New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1884-06-25
THE TREMBLING EARTH.
Records of Earthquakes in England
and Other Countries.

England has been visited by earth
quakes several times, of which the fol-
lowing have been recorded: sOne felt
throughout England in 1889; another
felt throughout the country in 1874, by
which Glastonbury was destroyed; the
greatest known in that country up to
that time, on November Is, 1918; a
slight shock in London, February 8,
1749, and a severe one on March 9; and
the latest record, a very slight one in
the northwestern part Of England, on
November 9. 1852; England, as will
be seen from the above instances, has
had little practical experience Of earth
quakes and they loom, therefore, large
with all the terrors of the unknown,
added to those of the truly terrible.
The mere word of mailman that an
earthquake, was to be expected on q
certain day was sufficient to send
thousands of persons of wealth and
fashion to spend the night of April 6,
1850, in Hyde Park, in tents and carri-
ages. April z passed, however, and
the trembling bivouackers returned
home disappointed of their earth
4ue.NoS' Al 9 SOuASA y #WA0A0sa SASA uAo-
turbances are frequent, few people
would think it worth the while to be
robbed of nights rest for such q
tritle. Fondness for earthquakes is an
acquired taste. Natives of the land
where the ground is seldom still come
to become quite proud of their volca-
noes and mud squirts, as is New Zea-
land, and like to point out their phe-
nomena to visitors who, for their part,
are perpetually on the qui vive lest the
ground should suddenly get up behind
their backs and swallow them
The natives of Catania were once ex-
ceedingly indignant because Sir John
Herschel reduced the height of Etna,
the pride and boast of the locality,
which ii had twice destroyed. by some
8, 900 feet, with his scientific measure.
ments.
Last year will take its place in the
grim category in those years in which
the world has suffered from an abnor-
NAL visitation of earthquakes. There
have been. many such years in the his
tory Of the world but probably few in
which the results have been SO disas-
trous. For example, there was the
year 1908, when 5, 600 persons persisted
ut Aquila, in Italy, and 10000 were
overwhelmed in the ruins of the capi-
tai of Japan. Then there was an ex-
traordinary manifestation of subterra-
mean force, which well nigh shook the
whole world, in the year 1855. The
manifestation began at Quito, in the
month of April. Having destroyed
that city, it passed to the north of Per-
STA, and there, on June z, slew 10000
persons. After taking somewhat cir.
cuitous route along Northern Europe
1t suddenly made descent upon West
ern and Southern Europe, concentrate
ing its destructive force at Lisbon. In
this final outburst not only was the
town of Lisbon destroyed, but the
whole of Spain was seriously affected;
while the shock was felt in a greater or
less degree over no less an area than
s. 1000 miles. Another great earthquake
year was 1919, a rapid series OF
shocks causing fearful fatality in
India, Genoa, Palermo, Rome, Aleppo
and Chile. 1851 again brought q SER
les of earthquakes, the effects of which
were felt almost simultaneously at
Rhodes, in South Italy, and ut Valpar-
also. The Japanese capital was again
destroyed in 1858, along with several
villages in Central Europe and one Of
the islands Of the Moluccas. The last
year in which any distinct connection
could be traced between various shocks
of earthquake was 1867, when the dis
aster occasioned was appalling.
In Yeddo, in the year 1888, q fright
full catastrophe occurred, of which the
worst effects might have been averted
had the inhabitants taken heed at the
abundant warning they received. The
accounts state that at o'clock on the
morning Of July ~ 20 great wind
arose, accompanied by snbterranean
muttering, which continued augment
ing from day to day. Tho people, in
stead of realizing the possibility Of an
earthquake being near at hand, went
about their ordinary vocations and liv
ed in their houses altogether Indifferent