The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-09-15

the island OF Tort0la the Destruction OF shins and
stores a. s g. Thomas Thomas and the perpetration ia
Islands OF st. Martins. Porto Rico, Antigua, st. Bar
tholomew. st. CrOix and Jamaica. jamaica was the
bled EARTH About noon OF the 18th and 18th Of No
vember several severe shocks were felt resulting II
the s ~ tSs sawe month two nnan1 shoo4a
were felt at Porto Rico spreading CONSERVATION.
from end to end OF the island. AT the same time =
terrific hurricane swept over this devoted portion Of
the globe and foundations occurred In numberlesa
places. At st. Domingo the lighthouse was damaged,
whole parishes desolated and many buildings laid in
ruins.
st. Johns was visited on the next day. the 10th.
Five distinct shocks felt the seyerest known u
island rose and fell three feet. st. Thomas. st.
Croix, st. Peters, TOrOla and Little Saba were struck
the same day. The sea was raised nifty leet ana lts
retrOcessiOn swept or human lives and great 0eaa
OF valuable property. Little Saba was divided IN
consequence OF the waves, and volcano at the
same moment sprang into active life. st. Thomas
was visited by fortyseven almost continuous shocks
The rose sixty feet and the city was almost Gu
trey submerged The United states sta steam
the De Soto was badly damaged on the island OF
santa Cruz All the edi6ces IN st. Johns were seri-
Ously injured, and st. Martins for the time being,
nearly disappeared from the face OF creation.
Competent scientific men on the spot reported the
current Of undulations TO run from north TO east Inc
sky during the prevalence OF these earthquakes pre-
sented its ordinary appearance. The trade wind
clouds hung llstlessly overhead; the weather was
calm and sultry and nothing unusual was observed
in the vibrations of the compass. volcanic erup-
tion occurred at st. Bartholomew. but no damage
OF any moment resulted. st. Kits was also included
In the list OF islands that THIS strangeytroubled dis
position Of terra hrma embraced. The fury OF this
wldely-extended series OF earthquakes seemed to
eXpend Itself on the unfortunate island OF ST. Thomas,
and the symptoms there exhibited were perhaps mors
appalling than have been noticed elsewhere.
Inc sun ,i Appeared as II unier an eclipse ana ony
days. The ocean, which shortly before the first
shock receded several hundred feet from the Land,
rose like one huge wave and moved towards the
harbor. IL stood UP like huge wall, erect and
straight like solid white masonry, and then ad-
ships along with it as though they We're mere corks
The Sd OF December more shocks were felt at ST.
Thomas unaccompanied by any damage. December
90 of fifteen seconds duration was experienced
at st. Johns. On the 18th and 18th of the same
month st. Domingo city was slightly. shaken.
Thomas, st. Kits and Antigua up to late period
OF the present year. st. Kits and Antigua were
visited by a final tremor on the night OF the Sd OF
April. At the former place Jumps OF sulphur were
thrown upon the island, and as late as the 18th OF
June three shocks were experienced at Porto
Rico.
THE UpnEAvING OF THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS.
The theory OF earthquake manifestations travel
ling in certain well defined lines receives strong
color OF support from the eruptOns In the Hawaiian
islands, almOsl Immediately following the outbreak
in the West Indies and in line west by south from
witch Islands fearful volcanic eruptions preceded the
earthquake. On the 27th OF March last the first
eruption took place, followed BY two Thousand
shocks Of earthquakes. Entire villages were de-
stroyed and hundreds Of persons killed. The slope
and part Of the summit Of mountain fifteen hum
earthquake and thrown over the tops Of trees for
distance OF over one thousand feet The immense
tidal waves came rushing in at so great height
that they swept over the tops OF the c0coanut trees
on the KOna coast. During the severest shock,
which occurred the I'd OF April no living creature
were lavelled to the EARTH The eruption which &C
cOmpanied the shocks was OF character terribly
grand. Jets OF flame rose to height OF one tnou-
sand feet Huge rocks were hurled up among the
clouds and the rivers Of lava rushed out into the sea
distance of six miles, Shock after shock cOnvulsed
but were most disastrous at Hawaii. The shocks had
three distinct characteristics-the unduatng, with
the motion generally from the northwest to southeast
the sudden, Short sharp, jerking shock occupying
hardly two seconds, and lastly humping like
boulder of thrown suddenly against the crust Of
with ratng noise like distant thunder of artillery,
or less distinct. The lighter shocks generally
had no accompanying noise. AT Kapapala one q
the group the shock was so great as to rend In twain
the framework Of q mountain side and hurl down on
the plain portion OF its flank. Fissures
large enough to enguf a horse and rider were
created in the ground. Not single stone fence was
left standing. At the town OF Punaluu tho mo-
ment the first shock took place 1t seemed as II an I'M
mense quantity Of lava had been discharged into
the sea some distance from the shore, as almost in
stantly terrible commotion arose In the sea, the
wards a tremendous wave swept in, and when IL
receded there was nothing left OF Punaluu. Every
lost was never ascertained. big chasm opened in
the mountain side and admitted the sea. For three
days the earth constantly rocked and swayed, ana
Most people became seasck. Strange roaring and
surgng noises were heard under the ground, and
when the ear was applied to the earth distinct
preston was received, as il a huge subterranean
wave had struck the earth's crust. -..-...
THE COURSE OF THE EARTHQUAKE CURRENT AROUND
THE EARTH.
While st. Thomas and other West Indian islands
were still trembling from the earth's commissions
an earthquake took place in that remote region Of
the globe Formosa, in the China Sea. The shock
was of unprecedented violence and was attended
with lamentable loss OF life. The harbor of Kee-
lung was left completely dry for a moment, and the
returning wave swept everything before 1t. chasm
several yards wide opened in the earth's surface OF
which no human eye could penetrate the depth.
Shocks also felt at Shanghae, Nngpo and other
places in China. No destruction Of property or loss
of life occurred there, but the phenomenon was 80
new to the Chinese that the greatest CONSERVATION
prevailed.
March l. a slight shock OF earthquake was felt at
Augusta, Me-, and the same day, Mt the same hour.
similar shock was experienced on the opposite
side of the continent. at vancouver's Island.
On the eth OF March serious shock, which de-
stroyed several large public ediices and numerous
lives, occurred OF venezuela. On the S1st OF the
same month few slight shocks were felt In San
Francisco.
Several smart shocks OF earthquake were felt at
Guatemala on the sth Of April Just week after the
outbreak in the Hawaiian islands.
On May ], just about the period OF the outbreak
In the Hawaiian Islands, an earthquake made itself
understood at Healdsburg, California.
On the 18th OF May four heavy shocks occurred az
Fort Churchill and Virginia City, Nevada and ex.
tended across TO Sacramento City. Several largo
buildings were shaken and the pumps in the mines
stopped working
EARTHQUAKE MUTrERISGs IN NORTHERN NEW YORK,
VERMONT AND CANADA.
On the morning OF the 18th OF last December a vio-
lent shock OF earthquake occurred at Ogdensburx,
shaking the 1rmest buildings and knocking over
light articles OF furniture. Al the same time
shocks were felt at Watertown, Rome,
Port Leeyden and other places north and
west Auburn and Syracuse also remember the
visitation IL was felt throughout Canada from
Belleville to Sackville. N. D. In Montreal people
were aroused from bed and made TO wonder at what
could be transpring on the l4th OF January sharp
shock occurred near Montreal. No damage was
done in any Of these instances except TO the nerves
OF the timiL.