The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-12-31
[F-on the Richmond Dis9ateh. Dee : ]
The Earthquake ut Richmond.


of their houses, and awoke In great
fright. The sensation lasted for about
twenty or thirty seconds, and began with
a slight rocking, which rapidly increas-
ed until honses swayed to and fro, and
earth seemed clipping from beneath the
feet Of those who were on the street. A
gentleman who was sitting smoking his
pipe. in the western portion of the city.
says he heard the rumbling noise as If
of some heavy vehicle passing on the
macadamized street before he felt the
quivering sensation. Then he heard
the rattling of the window-pane~, and
the floor began to shiver, producing an
unpleasant sensation, like he experienced
when standing on the Supreme Court
room floor the moment before it gave
way, with such terrible destruction to
hnman lives. This gentleman states
that looking at the heAd-board of the
he'd in the room he clearly perceived ii
vibrating like pendulum. There were
three shocks. the last two running into
each other, not sharp CT sudden, bu'
coming on rather slowly. swelling in
force and then quickly dying cut. Tbs
gentleman ran 70 his window and open
ed il, and almost simultaneously severSl
other windows were raised. He asked,
'What is the matter?" and gentleman
from across the street responded, at il
an earthquake. What shall We dor
Even ut that time the earth seemed
hardly settled. Every voice that was
heard coaveyed the impression Of fright
and Of some dreaded catastrophe ims
pending. The idea was that the shocks
were from north to south or from south
10 north, but few people were cool
enough to be able TO tell exactly from
what direction they came. 81
Al the Dispatch Office the shocks were
painfully ieil. The tall building trem-
bled to its very foundations. and the
compositors on the fourth floor, appre-
hensive that the structure was toppling.
left their stands. with all the raPidity
possible and rushed into the street. One
of the compositors, whose stand is near
the door, believing that the front Of the
house was falling inwardly WAS the
frat to get out. He was followed by
4 all the others. Many of the me'
reached the ground breathless, and som.
say they were almost out of their senses.
not knowing the character or extent OF
the danger, and being really unable t'
decide when they had reached . place
of safety. One or two, in coming dowE
the steps, hurt themselves One. with
with more forethOught than the others.
let himself down by means of she dumb
waiter.
In less than five minutes after the
shock at least one fourth Of the people
Of the cicy we're out in the streets or il
their yarde, many in their night clothes
Mothers grasped their babes from thell
cradles and went out OF the houses, seek
ing open spaces, to be away from tbs
falling houses. So unexpected, so IN
precedenIed in the history of Richmono
was the occurrence, that none were pre-
pared for it, and those who under ordi
nary dangers would have shown bold
ness and courage, lost all control o
themselves. Never before was Their
such universal CONSERVATION. Neve
before, even in the darkest days of th'
war, when the almost countless hosts o
the enemy were laundering at our gates
and bombshells were bursting in tn
sight of our women and children, wa
there fright. Fy,ss
Al Ford's, st. James and Exchang
Hotels hundreds of people were awaken
ed, and those who were not asleep fel
the Quake and heard the rumblinR noia
most plainly. Al these hotels bells wer
runR, lights put nut, people were almo'
jostled from their beds, and panic an
confusion took possession of many. TIL
great desire-inGeed, the instinct-seem
ed TO be TO get out of the buildings.
the Exchange, one man climbed out W
on the roof, seeking a safe place.
In Manchester there was the same e,
perience.
A gentleman who has sleeping apar
> ments in Stearns' building says he "a
i lights rpringing up and down in all d
rections. The plastering was knocke
down from the ceiling m number I
y houses.
Between IL and o'clock dozens
y gentlemen from all parts ofthe city cal
e ed at the Dispatch Office. They gave a
y counts agreeing in the main Of what
here written. One said he felt thr'
separate shocks as plainly as he ever fe
= anything in his life. All described Il
" movement of the earth as of regnl
!, rocking rather than of convulsi'
character. There was q swaying to al
fro rather than an upheaval or spasmo
ic movement. Many represented tn
y ladies had been frightened nearly
70 death, and it il certain thai a large pc
= tion of our population passed sleeple
y night. not knowing how soon new shoe
=, would come, orwhen they came wh
10 would be the result. Quite a-number
e' gentlemen, ladies, and children pass
p the night in the open air.
- Some parties of an inquiring turn
e. mind, in their anxiety 10 ascertain VII
u was the cause Of the agitation Of {
N earth last night, advanced the idea tt
the weather had something to do with
80 That is hardly likely. Yet the weatt
en- has undergone rapid changes within I
N past few daya. On the 18Th. at I
a. White Sulphur Springs, the thermon
lie ter was but four degrees above zero.
,ot Richmond it was eighteen. Yesterd
A st 8 O'Clock the thermometer here v
eli seventy lone, and the heat was 30 oppr
a, sive as TO he generally complained
he Last night about the time of the shot
> = an unusual number of shooting st
nd were observed, and that was taken
nj connection with she weather by the q
orists who wanted TO get up some sort