The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-12-23
EXCITEMENT AND DIsMAY AMONG
THE PEOPLE.
a Terrific shake at CearHeld.:: !:
lC00UNTs FROM ALL QUARTERS.

ACCOUNTS FROM ALL QUARTERS.
Scenes sifd Incidents In the Cfsy.
-----a. .a.ssa4 sa.
&C., &C., &c.
About 11:45 O'Clock last night three severe
and distinct shocks as of earthquake were
felt In all parts OF the city, and created great
CONSERVATION. Thousands Of people who
were peacefully slumberipg at the time were
aroused by the rafting of window-pane aud
the trembling Of their houses, and aWoke in
great fright. The sensation lasted for about
twenty or thirty seconds; and began With q
slight rocking, which rapidly increased until
houses swayed to and fro and the earth
seemed slipping from beneath the feet Of
those who were on the street.
| A. gentleman who was quietly sitting
smoking his pipe 10 bis chamber In the
| western portion of the city says be 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.
panes and the floor began to shiver, pro-
ducing an unpleasant sensation, like he expe-
rienced when standing nm the Supreme
Courtroom floor the moment before it gave
way with such terrible destruction of human
lives. This gentleman states that looking at
the head.Doard of the bed in the room he
clearly perceived it vibrating like pendu.
lum. There were three shocks, the two last
running into each other, not sharp or sud-
den, but coming on rather slowly, SWELL
lug In force and then quickly dying out.
The gentleman ran to his window and
opened it, and almest simultaneously
several other windows were raised. He
asked, "What Is the matterS" and gen.
tleman from across the street responded, 1t
is an earthquake. What shall we do?"
EyeH at that time the earth seemed hardly
settled. Every voice that was heard con-
veyed the impression of fright and Of some
dreaded
CATASTROPHE IMPENDING.
The idea was that the shocks were from
north to south or from south to north, but
few people were cool enough to be able to
tell exactly from what direction they came.
At the Dispatch office the shocks were
painfully felt. The tall building trem-
| bled to ills very foundation, and the compo.
sitors on the fourth floor, apPrehenstye that
the structure was topping, 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 falliag inwardly, was the first to get out.
He was followed by all the others. Many of
| the men reached the ground breathless, and
some say they were almost out Of their senses,
not knowing the character or the extent of
the dagger, aud being really unable to decide
when they had reached place of safety. One
or two in coming down the steLs burt them.
selves. One, with more forethought than the
| others, let himself down by means Of the
dumb waiter.
In less than five minutes after the shock
at least one. fourth of the people of the city
were out
IN TIE STREETS,
or in their yards, many in their night-clothes.
Mothers grasped their babes from their cra-
dies and went out of the houses seeking
open spaces to be away from falling houses.
So unexpected, so unprecedented in the
history of Richmond was the oc.
currence, that none were prepared
| for it, and those who. under ordinary dan.
gers, would have shown boldness and cour-
age, lost all control of themselves. Never
before was there such universal consterna.
ton. Never before, even in the darkest days
of the war, when the almost countless hosts
of the enemy were laundering at our gates,
and bomb shells were bursting 10 the sight
of our women and children, was there such
| fright.
At Ford's, st. James, and Exchange Ho-
| tells hundreds of people were awakened, and
those who were not asleep felt the quake
and heard the rumbling noise most plainly.
| At these hotels bells we're ruug, lights put
out, people were almost jostled from their
| beds, and panic and confusion took posses
| sion of many. The great desire indeed, the
| instinct-seemed to be to get out of the
buildings. Atthe Exchange one man climbed
out upon the roof, seeking safe place.
| In Manchester there was the same expe-
rience.
A gentleman who has sleeping apartments
In Slearns's building says he saw lights
springing up and down 10 ell directions.
The plastering was knocked down from
! the ceiling Ia a number Of houses.
Between II and o'clock doz,ns Of gentle
ALL PARTS OF THE CITY
| called at the Dispatch Office. They gave
| accounts agreeing IN the main with what Is
here written. One said he felt three sepa.
| rate shocks as plainly as he ever felt any
| thing in his life. All described the
| movement of the earth as OF regular
| rocking rather than of a convuIsive
character. There was swaying to and fro
| rather than an upheavaI or spasmodic move
ment. Many represented that ladies' had
been frightened nearly to death, and it is
certain that a large portion Of Our population
passed sleepless night, not knowing how
soon new shocks would come, or when they
came what would be the result. $50
Quite number Of gentlemen, ladies, and
children, passed the night in the open air.
1t was for considerable time last night
debated by those who were out upon the
streets whether the shocks We're from an
eartt quake or from zf..s ar. =
.s,,.,.sz AN EXPLOSION ..a4.a S. .as :.
| in some one of the Chesterfield coal.mines.
After reports came from Manchester, Church
Hill, Rockets, Sidney, Oregon Hill, and
north of Broad street, and Coalied, 1t was
no longer doubted that we had expert
enced the shocks of an earthquake, the first
felt here In the memory Of the oldest iuhab-'
liant, and 80 far as weare at present advised,
ever felt here. Three or four years ago
there was like occurrence noticed at Ash.
land and other points IN that vicinity, and
forty years ago shocks Of consequence dis.
turbed the even Tenor Of the way Of the in
habftants of Louisa, but nothing OF the kind
so general and so noticeable Ii known 10
have previously occurred In this: section OF
the State. ..s9 ,5..z, III ~ IS scys5; 8 Is
Telegrams were sent to DaHyilIe, Lynch
burg, Washington. D, c., Coaileld, and Nor
folk, but except at Coalfeld no sensation like
ours was reported. - 7..s rs
There were several gentlemen from CALI
fornia stopping at Ford's Hotel, and they all
annnnrrad In the nr1ifiian fhat the shacka