The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1874-12-24
The Recent Earthquake in New York.

w EsTCHESTER COUNTY was shaken by
an earthquake Thursday night. Reports
from all parts of the county agree that at
lO:30 p. IN. clearly defined shock passed
through the whole district, extending
from the upper end of Manhattan Island
to the southern portion of Connecticut
Yesterday morning all the trains of the
Hudson River Railroad, the Harlem and
New Haven routes were filled with per
sons who had been startled by the subter-
ranean cOmmotiOn ON the previous night.
The reports generally agree in giving
the shock progressive motion from
northwest to southeast, the intensity of
the jar varying in different localities. 1t
came first rs a low rumble, increasing in
volume until the shock, which gave the
dwellings an Hnmistakable shake, and
Then the rumble passed along diving out
IN from eight to ten seconds. Many
jumped to the conclusion that nitro-glyC
crime was the cause of the noise, either
by some accidental explosion or in some
blast, and the Bergen Tunnel the Fourth
avenue excavations and the Hell Gate
improvements were severally fixed upon
as the place whence came the motion
Those who had experienced similar con-
cussiOns were not satisfied with this eX-
the approach was not of the sudden, de
cisiye type, followed by long rumble,
which marks the combustion of eXplo-
siye material. Nor was it thunder, as
others supposed. Those who ran out
Immediately on receiving this summary
notice to quit their residences observed
but one mOderate-siZed cloud in the sky,
while along the Hudson snow was fall
ing at the time in gentle flakes, while
not the slightest breath of wind stirred.
The noise, too, came from below and not
from above. The mysterious hubbub
was the work of sUbtcrranean and not of
celestial agencies.
At Mount Vernon, village which is
proud in the possession of "A banking insti-
tuition, notion prevailed that gang of
thieves were laying burgarious hands
upon the treasures in the vault and had
blown oper the doors and the safes, and
posse soon surrounded the mOneyed
center to find themselves mutually sur
priSed and more dumbfounded than be
fore. At each village along the route
from this place to Stamford, beyond
which latter place no tiding OF any I'M
toward sensation has yet been heard. the
idea prevailed that it was the neighbor-
ing townsmen who were raising the rum
pus in some way, which would transpire
in the morning.
The duration of the Commotion varies
IN different accounts. Some put it at
fifteen and others down to five seconds.
One says it continued for fully thirty
seconds The general direction in
which the subterranean wave travelled
appears to have been from north to
south, according to the mass of testi-
mony given by those who were interested
IN the occurrence. 1t is not known that
any serious damage occurred to property
or life by the falling of houses or the
loosening of chimney-pots, etc. Some
exaggerated report gave hearsay stories
of such incidents, but they could be
traced to no trustworthy source
In New York there are a few isolated
individuals who insist they felt some
thing odd about that time in the evening, !
but no careful observations of facts or |
sensations were made by any reliable /
party-N Y World Der -