Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1875-12-24
The Rich mOnd Earthquake.

We condenSc from the Dispat III the descrjp.
ton of the scenes 10 Richmond on "Wednesday
night:
A gentleman who was quietly sitting smok-
ing his pipe in his chamber in the western Dor.
ton OF the city says he heard the rumbling
noise as if Of some heavy vehicle passing on
the macadamized street, before he felt the
qulVerlDg sensation.
Then he heard the rafting of the window.
panes and the floor began to SILVER, producing
an unpleasant sensation, like he experienced
when standing gu the Supreme Court room
floor the moment before it gave Way with such
terrible destruction Of human lives. This gen.
tIcmau states that looking at the head board
OF the bed in the room he clearly perceived it
vibrating like pendulum. There we're three
shocks, the Two last ruuning into each other.
not sharp or sudden, but coming on rather
slowly, swelling 10 force aud thenquckly dying
out. The gentleman ran to his window and
opened 1t, and almost simultaneously several
other windows were raised He asked, "What
Is the matter = and gentleman from across
the street responded, ut is an earthquake.
What shall we do p Even at that time the
earth seemed hardly settled. Every voice that
was heard conveyed the impression of fright
and OF solnc dreaded catastrophe impending.
At the Dispatch Office the shocks were pain
fully felt. The tall building trcmbed to its
very foundation, and the compostors on the
touth floor, apprehenslvc that the structure
was topping, left their stands with all the
rapldty possible, and rushed iuto the street
One OF the composltors, whose stand is pear
the door, believing that the front of the house
was falling lnwardIy, was the first to get out
Tie vas followed by all the others Many Of
the men reached the ground brcathlcss, and
some say they were almost out Of their senses,
not knowing the character or the extent of the
danger, aud being really unablc to decide when
they had reached place of safety One or
two 10 coming down the steps hurt themselves.
One, with more forcthought than the others,
let himself down By means Of the dumb-waiter.
la less than five minutes after the shock at
least one-iourth OF the people of the city we're
out 10 the streets, or IN their yards, many 10
their night clothes. Mothers graspcd their
babes lrom their cradles and went out of the
houses seeking open spaces to be away from
falling houses. So unexpected, so unprece-
dented 10 the history OF Richmond was the 90.
currence, that none were prepared for it, and
those who, undsr ordinary Dangers, would have
sac fe m ost there al Soa a5cb
universe. ;Sg6ssgs5Sa Never before. even
10 the darkest sssy sesSst when the almost most
countless hosts 3Sahy were numbering
at our gates, and1Stib shells were bursting in
the sight OF oiFWOmen and children, was then
such fright.
At Ford's ST. James aud Exchange Hotels
hundreds of people were awakened, and these
who were not asleep felt the quake and heard
hc Rubbing noise most plainly. at these no.
tells bells were RUG, lights put out people
were almost Jostled from their beds, and panic
and confusion took possession of many. The
great deslrc-udeed, the iDstinct-seemed to
be TO get out OF the buildings. At the Ey-
change one mao climbed out upon the roof,
seeking u safe place.
All described the movement of the earth as
OF regular rocking rather than of couvusive
character. There was swayng to and fro
rather than IN upheavai or spasmodc move
nent Many represented that ladies had been
frightened nearly to death, and it is certain
that larg &orton OF our population passed a
Sleepless light, not Knowing how soon new
shocks wouldIome, or when they came what
would be thsfesult.
Quite number OF gentlemen, ladies, aud
children, passed the night in the open air.
Some parties Of iuquiriug turn of mind, in
their anxiety to ascertain what was the cause
of the agitation Of the earth last night, al.
vauced the idea that the weather had ,ome
thing to do with it. This is hardly likely. Yet
the weather has undergone rapid changes with
10 the past few days.
On the 18th, at the White Sulphur Springs,
the thermometer Was but four degrees above
Zero. At Richmond it was eighteen. Yester.
day at 3 o'clock the thermometer here was
seVenty-one, and the heat was so oppressive as