The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1868-01-08
tho l6IloWing comInnniicali6nT.

India Island Of ST. Thomas, 1plahloar and
estate ,owncr in said island, takes Tho
Liberty most subn,issivcly' to LAY Deloro
your Excellency complc.c and acc,;;
ratio list of all tho shocks and runiblmg
roisc which followed the .drcadlul' earth>
quake our landexpcrcnced on The 18th
Of November last. s.
My intention is not TO give your Tx.
ccllency scientific description Of said
catastrophe. but feel that, perhaps
The learned societies Of yolr enlightened
country may make use Of such rlinutc
observations as those Lave made /;
and, if so, I shall feel highly llattcrcd by
your acceptance Of IT..
| enclose the list, and subscribe N.Y.
self your Excellcncy's most suhmissiv Q
servant.
RAurAcn.
lists Of shocks and rumbling sounds
which followed the earthquake in the
West India Island Of St Thomas, Oh The
18th OF November last
The 18th Of November was a bcau,i-
ful clear day, with fine blue West
India sky. The wind was Fast bv
North, but very little Of it. THE ocean
was quiet, nearly calm The sun
shonc bright and warm, and the baromr.
Ter stood al Q! degrees, Hcmcur in
the shade. There was not the least
sign Of any kind that lorclold this great
revolution in nature, when at once. Just
about a quarter to3 o'clock p. NJ,
there was heard the und crground rum
bling noise which Immediately was follow
edby terrific earthquake, which seemed
to come from South BY West and pass
on 10 North by East. The earth seem,
ed as II composed Of small waves rising
and sinking under your feet, so that il
vou made a step forward, your foot
seemed to meet higher ground, and if
You put it backward it also there met
higher ground. TO stand still IN one
spot was impossible, and when trying
TO walk it was as il something kept YOU
back. The underground sound, while
the first shock was going on for about
one minute and half, was most dread
lul. 1t terrified every living suul. The
sun seemed at once to become dim 1t
was as if it, was cclipscd, and this DIM
ness lasted that first day till sunset and
continued the whole next pay, but in a
smaller degree, and only wore entirely
away in the course OF two days more
ltwas rs if the sun, though apparently
as bright as usual, had lost some OF its
warming and lighting powor. A Aitor
tho first terrific shock the ground kept
on groaning and trembling, when. about
ten minutes altcr, second strong shock
was felt. Directly after this second
shock, The ocean, whicl, shortly before
the first shock had rccelcd from the land
about several hundred feet, was seen TO
rise like one huge wave and come in to-
ward the harbour. 1t stood up like one
straight white wall about fifteen to
twenty feet high, and advanced very
fast into the harbour, sweeping or up
setting the small vessels before it, and
raising The large men of7war and other
steamers to its top. The appearance of
this wave was like a white masoncd
wall, erect and. straight, as if made after
q rule 1T had no appearance at all Of a
wave iii general 1t blpke in over he
lower parts Of the town to the height Of
II couple of feet, and to the extent of
two hundred TO two hundred and fflv
feet inland, according 10 the nalness of
The locality. This wav. rising was re-
peated second time, afcr an interval