The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1869-05-14
Earthquake Experience.

It has been often asserted, and is largely
believed, that atmospheric aud other meteo-
ric phenomena often prognosticate the ap-
proach Of earthquakes and it is alleged that
animals aud men have an obscure PERCEPTION
and foreboding of them. manifested by
feeling of anxiety and restessness, shudering
and trembling of the limbs. Won Tschudi,
good authority, ,a1irms that he several times
experienced this sansation while in Peru, just
before the occurrence OF earthquakes. My
own experience of several years in countries
subjected to these phenomena, but which,
however, is entirely of negative character,
does not confirm these statements and hy-
potheses 1t was confnd to q residence of
year on the coast Of Peru, and to three
rather decisive shocks. | do not mention
those slight tremors of the ground, which,
during the day, are seldom to be distinguish
ed from the vibration of the ground occa-
stoned by carriages, and are mostly apprecio-
BILE at night. The first of the three to which
| refer occurred November %, 1868, at about
six o'clock in the morning, and lasted about
ten seconds 1t was preceded by distinct
rumblng sound continuing during the move
ment, which was of the ordinary undulatory
kind. The shock was felt along the whole
coast, from Africa northward, doing little
damage, however, except IN the city oil
Truxillc.
| The second experienced few weeks later,
! at about two o'clock IN the afternoon, while
engaged in making a survey of the ruins of
Amacavilca, near the village Of Chorillos,
nine miles south Of Lima. | had just exposed
plate in my Photographic camera, and was
timing the exposure, when my attention was
4 arrested by sound from the southwark.
something like that of a heavy sea-wave
striking the shore at an angle and breaking
in sustained, continuous roar. | recognized
the sound, and carefully noted the time that
elapsed between its first reaching my ear and
the commencement of the earth movement.
1t was five seconds-a fact Of value as bear
ing on the rapidity with which earthquake
shocks are propogated. The movement wal
not very severe, although sufficiently great tt
ruin my Photographic negative, which pre-
served as probably the only example of pho
tographing an earthquake. In Lima it caused
some alarm, but little damage.
My third aud last experience was when de
scending to the coast from the lofty tabl
lands of Huancaveica, through the valley o
the river Pisco to the sea, in the succeeding
month of November. We were just emerg
ing from the mighty walls of rock and bare
lofty mountains that shut in the upper water
of that stream, and we're entering on the III
} duating desert extending from the mountai
! to the sea, when We again heard the ominou
, sound approaching, as before, from the south
| My mule pricked up her ears and stopped o
the instant in a tremor, as if smitten wit
sudden ague. 1t was ten seconds, not coun
: ing the time this meneuver Occupied, befol
the movement commenced under our feet. :
The shock lasted seven seconds, and was
e severe one being the combination of the u
0 dulatory and salatory movements. 1t WI
# alse wide spread in its range, and in al
, country except Peru, where man has TAXI
o almost every possible precaution against Il
l. effects of earthquakes, would have been d
}; structive.
d And here have to account circumstan
'f interesting in itself and to science. In gazi
l. to'the southwark, and listening to the 9
: vance of the shock as it approached wi
,; constantly increasing noise, we distinct
If saw the vibration of the mountains in th
,e direction for four seconds before those near
us began to bow to each other. Assumi
e, that the movement of the mountains COZ
N be detected by the naked eye at distance
as two miles, we have the means of an.appro
IL mate estimate of the velocity of the shock
ne question. 1t was about thirty miles m
ut te.-[E. G. Squire, in HaIper's Magazi