, 1873-04-18

An Earthquake i'm the Eternal City
The following Rccount OF a shock Of earth
quake experienced at Rome on tho 18TH ult. ia
fr9m the c9Frespondont 9FI Of the Morning Post
Yesterday evening, about o'clock, WAS juBt
rising from tho dinner-tablo with few friends,
whom our attention WAS attracted to the gyTatory
motion ot gas chandelier suspended ovcr the
table. While wo Tero wondering what could
canuo the metal bracket protr7lding from tho
wall to oacl(lhte 30, We became conscious Of IN
undnlatory movement under onr foot, giving
sensation Of gidainoss something akin to sou
BcAnosB. Suddenly q Euaricion Of tho truth
flashed acroas my mind, and looked at tho clock,
observing that 1t marked O. and that We should
probably find that throughout, Rome. and por-
haps grogt part Of Italy, the allock Of on Garth
nent. Just thon two servants camo in from tho
kitchen to ask whether VIC had r1lng, adding in q
rather disn,ayod tone TINT, bosidcs the ringing
Of tho bell suspended tEero, they had been
and tho olattor Of plates OH tho dresser, to say
nothing Of tho yibratory motion Of largo tablo
at which they wore getting their supper. I wont
into the kitchen and saw tho c1apner Of tho bell
yard fixed Into tho wall waggng Ike pendulum.
In tho other roOma Of the house the shock pro-
ducod sinlilar Objects and WAS equally felt, 80
that, thoro being no doubt nbont tho cauee set
gpecting ssllat Ind beon noted down in scientific
qnartora. Fathor soochi, tho loarnol astronomer,
Wla In his rooms at tho Roman College, correcting
aonao proof for tho presH, when lo folt m ull-
dnlatory motion end experienced sonsation Of
nausea, which made him suspend his work and
obHeryo to his aBsslaut tlat l1o thought he per-
cciscd an earthquake. THO assstant Thought
not, but Immediately nfter precisely 0:05 m
unmistakable shook wna folt by both. Fnthor
nlarchotti, another harmed Jcsuit, who had COMO
into tho observatory to inBpect tic magnetic i,,-
strnnlonta, cushing back to Father socchi'a room
IN terror, telling him that the Instruments wero
al npsot and tho observatory waA In utter COM
fuBion.. The observatory olooI stopped at tho
momont Of the shocl, mid this morning It'll hands
wero still ut Dos. a simi!ar pl,o1,ononon wn4
remarked during tho celebrated earthquake nj
Lisbon. The direction OF tho earthquake was
from ponihoaBt to northwest, similar to tint of
tho last disaGtroNs earthquake ut NorcIn, aud 1t
lasted about twolyo seconds Tlloro VIVA n good
deal Of alarm throughout tho city, and many
people ran out of their houses, for bells woro
ringing everywhere, lamps and otllor objoota
wolo thrown down, and littlo birls nsloop in
thoir cagoR Wore jorled Off their pnrcllcs. The
porter'G boil In tito lofty Convent of Arm Culi,-
on tho Capitol, was heard to toll lugubriously,
In cafeB, theatron, anu public establishments tic
gas-hght supports .oscillated Violently. and nj
tho opera-llonao, which wAa crowded OH account
Of tho now ballot, "Ln 6emiranido dol Noul,"
tho groat chandelier waved aud shook ita luatroos
10 that mnny ladlos were groatly alarmed, aud
tho occupants Of Homo Of tito upper bosos took
to flight .preoipitately. Fortunately, Victor
Emanuel Is not subject to panics 10 ho ro-
marod quietly In his box md enjoyed tho now
ballet which turned out grAnl auocosa.