The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1883-11-15
AN AFRICAN EARTHQUAKE,
Graphic Account Of an Upheaval in the
Tropics.

A correspondent of The London Tele-
graph residing at Accra, west coast of
Africa, sends the following particulars
of the recent earthquake at that place:
cit was at 2:30 A. M. on the morning of
Sunday, August II, that several shocks
of earthquake were experienced The
evening previous had been cool, with
alternate periods of thick hot air, which
rather presaged the thunderstorm, it
being the season of the year when tor
nadoes pass over the coast. The town,
the capital and seat of government of
the colony is situated on the sea-shore,
which is almost entirely sandy, except
here and there, where q cluster of dark
rocks, showing evident signs of vol
canic origin. juts into the sea. An an
CRY surf prevailed all along the coast,
lashinG the shore with great fury, and
especially encircling the rocky promon-
tories above mentioned On the night
in question it was observed that the
surf was particularly violent until half
an hour prior to the first shock, when
the water seemed to subside and be-
come comparatively calm. | noticed
this fact, because it happened that
was suffering from a slight attack of
coast fever and was unable to sleep.
My first impression on hearing the
house rattle in so unusual a manner
was that forcible attempt was being
made to burst open the doors and win
dows by persons outside, but before
there was time to strike a light q second
and more violent shock followed, shak-
inc the foundations. In each case the
shock was preceded by an explosion re-
sembling in a great degree the sound
usually caused by the discharge of q
gun from ships lying in the roadstead.
In the native villages around the town
the greatest CONSERVATION was caused.
The native houses, which had been but
a few moments before shrouded in dark
ness, were soon ablaze with light, and
the occupants, who have unpleasant
recollcctions of what occurred in 1868
and 1873, Immediately huddled together
in the open streets, chattering, crying,
shouting, and praying. Several of the
houses, which are all built in a shaky
manner, succumbed at the second
Christiansborg castle, which in 1868,
was wrecked by an earthquake at the
same time of year, felt the force of the
disturbance severely. The governor,
Sir Samuel Rowe, who was sleeping on
the upper floor, had barely time to de-
scend into the courtyard before the
heaviest shock occurred.
''Several of the castle walls and
those of the neighboring European
houses were found to be cracked the
next day. The critical phase lasted, as
far as could be calculated, from thirty
to forty seconds. During the period :
2:30 A M. to $50 A. M,-there was a
variation of temperature of 3 degrees
viz, from Il degrees to "A degrees, and
Uice UerSd. In this interval the wind
had completely died away, the atmos-
phere being hot and almost sitting.
The natives, of whom about two
thousand inhabit the adjacent village,
kept up a continuous babel, which
afterward learned was addressed to the
'FeticheS, to whom, from all accounts,
we are indebted for being let off so
lightly, and for being SO soon and so
easily rid OF Judgment day as the
natives naivelv describe an earthquake.
1t was very difficult to trace the direc-
ton of the earthquake, but my own
opinion is that it travelled from the
southwest, and this is somewhat con-
tirmed by the reports since received
from that quarter. Small shocks were
repeated at intervals of one hour till 7
o'clock lin the morning, and ON two
days since the 18th slight tremors have
been felt, but not of sufficient power to
do much damage.
PERSONALLY, must own that my SEN
satiOns on the night of the 18th were
not of the pleasantest. The under
ground commotion and the rattle of
furniture, the chorus of native shouts
and palavering that WAS suddenly
waited across the lagoons in the dead
of night, the quick variations Of tenn
perature, and the alternate calm and
fury of the sea, all contributed to rem
der the scene a peculiar one, to say the
least of it.; and to be unceremOniously
turned out of feverish bed into night
air teeming with climatic miasma, was
exceedingly Objectionable. All domes-
tic animals were wildly excited, and
showed signs of great alarm. Since
the event the weather has become re-
markably cool, considering our proXim-
ity to the equator, the average temper
atures being night and morning " de-
grees, sun 81 degrees, shade sc de-
grees.