the course of two
days more. 1t was as If the sun, though APP
parently as bright as usual, had lost some of
its warming and lighting power. Alter the
first terrific shock the ground kept on groan-
ing and trembling, when, abont ten minutes
after, a second strong shock was felt Direct
ly after the second shock, the ocean, which
shortly before the first shock had receded from
the land several hundred feet, was seen to rise
ilra hy1rra and ind r1 fho
harbor. 1t stood up like one straight white
wall, about fifteen to twenty feet high. and adj
vanced very fast into the harbor, sweeping or
upsetting the small vessels before it and rails
ing the large men of VAR and other steamers
to its top. The appearance of the wave was
like white masoned wall, erect and straight
as if made after rule; it had no appearance
at all of wave in general. 1t broke in over
the lower parts of the town to the height of
couple of feet and to the extent of about two
hundred to two hundred and fifty feet lnl md,
according to the fatness of the locality. This
wave-rising was repeated second time after
an interval Of about ten minutes, and this Sec
ond wave seemed to be even a little larger
than the first, and went a little further inland
After these two waves had passed away, the
ocean remained, as far as the eye could see,
again quite calm, just as before the first shock
of the earthquake. sr-ra -.rf Ef
The shocks continued, and were felt every
few minutes. 1t was as if the shocks the first
uay mug toSetHer DIS IN one cndlI ouo iioiu u
quarter before til zee O'Clock on the morning OF
the 10Th November. the shocks were felt more
separately distinct, and therefore seemed as if
they were more frequent
From ga o'clock l.. NJ. on the 18th till 3-4
O'Clock A. NJ, on the 10Th, there were eighty
nine shocks. From ga A. NJ, on the 10Th
till midnight there were two hundred and
thirty-eight shocks, the shocks becoming less
severe from the 21st of November. The writ
er gives the exact hours of every one, as also
the hour of every rumbling noise without per-
ceptible shock accompanying it.