The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1874-04-02
EarthQuakes.

Earthquakes.
In view of the excitement at Bald Mountain,
N. c., a little earthquake history will, perhaps,
be relished. The number of important earth
quakes is set down at 1000, up to the year
1861, of which we have any reliable account.
1t is estimated that this is but a small proper
ton of the real number that have taken place !;
for the early records are 80 very meagre that
of 1000 stated only 787 occurred previous to
the year 1900, while there is catalogue of
3,34O which occurred from 1900 to 1850, or one
in about five days. A writer in the Popular
Science Monthly for March, 1872, says: "The
means of detecting and recording shocks are
now so perfect that, when applied in all parts
of the globe, they will, doubtless, fully justify
our statement, that in no instant of time is the
earth's crust free from vibrations" The seis-
mograph is the name of the instrument used
for this purpose.
Earthquake shocks are not uncommon in
America. MANY persons now living will re-
member the terrible shock of 1872, which made
the bells in Richmond ring over the frightened
city, and shook the houses in Columbia. The
fssures in the wall of the College buildings are
to be seen to-day, gaping witnesses of that ter
rife shock. On the 1st of june 1888, eigh-
teen years after the landing of the pilgrims,
there occurred the first earthquake in New
England, of which we have any authentic
record in 1868, 1855, and many times since,
portions of Canada, New England and New
York were convulsed by earthquake shocks. A
great earthquake took place at New Madrid,
Missouri, in 1911 and 1912, the shock contlnu-
ing many months. The ground rose in huge
waves, which burst, and volumes OF water,
sand and pit-coal were thrown as high as the
tops of the trees; the forests waved like stand
ing corn in gale of wind, and an area seventy
miles long by thirty wide was submerged and
became swampy lake. California IS the most
volcanic region in North America. The crust
of the earth there has been shaken with more
or less violence countless numbers OF times; but
further than the cracking OF walls, tumbllng
of chimneys, and the overthrow OF shaky
buildings, little damage has been done by
them and they are so common on the Pacific
slope, that they have lost half their terrors;
The most fearful earthquakes recorded in
history are: At Antioch, in 1926, when 250,00O
persons perished; at Lisbon, in 1866, which
DESTROYED 80 900 people; the Calabrian earth
quake of 1883, which buried $4,000 men, wo-
men and children out of sight forever, in one
awful hour and the one at Arequipa, in 1868,
which engulfed 10000 persons.
Won Tschudi says that "no familiarity with
earthquakes can blunt the feeling of insecure
tv. The traveller from the North of Europe
waits with impatence to feel the movement OF
the earth, and with his own ear to listen to the
subterranean sounds ;abut soon as his wish is
eratifel, he is terror-strcken, and is prompted
to seek safety in flight"
The Charlotte Observer gives the following
as the latest from Bald Mountain:
A gentleman just from Old Fort and Marion
saws The low rumbling noises in Bald Mountain
are not exaggerated, but that the stories about
rocks breaking open and smoke issuing from
them are untrue. Nothing of the sort has oc-
CURED. The noises heard first in Bald Noun
tain have extended to Stone Mountain, neigh
boring peak, and in this last the rumbllng
is much more audible and perceptible. A gen
tleman slept on Sunday night not a great dis
tance from Stone Mountain, and the noise ana
shaking we're so violent as to wake him.
The place has been visited, within the past
few days, by Professor DuPre, scientific gen
tleman of Spartanburg, S. Co. who has made
an examination of the mountain. lie says no
fears need be entertained of volcanic erup-
ton, on the general principle that the spot is
too far located from the sea to render it proba-
BILE. In the centre of Thibet more than
| 900 miles from the sea- there are two extra
ordinarily lively volcanoes. The Professor,
however, does not pretend to account for the
phenomenon and looks upon it as something
wonderful. The commotion in the mountain
can be felt as far off as Marion.
The religious feeling among the people living
about the mountain is represented as beyond
description. More than 200 persons have pro-
fessed religion, and the work continues:
The Athens (Tennessee) Post, of the 2Oth,
says:
A heavy shock of earthquake occurred at
Chattanooga, between and 2 o'clock Wednes-
day morning. The disturbance was sufficient
to shake the walls of the taller buildings and
startle people from their slumbers. The com
motion along Lookout is said to have been
fearful.