Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1870-10-28
The Earthquake.

last week, which was felt over all New
England and as far west ms Michigan.
The most severe shocks seem to have
been along in the line of Boston, Port
land and Quebec, and most accounts
agree in representing three distinct
shocks, at snort intervals, and lasting in
all nearly half minute. One observer
at Salem, Mass, says they were but half
q second each.
The Boston Traveller says the first
shock lasted about ten seconds, the late
raj motion Of the earth being from east
to west. This was followed by two other
shocks, with motion from north to
south, and being nearly ten seconds in
duration, and very clearly defined. As
to the duration, accounts vary about ten
seconds, some affirming the shocks to-
have lasted 20 seconds, while others say
thirty. We are inclined to adhere TO
the thirty-seconis ste tement.
Prof Hough Of the Dudley Observa-
tory at Albany says; THE shock lest
ed about one minute. At the time Of
the shock rumbling noise was heard
clock pendulums swinging north and
south were made to vbrate east and
west, showing that the earthquake wave
passed in an eastward direction"
Other accounts vary as to duration,
from Is seconds to one minute. In Bos-
ton and other New England cities, chin
neys were toppled down, panes OF glass
cracked, coping stones and states shaken
off, &c, but no casualties are We t report
ed except a rumor thut two men were
killed in Quebec. There was shock
felt in New England year ago, Oct.
22d.
At Montpelier, Burlington, Rutland,
Windsor, Brattleboro and other places
in this State, the shock was very distinct
and rang bells, shook bricks icotn the
chimn VS., ratified crockery, stopped over
coffee, &c. AT keene, n. H., the DELL
to the High School house was rung. and
so reports come in all over the codntry
embraced in Canada, New England, as
far south as Pennsylvania and as far
west as Michigan.
AT the west the shock is reported at
II o'clock, and at the east at near III.
On the line of the Portland & Ogdens-
burg railroad, sixteen miles from Port.
land, three hundred feet Of the bed OF
the railroad across Otter Pond, in Stand
ish, settled ten feet. This is the most
serious damage reported at any one
place.
New England has not been regarded
as an earthquake region, which is true
in regard to severity but not as to nun
bers. The one Of the Goth inst, was
quite sufficient to give an idea Of the APP
/ palling effect in those countries where
! they are more we're and disast rous.
The one of last week is probably the
most severe or distinct of any in New
England since 1927 and 1855. An ac-
count Of the first says: "The houses
rocked as If they would fall down, aud
the people, being amazed, ran out into
the streets, calling on the Lord for mer-
cy." A profound feeling was produced
and the governor Of Massachusetts colo
mics appointed a Fast ION account of the
late surprising andamazing ca rthquake' y
But the great earthquake of New Eng
land occurred Nov. 18, 1855. The Dos.
ton papers have REPRODUCED tb at account
Of that earthquake, as given at that
time as follows:
" 1t came at ha,f-past four in the morn
ing, while it was yet dark and The peo-
pie where locked IN slumber. The irst
shock lasted four minutes and half
Ceilings were fractured, the ground op.
ened in many places, bureaus were upset
in quiet homes, cellar walls were burst
and fell down, liquids were dashed oyel
the sides of vessels, and people were
thrown down by the violent undulatory
motion OF the ground. Bricks, from the
tops OF chimneys thiriy-two feet Il,
height, were thrown distance of tbirt,
feet from the base. The wooden spindle
of the vane ON Faneui Hall in Boston
FIVE inches in diameter, was snapped OF
by the jerk, and an iron spindle on q
church in Sprin field, one hundred miles
west of Boston, was bent at right angles
by the sudden convulsion. The earth
|, rocked like a cradle, and the DAMAGE
, done to stone fences alone, is estimated
at 100000. At Boston, which was then
a town of $4,000 souls, one hundred
chimneys fell to the roof or ground. IF
teen other chimneys were so twisted and
shattered as to require rebuilding, while
some fifteen brick dwellings were thrown
from the gable end to the caves of the
; houses"
That was a serious affair compared To
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