The Cadiz sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1864-1911, 1868-01-15
NEW SER LES---VOLUM E 8. NO. %.


] - ANNo 80 SSs AAOAAhd9s
Tie Secretary of State las received the
/ following communication.
! Tie undersigned, Otto, Frederick Raus
! pach, Dane, born in the West India Island
/ OF II. Thomas, planter and estate owner 10
said island takes the liberty most sub
/ lHis-iycly to lay before your Exeellency e
'complrte and accurate list of all the shecks
/ and runblIng noise which followed the dread
I lui earthquake our island experienced on
| the 18th OF November lsst. Nv intention
is not 10 give your Excellcncy a scientific
description Of said catastrophe, hnt [ fesl
that perhaps the learned societies of your
, enlightened country may make use Of such
inmate observations as those have made,
| and II 50, shall feel highly fattered by
your acceptance of it. / erc' Sc tie list.
| and subscribe myself your Execellency'
most submissive servant,
RAUsAcH.
The list of shocks and rumbling sounds
which followed the earthquake in the West
India Island Of St. Thomas on the 18th of
November last is as follows:
The 18th Of November was a beautiful
clear day, witi Il fine blue West India sky.
] no wald was east by north, but very lttlo
Of It. The ocean was quite, nearly q calm,
! he FUN shone bright aud warm. and tho
barometer stood at twenty>four degrees
Rcaumnr in the ~hade. There YVES not the
least sign of any Kind that forctold this
great revolution IN nature, when at once,
just about quarter to three clock ii tha
Afternoon, the2e was heatd the underground
rumbling noise, which was Immediately fol-
lowed by terrific earthquake; which seem
ed TO come from south by west and pass on
to the north by east. The earth seemed as
II composed OF small waves rising aud sink.
ing under your feet, that if you made a
step forward your foot seemed to meet
higher ground, and it you put it backward
1t also there met higher ground To stand
sui one spot was impossible, and whef,
trying to walk 1t was as if something kent
you back. The underground sound, while
the hrSt shock was going en-, oc sb ut Cgs
minute and hall, was most dreadful. Ii
terrified every living soul The sun secln-
cd at once to become dun; it was as If ecln-
ed, and this dInncss lasted that fist day
untll 3unsct, and continued the whole of the
next day, but in a smaller degree, agd onlv
wore entirely away in the course OF two
days more. 1t was as if the sun, though
apparently as bright as usual had lost some
OF Its warming and Illuminating power.
Alter the first terrific shock the ground and
grumbIing, when, about ten minutes after q
second strong shock was felt.
Directly after this second shock the ocean,
which directly before the first shock had re.
ceeded from the land several hundred feet.
was seen to rise ike one huge wave and
come in towards the harbor. 1t stood uo
like one straight, white wall from fifteen
to twenty feet high, and advanced very fast
INTO the harbor sweeping or upsettiug the
small vessels before it. raising the large
men-ot war to its top The appearance OF
this wave was like a white maSoned wall,
eject and straight, as If made after rule,
and had 20 appearance at all OF g wave in
general. 1t broke IL over the lower parts
OF the town to the height Of couple Of
feet and TO the extent Of about two hundred
and hity feet inland, according to The Lowell
Ut the locality. This wave rising was res
peated a second time after an interval OF
about ten minntes, and this seemed to be
little futlog inland After these two wsyes
had passed away the ocean remained, as lar
as tho eye could see, again quite clam, lust
as before the first shock Of the ear hduake.
The shock continued and were felt every
few minutes. 1t was as if the shocks Of tho
first day hung together as in one chain but
from quater before three o clock Oh the
morning Of November 18th the shocks were
felt more separately and distinct, and, there
fore, seemed as if they were more frequent.
From quarter to three clock 7. NJ,
on II 10th till quarter to three A. NJ. on
JAe l9th there were eightynine shocks.
From a quarter to three A. NJ. on the 10th
I'll midnight there were two hundred and
thirty cight shocks. There shocks became
less severe from the 2lst ot~November.
The writer gives the exact hours of every
one, also the hour of every rumbling noise
without perceptible shock accompanying it.