Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1870-10-21
The Earthquake.

A severe shock OF an earthquake was felt IN
this city about half-past eleven o'clock yester-
day forenoon, lasting for the space of per-
haps fifteen or twenty seconds. 1t was
one of the most severe and prolonged
shocks that has visited this section for many
years. Like all other connections of this
venerable and usually staid and substantial
earth upon which we move, this demonstra-
ton of nature made different impression
upon different minds, and was taken for var-
Gus and not altogether unusual sounds. A
little girl playing in a sitting room, was
thrown upon her back. while her doll flew
from her hands out through the window into
the street, legless and armless. A servant
girl of Catholic persuasion, thought that the
day Of judgment and retribution had come,
dropped her broomstick and sprawled upon
the floor in spasm of unique crosses. In
one locality on State street people ran out
into the streets with pale and lvid counter
ances, supposing that the hospitabe roofs that
had so long sheltered them were tumbing
about their ears. Some old ladies were
winter than the sheets they were ironing and
let go the hot sad irons without being told to
do so. Near the State House lady was prepar-
ing her table for dinner but the table tipped
and the dishes were broken. A door bell to
which there was no wire attached, commenced
to ring. Indeed we have accounts from various
parts of the city of FLOOR bells ringing, crockery
rafting in cupboards, and furniture taking a
| jig. At hardware store urns were shaken
from stoves and tin dishes ratified together
1t was raining at the time, but quite calm.
A water spout on a two story house was OBJ
served to change its course as the house
shook. Some supposed the sound to pro-
coed from train of cars laundering by;
others that it was the sound of heavy machin-
cry in an adjoining room or building. To
instance a case or two Partridge at his
apothecary store belittled the earthquake by
supposing the sensation to be produced by
Adams sausage chopper! That's nice way
to encourage earthquakes! Jones felt the
shock in his auction store, and was on his
way up stairs to see if Hovey had been put
ting in a new instrument, but he met that in
dividual on his way down to see what Jones
was up to.
| An old Californian at work in this office was
transferred suddenly in his Imagination to his
former home. He had experienced but few
shocks like it in that place made famous by
gold and earthquakes. The cases of compos-
itors were shaken up without any effort on
their part. 1t was very interesting to notice
the manner in which dumb casts were affect
ed. Dogs looked as though they had been
stealing sheep. A horse standing in stable
hitched, broke his halter and rushed wildly
about the stable with extended nostrils.
At the Grammar School in the High School
building there was quite fright. The shock
ing in the room. The children sat quiet
ly the first moment of the shock, but
some loose bricks or mortar having started
between the ventilator and chimney by the
shaking, fell down, and caused them to think
the walls were falling. In an instant every
seat was vacated, and in spite of all the Prin-
cipal, Mr.. Robertson, could do to stop them,
they went out at the door in jam Forum
ately none were seriously hurt in the STAN
pcde but some who went down in the scram-
bic have sore limbs in consequences The
other school houses were also emptied I'M
tremendously by the frightened pupils.
The earthquake produced most profound
sensation in the court room, where the Su-
preme Judicial Court was in session. For a
few moments there was rush to get to a safe
! IL
faces were blanched with terror.
All agree that it was one of the most start
ling shocks of an earthquake they ever en-
perienced, but there is difference of opinion
in regard to it's duration. While the majority
of those we have seen have the impression that
the shock lasted about twenty seconds and
then subsidized others assert that there were
two and even three distinct reverberations,
lasting longer than that time. The motion of
movable articles during the earthquake was
not rapid, but quite slow. In one locality in
the city the inhabitants had no knowledge that
an earthquake had taken place, but with the
exception of this we think the shock was quite
generally felt throughout the city.
The shock was felt quite sensibly in Gardi-
ner Our correspondent there says that build
ings were shaken, and bottles in drug stores
were broken. at lasted from fifteen to twenty
seconds, and seemed to go in an easterly di-
recton."
Our correspondent at Skowhegan also tele-
graphs that the shock was very sensibly felt
there, and undoubtedly our regular despatch
es this morning will show that the earthquake
was not confined to the Kennebec region, but
extended over the State, and perhaps through
out the country.