The New York herald., 1874-12-12
The Shock in Westchester and
New Jersey.
ALONG THE HUDSON.
Experiences of the Tremor in the
City and Vicinity.
PREVIOUS LOCAL SHAKES.


busy citizens, but quite late to suburban residents
OF the new wards and the neighboring villages
there was felt and heard in the upper parts of the
city and through all the county OF Westchester,
with the Jersey Palisades district, along the west
ern shore OF the Hudson IN Rockland county,
and as far north as Peekskil and east
as Greenwich, Conn. a distinct earthquake
shock. People IN bed and asleep were suddenly
awakened-jumping up startled, conlounded and
frightened. They heard as they told HERALD re-
porters yesterday, sounds In the night stiffness as
though long, heavy railway tram had passed
under their houses, from north southwardly,
shaking the walls, making pictures and
mirrors swing lrom their hangings and
rafting the tins and dishes in the
pantries. For moment after the vibration, which
Is variousy estimated to have lasted from three
seconds to minute, all was still as death. Then
chickens clapped their wings, cocks crowed, dogs
barked ana horses netghed with fright at the
strange experience. The tremor was very dis
ttnct ana startling at Washington Heights. At
Harlem only lew noticed II. In Bergen
Heights 1t wakened light sleepers, ana
through all Westchester 1t seems to have had con-
adorable lorce. SO as in some to have thrown
down stoves and furniture, crack ceilings and
make chandeliers swing and dishes jingle on pan.
try shelves. People thought it due to some local
d
explosion, till, on comparing notes yesterday
morning, they found from its extent that they had
felt what, IN other parts OF the world, is dreaded
as plague.
THE SHOCK AT WASHINGTON HEIGHTS.
A gentleman who resides in q romantic region
OF the Heights thus describes his experiences OF
the shock:-I was leaving my library about
twenty-minutes past ten O'Clock, having finished
some memoirs had been preparing for some
time past, when, just as l was turning the
handle or the door-having previously extin.
guished the light was suddenly startled by a
strange and undennable sound did not
open the door, being almost spelbound,
for | had never heard anything to resemble the
peculiar and unearthly noise which grated on my
ears. In twinkling l lighted my lamp, and,
drawing aside the curtains, peered through the
window into the lawn only to see gloom and
darkness, which, doubtless, seemed intensified by
the awful rumbling. which now sounded lke a
lightning train running through q tunnel under
my house, For o few moments was perfectly
thnnderstruck, and, hastily closing the curtains
was about to rush / know not where, when in
came rushing the members Of my family seemingly
petrifed with fright. Mind, Oil this happened in
much less time than have taken to tell it. And
now with the intention OF calming the dread
ful apprehensions which had taken possession OF
my relatives and friends, ventnred the opinion,
with apparent indifference, tnat the sound must
have proceeded from the passing OF an express
train on the Hudson River Railroad, but had
lived too long In the neighoorhood and had become
too familiar with the noise which locomotive and a
train OF cars generally make to know that the
dreadful rumbling, which, by the way, did not
last longer than thirty or forty seconds. was
produced by other causes. Iquieted my family as
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there was nothing wrong, induced them to retire.
subsequently visited my outhouses, and in going
through the stables found the horses oil
standing and by no means in a calm tempera-
ment. They had evidently been aroused, and
seemed to be much disturbed. Although
the sound was almost indescribable l cer
tanly heard anything distinct. At first it
resemoled the sound generally produced by q
team OF horses trotting over frozen snow, then
suddenly swelling forth, 1t resembled peal or
thunder, finally eliminating In something like the
roll OF q thousand drums In the march OF the God
of Battle. Nobody was hurt, however, in my i'm
mediate vicinity, nor was any damage done
to buildings In the nciQhboring, but on coming
to town on the morning train found that the pro-
mincnt topic Of conversation was the shock of the
night before. l understand 1t was heard with
more dstinctness in other parts OF the county,
but have not heard that any catastrophe has oc
CURED IN consequence AS the sound died away
IL resembled the passage OF o train rushing across
q distant bridge, From the various statements 1
have heard am inclined to believe that the sound
heard throughout the county was produced by an
earthquake. Tradition gives no account OF any
similar disturbance In this part OF the State; but
wonders, you know, occur all the time.
Much condemnation was caused ut Spuyten
Duyvll, and in several houses lights were kept
burning nearly all night in anticipation OF a re-
newa OF the shock.
MERCHANT TELLS THE STORY.
Mr.. E. L. Hyatt, carpet dealer, in Canal street.
who lives at Fort Washington heard what he sup
posed to be a thunderclap ana thought 1t was a
natural result OF the storm which had been on
since the night before. He was DOING ut the
time, and paid no particular attention to II. When
he went down stairs. however, he was sur
prised at hearing from his family that the
mouse had been considerably shaken, and they
had all experienced sort OF rocking sensation,
which astonshed them. They had run to
the windows and opened them, but heard
nothing further. Movable OBJECTS In the house
had ratified perceptby and the family had been to
some extent alarmed. He quieted their fears by
telling them 1t was nothing more than clap OF
thunder. A servant in the house had been so
scared that she rushed out into the grounds
ADJOINING and could hardly be induced to resume
her work. She thought that 1t was some
thing more than mere thnnderclap, and
said 1t was prolonged to great extent
Mr. Hyatt could not be induced TO
believe that 1t was really an earthquake, but told
reporter OF the HERALD that he still believed 1t
was simple thunderclap, which had been more
than ordinarily strong. He was led to this belief
from the fact that the night before ne had noticed
signs OF coming storm and thought this was the
result OF 1t. Everybody in his neighborhood, how
ever, insisted that an earthquake had visited the
place and were all scared, more or less His house
had aot been damaged as reported. Everything
was left in It's place and nothing broken From
AL he had heard, however, he had been visited
more lightly than any one in the neighborhood. He
did not think 1t impossible that 1t might have been
an earthquake, but was still disposed to think IL
was something else. Blastings had been going
on for some time, day and night, in the new