The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-12-09
From the London Times.l
Earthquakes.

, 81 t0uktu0r, duu tts iviCc u'sp'Ic~ ~ W.
town OF Agsam. near Its centre, was sum
,cscut 10 Cause vast amount Of destruction.
From Vienna TO Trieste and Poia, from
pes,n TO Lsibach and Marburg, the waves
Of disturbance extended, and though their
.rfrcct IN most places was confined to the
natural alarm Of the inhabitants, In Agram
many public buildings and 200 dwellings
were wrecked, while scarcely house In
che town escaped without injury, more or
less serious. A second shock was felt yes
Sertiay nj midday, which seems 10 have
completed the wreck begun on Tuesday ;
out Il does not as yet appear that this Sec
.opd disturbance was more than local. It's
moral effect, however, on those who expert
epccd It would naturally be enhanced by
the terror alrea0y inspired by the previous
sbock. There is probably no natural phe.
uomeuou whose effect on the human mind
Ss more terrible than that OF an earthquake.
It's rarity, Its suddenpesss its infinite poten-
SiA5ities OF destruction, its uncomfortable
force, and the complete obscurity OF its
immediate causes, all combine to give
u that aspect OF mysterious terror
which at one time invested all the
forces Of nature. In the presence OF an
earthquake the wisest OF men are helpless,
1hc strongest powerless, and all alike are
struck with that awe OF Natures power
which makes the religion OF the savage and
the superstition OF ignorant men. Slight
shocks OF earthquake, tremblings almost i'm.
petcepsible Of the soil on which we live,
are probably common enough IN most parts
OF the world. In great city they may OF.
ten be uudisting nisbable from the rumbline
Of heavy wagon along the streets, and,
happily, there are many portions Of the
earth's surface which, IL experience Is any
guide, may be regarded as practically safe
from the seyerer aud more destructive
.or,ns Of terrestrial convalsion. But un-
Gil we know the true cause Of earth
quakes and their relation to other terres-
trial phenomena, it Is impossible 10 set
an absolute limit either to the region OF
their occurrence or TO the probable extent
of their effects. For this reason the slight
est shock OF earthquake is as terrible for
the moment as those gigantic commissions,
happily rare, which engulf cities or devas-
tate halt continent. 1t may pass away
and be no more felt, or il may be the fore
runner OF sudden and vast destruction,
frem which there is no escape. When
houses are falling and their walls are rock.
ing and gaping the bravest man may be ex-
cused il he shares the panic OF his more
simid neighbors. All men have heard what
earthquakes have done, and none eau tell,
when the shock occurs, how soon be may
share the fate OF the thirteen millions Of
human beings who are said 10 have persisted
in these convulsIons.
Destructive as IL has been, the cal tbQuake
~ Agram is comparatively mild specimen
OF its class. 10 Sicily and the southern
parts Of Italy, iD Central America, at Con-
stautinople and the adjacent parts Of Asia
ri bnu EpS have in N nil
recent times compared with which the dis.
TORRANCE in Croatia becomes almost insig-
nincant. II we could measure such calami-
sies merely by the number OF the slaio, &C.
cording 10 Lord SheIbrooke's whimsical
standard for battles, the earthquake at
Agram would take very low rank irueed.
It Is unnecessary to tell once more the
Wel-known story OF the great earth.
quake at Lisbon in 1855, which de-
stroyed more than $4,000 pei sons in less
than ten minutes, and ranks. accord
ing to any standard, as one OF the most ap.
pa.iing natural catastrophes ever recorded
ia the history OF the world. The gigantic
scouyulsion of which Lisbon was virtually
the centre extended over surface Of the
earth estimated by Humboldt as eqLal to
four times the extent OF Europe. For ex-
tension IN space, therefore, the earibQnsxc
OF Lisbon Is probably without rival; but
for duration 10 time It is UNNECESSARILY sur.
passed by the less celebrated, bat scarcely
less remarkable, earl bquake OF New Madrid,
In the Valley OF the Mississippi, which lasted
almost necessarily during several months in
lSl1 and 1872, and eliminated IN the spring
of the latter year In the instant and DIAL de-
struciIon Of the city OF Caracas, with $4,000
inhabitants. An earthquake not yilog Their
dissImIIar 10 its nature and extent TO tBat
OF Agram, though a good deal more de-
struclive, will be specially remembered by
many as having occurred al Btoussa. in Asia
Minor, at the time OF the Crlmran war, ia
thc early part Of 1868. Copstaniinopie was
then full OF Engiishmen, some Of whom will
still yiyidly remember the Consideration
caused 10 the city by the CONFUSION, which,
though il did no damage IN ConsiaDtIbopie
itself, almost reduced the city OF Broussa 10
ruins and caused the death OF syera, hun.
dfeds III IT'S Inhabitants. or l25 Mosques,
many OF them dniiGg from the Tine wnen
Bfoussa was the capital OF tue Turkish En-
pire. not one escaped unipjpred, and one Of
<he most ancient and veneraied was 'ot lily
destroyed. The Old SaracenIc wall was
thrown down eud crushed In It's over
throw the poor and crowded haOitatiOns
which clustered beneath Its shelter. A SO.
.cond shock con. pleted the ruin begun by
the 6rst, and several destructive fires broke
out amid the innammabe materials OF the
scattered houses. A later anG far more de.
siructlye series OF earthquakes occurred In
Southern Italy and Sicily ia toe winter OF
IG57-'5S. The loss ~ life in these disasters
Was immense, and many towns IN Caiabiia
Were reduced to ruins snd rendered I'M
habitabIe. This European CONFUSION was
almost immediately followed by destruc.
tive earthquake 10 Mexico In Juoe, 1858;
aud 10 March, 1855. the city Of Qai,o was
almost entirely destroyed. with II loss Of
about 5000 lives. BY far The most caiami.
tous CONFUSION Of recent time. however,
was that which occurred In South america in
AUGUST, 1858. In Peru 1000 and 10 Ecuador
10000 persons were estimated 10 have per-
ishd. The towns Of AREA, Arequipa. ltlay,
Iouique, Pisco, Juancaveiica. lbarra, and
several Others were totally DESTROYED. aud Tie
sos~ Of property was estimated ut ESQ 000,-
coo. AFRICA, which was reckoued 10 be- tue
centre OF the disturbance, WAS first ruined
By an ordinary shock, and then over wbelm.
ed BY tidal wave, which found ships an.
cbored IN eight fatb0ms and left then strand.
I'd With six feet OF water alongside. A Sc
4coud wave broke over the grounded vessels,
deslr0yiug most Of them aud throwing
Others several hundred feet above bigh-wa-
Ger mark. At AreQuipa the motion was so
violent that persons standing could not
keep their feet. The houses Hrst rocked
ike ships 10 the trough Of the sra. ana ,nen
fsme crumbline down. There were nine
Teen minor shocks before the disturbance
subs!ded. Central apd South America. Il Is
true. may Utmost be regarded " the natural
home Of earthquakes. but this Particular
>esjsm9iy Of 1885 was one Of the most de-