Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-08-12

minute between nine and 4 half ana ian
minutes past 2 o'clock. The first Infima.
ton OF q disturbance was : rumbIlnc
sound. ~ II heavy truck were being
driven through the Municipal bui,diny.
This seemed 10 last few seconds. and visa
followed by = quivering sensation that
caused the building to rock all over. The
persons In the room sprang TO their feet
when the quIvering began and ran 10 the
windows. People In The street below did
not appear to have noticed the disturbance.
The family OF the ianitor Of the building
we're sitting in room on the sane floor.
A broom leaning against the wall was
thrown down, and rocking-chair in
which a Young lady was sitting was
slowed around.
John O'Mara, the Fire Department bell.
ringer, who Is stationed In the tower on
top OF the City Hall, said that there was A
perceptibIe oscillation Of the tower, and it
swayed from side to side. II seemed TO
him, ond he actually believed for a mo-
ment that somebody was pulling on the
wires which run out Of the tower.
Generally speaking. there was little
notice taken OF the shock by people moving
in the street, and comparatively few no
ticed it. A hsck.driver standing on the
Pavement in front OF the BROOKLYN Civ
Hall said he felt the ground tremblc.
Another hack-driycr sitting on his vehicle
rod away did not know OF the disturb
snce until told OF 1t by reporter. The
greatest effect was felt within doors.
on Brooklyn Heights the shock was very
plainly felt. At 9:lO--or rs near that time
~ could he approximately heavy rumb-
ling shook the buildings from basement to
roof. Most OF the residents OF the Heights
were at dinner, and their first intimation
that anyth NC unusual was occurring was
given by dull. heavy roar, like distant
thunder. Then the dishes ratified together
and danced about in n wholly unexpected
and remarkable manner. Following that
the buildings shook and trembled until the
WINDOWS ratified and the chandeliers swung
TO and fro. People stared In amazement
for n few seconds, and then. a. the rumblin0
ceased, rushed pell-mell out OF doors. With
scarcely an exception they looked up TO
see IL anything had happened TO the roofs
Of their houses. The roofs stood firmly in
plsce, ana OF length surprise gave way to
amsZed curiosity.
In the corner houses The shock was felt
more plainly than In the middle Of the
blocks. In No. 17j Hicks street the dining
room tables were shaken so violently that
the dishes knocked together, the spoons
danced a jig In the spoOn-holders, and
glass Of water was spilled over the table.
cloth. The glasses and Jars In Dickn-
sons drugstore, nj Hicks and Montague
streets. were shaken up in a particularly
lively manner. Clocks were stopped in
several houses. On the hin the shock was
equally as heavy rs on the Heights. A gen.
tcman who was walking on Vanderbilt nv.
enue. near Fulton avenue, at the time OF
The shock, said that he very plainly saw
several houses move slightly 10 and fro and
heard windows rattle on both sides OF the
avenue
50 far rs can be asccrtained. the shock
was moi telt on the bridge. This is eXpin.
cd by the fact that the rumble Of the earth
quake was somewhat similar in character TO
tle jnr made hy The brldge.carS and by the
dummy engine. he shock was felt on
the sidewalk in front Of the Brooklyn en-
trance, but was not noticed on the bridge
itself
In every building and around the navy
yard the shock wasfelt. Commodore File
brown sent down 70 the gate house TO know
what the trouble was. Many OF the officers
and men around the yard have served in
countries where earthquakes are frequent,
and at once recognized the commOtion Of
yesterday as an earthquake. The watch
man by ono OF the storehouses thought that
a let Of barrels in the house bad broken
loose. The sentry near the irOn.Clad tor
pedO-bOat Intrepid. which is on ways in the
yard, said that some loose plates on the
boat clattered together and made great
noise.
At the residence OF Captain W. A. Kirk
l.. 4 ~ fat, ct l.. I'd in, fuu in,
avenue. party OF nine was sested at DIM
ner, and the butler was about TO serve des-
sert. Suddenly the house began 10 trem-
tile violently. the chairs In which the party
lat rocked, the glasses and dishes upon the
table iingled, and the chandelier overhead
swaved like pendulum. Captain Kirk
land end his family, having lived in South
America and experienced earthquake
shocks there, recognized at once the ma
ture Of The disturbance, and the whole
party made haste to get out OF the house.
Some ran ont st the front and others at the
rear Il the house, and for at least ten
minutes everybody kept as far away from
tho building as possible. Then. finding
there was no repetition OF the shock, the
PARTY returned to the house and finished
dinner When the dining-rOom was reached
il vss found that the chandelier WAS still
,waying. Subsequent examination also
showed that the plaster on the walls and
ceilings Of the second floor rooms was
cracked in many places.
on Long Island the shock created wide
spread CONSERVATION. The people OF Long
Island CITY thought at first that all the oil
tanks in the neiChborhood had exploded at
once. CrOckery was broken in many
house,, and pictures were thrown from the
walls. 4 row OF wooden houses on jack
son avenue waved back and forth so dam
gerOu>lv that the occupants rushed franti-
cally into the street. EX-Mayor DebevOise
and Jailer Drake sat in the front office OF
the county j:il when the shock was first
felt. Hearing screams for help, they ran
into the jail. They found the negro Rugg
on his knees before the cell door. "Fo' de
Lawd. boss be pleaded, "let me out o
heah. De milryen'um am done fallen ]"
De,eyoise graSped the cell door. but was
shaken up so violently that he ran back to
the office in hot haste. A mas was digging
a grave in Calvary cemetery, when he felt
the rumll lie and saw the loose earth begin to
fall into the grave. lie ran To the nigh
WY crying: &" It's the end OF the world
end OF the world" A visitor TO the Gene
terry saw the monuments shake NJ II aDeu'
10 tOpple over
In Hoboken the shock was distinctly felt.
Many residents ran out OF their houses 10
see what was the matter, especially those
living on the Hill, where the shock was
strongest. While so many heard the rum
bling Of the earthquake, and felt the Viora-
ton Of the earth. others living almost next
door 10 places where its effect was strong
est did not know that an earthquake hau
occurred. Officer Kaiser, OF the H0boSen
police, was off duty when the shock came,
and was lying on his bed st home. Onleer
Kaiser weighs three hundred pounds.
when the earthquake came IL threw
him out Of bed on 10 the floor. Coun-
sellor William j. Daily, who lives at No. %
Bloomfield street, was sluing In bis nome
when the shock occurred. Hearing crash
he ran into the parlor, and found that all
the bric.G-b rac aud vases on the mantel.
niece had been thrown 10 the ground, ana
/, section of glass In 4 window had been
shattered. At Washington Terrace Two
rremen in epgine-house No. were suing
IN chairs taking together, when they found
themselves suddenly thrown on the moor.
on Union Hin and the high ground up the
river the inhabitants felt the shock The
strongest.
In Jersey City shock Of earthquake was
distinctly felt at about 2:C5 7. NJ. Muct
excitement was caused, and people snx
iously inquired the cause OF the shock
which was at first attributed to the eXplo
sion OF locomotive or a gasometer. Ii
MANY houses. particularly on the upper
doors, pictures and mirrors were swayed