The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1871-11-24
A CITY CAVING IN,
The Inhabitants Aroused at Midnight by Shocks ns
II of an Earthauake..An Enormous Flssure In Main
Street.-The principnl IluldtnRs Wrecked,


The Inhabitants Aroused at Midnight by Shocks ns
II Of an karthguake:.An Enormous Fissure In Main
Street.-The Principal Buildings Wrecked.
SCRANTON, Pa November l6.-IIyde
Park has again been visited by one Of
those catastrophes peculiar to mining re-
gions. About three o'clock this morning
the citizens Of that portion Of our city ~
ing south of Main street, and in the
neighborhood of Scranton avenue, were
startled from their slumbers by rum
bling crashing noise, and trembling
of the earth and their buildings, as of an
earthquake. So violent were the shocks
and so loud the noise, that they fled
terror stricken from their dwellings.
After the first paroxysm of fright had
passed the cause of the terrible alarm
became apparent. The mines of the
first vein of the Oxford shaft had clved
in, causing the earth to settle some two
feet and forming great cracks in the
surface. The area of ground, which is
thickly covered by buildings and hand
some dwellings, is about twenty acres,
extending from Main street at q point
west of the Welsh Calvanistic church,
running diagonally northeast to Chest
nut street. This boundary of the fall is
marked by crack which varies in
width and depth. This crack, passing
through the front yard of the Welsh
Calvanistic church, goes through tho
dwelling and store of Mr.. Thomas Phil.
ips, Herman's hotel, and the adjoining
property, breaking their walls and rock
ing the buildings from cellar to garret.
Crossing Scranton avenue it crosses
the corner of Fellows hall building,
breaking open the foundation wall and
causing large opening in the brick
wall, and in fact injuring the entire
building. From this point it runs in an
easterly direction, from thence diagon al
ly to Scranton avenue, where traces of
the fall are lost. But the effects of the
fall are still visible in the settling of the
earth about Mr.. Heerman'5 residence
and other dwellings between this point
and the place from which we first start
ed. In all of the buildings, is the de-
structive effects of this disaster most
clearly visibly as hardly any part of
them remains uninjured. Walls and cell.
ings, broken floors, sunken windows,
broken wainscoting torn loose, while
cisterns, wells and cellars have literally
lost their bottoms, causing Il destruction
ofproperty amounting to $j0,0 There
were three distinct shocks, each one
loud enough to arouse everybody. In a
few minutes Main street was crowded
with men, women and children, who
were greatly frightened. When the
residence of Mr.. ID. T. Richards was
shaken, the family were compelled to
flee in order to save their lives; so great
was the destruction the house must be
rebuilt. The Heermans house is SO badly
used up it must be pulled down. The
post Office has sunk some eighteen
inches, and still continues settling. A
large cistern in the kitchen of Dam
Howell was pierced, and is now dry. Ir
fact, not drop of water can be had il
any cistern in any part of the injured
portion. The Oxford shaft is situated in
the centre of Hyde Park and is thu
property of the Delaware, Llckawanns
and Western company, having been
purchased by them in 1868 from Selden
Scranton & Co.