Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-08-11

udlfeu man rQSled into the Madison
street police station and shouted out that
several houses in Monroe street had tum.
bled down. Ambulances were called
and the reserve force sent out by the Ser
geant. On arriving at the place indicated
1t was found that the street in front of q
| large dwelling house was crowded
with an excited throng of people, but that
there was no indication of anv accident
The panic was caused by an excited man
who rushed out into the street shouting
''The house is falling" Many other in.
stances of a similar character were re-
ported in the tenement house districts,
but as far as can be ascertained no dam
age was done.
IGNORANT PEOPLE NON-PLUSsED.
In many houses dOorbells were set
jingling by the shock. Its cause was a
matter of much speculation, especially
among the more ignorant classes and it
was long time before they understood
the real nature Of the occurrence. In
Central Park the shock was more severe,
1t is said, than in the surrounding region.
There were large crowds in the mall, who
were at once thrown into a state of violent
excitement by the shaking and strange
rumbhng in the ground, which was heard.
The animals in the menagerie were evil
IDENTIFY frightened by the shock, and many
r.,
while they remained perfectly still for
some time after it occurred.
A STREET CAR LIFTED FROM THE TRACK.
Operator Hoffman, of the Arsenal, was
thrown from his chair. The globes of the
lamps in his office were cracked. The
ceiling of the Tenth precinct station house
was badly cracked and frame house at
No. 13I Lewis street was cracked in sew
eral places and one woman who lived in
the house became unconscious from
fright. A street car in Avenue B was
lifted from the track several times and
several horses are reported to have been
thrown down. AtTOmlinsOn's drug store,
at Ninety-ninth street and Tenth avenue,
several bottles were thrown from the
shelves and broken.
ON THE BIG BRIDGE.
The policemen on the Brooklyn bridge
report that the shock was distinctly felt
there and the great towers oscillated Visi-
bly,, while the bridge itself rocked as if
struck by a hurricane. The shock of the
earthquake was felt along the river
fronts, and the piers were shaken
as if by heavily loaded trucks
passing over them. At the iron steam
boat pier, which is built of solid masonry,
the motion was so violent that the ticket
takers rushed from their offices to ascer-
tain the cause.
MORE VIOLENT AT CONEY ISLAND.
The later afternoon boats brought back
crowds from COney Island, where it was
said that the shock was much more vIol-
ent than in this city.
The piaZZas and dining rooms at Man.
haitian and Brighton Beaches were filled
when the rumbling noise was heard, fol-
lowed by rocking which made window
panes rattle and shook dishes from the
tables. There was general
rush for the open air and great excite
ment prevailed, Chairs were ratified bout
upon the floors. ThGre was rush toward
the main entrance, people being under the
impression that the structure was giving
away. As the shocks did not recur their
apprehensions on this score were soon
allayed.
GENERAL IN BROOKLYN.
In Brooklyn the earthquake was felt
very generally throughout the city along
the river front, and in the eastern district
the shock appears to have been heavier
and Of longer duration. Everywhere pe0-
pie ran from their houses in terror.
People in Green Point started on run
for the immense oil works, which are To-
Gated on the shore of Newton creek,
thinking that an explosion had occurred
there, while all the fire companies got
ready to respond to an alarm of fire,
which they thought would soon follow.
THE SENSATION ABOARD A SHIP.
The sensation experienced on board the
receiving ship Vermont, lying in the
Brooklyn navy yard, was similar to that
felt when broadside is discharged
from a ship at some distance,
accO: ding TO the story of one of the sail
ors. There was a distinctly perceptible
jar felt and it was noticed by all on
board.
The bell of the Presbyterian Church in
Greenpoint sWayed back and forth and
rang several times loud enough to be
heard by all the people in the neighbOr-
hood.
CLOCKS STOPPED.
Among other evidences of the violence
Of the agitation in Brooklyn may be men,
toned the stopping of clocks, the throw
swinging of lamps, pictures and
the like. Many of the Sunday
schools were in session at the time,
and the teachers had, in some cases, great
difficulty in allaying the terror of the
children and preventing a panic. From
reports which have been received from
Long Island it appears that the earth
quake visited that region with greater
severity than in this city.
SEVERE ON LONG ISLAND.
Along the Atlantic coast on Long
Island the shock was very violent, and
the vibrations seemed to increase in DOW er
the vibrations lasted for ten Sec
onds, and the chlmneys on seve-
raj houses were tOppled over,
No serious damage.has been reported from
any place. In Long Island City, Flush
ing, WhitestOne and College Point the
rumbling Of the ground was distinctly
felt and the shaking of houses was per-
ceptible. Two hundred and fifty guests
at the Long Beach Hotel ran from the
return to the building for some time, fear
ing recurrence of the shock.
HOLDING A WATCH ON THE SHOCK.
In Brooklyn the streets were alive with
people who had come out to ascertain the
cause of the rocking, and to gossip about
it. One cOOl-headed scientist upon the
first perceptible motion took out his stop
watch and timed the vibrations. He re-
ported that the shock began as nearly as
could be determined at , O'Clock 6 min
utes and 80 seconds; that the first shock
lasted just 10 seconds, and that "the quiet
ing down." as he described it, took nearly
80 seconds more. OFF hand guesses as to
the duration varied from 5 seconds to ,
according to the amount of the
Observers fright and his judgment of the
flight Of time.
SOME EXAGGERATED STORIES.
At Menlo Park and Trenton the shock
was timed at 2:05 O'Clock, while at the
more southerly points of its orbit it was
felt at 2:10 O'Clock p. m.
Exaggerated reports came in from vari-
GUS points. From Trenton it was re-
ported that the water in the river was
lashed into foam. A passenger arriv-
ing from Trenton soon after, however,
sald that the story was absurd, and that
the water was as placid and muddy as
usual.
The telegraph manager at Cor ey Island
asked for particulars of the ex-
plosion, supposing that some oil refinery.
powder mill or dynamite factory had
blown up. A few minutes later, however,
the fact became known there that the
whole island had been thoroughly shaken
by vibrations, and that guests and visitors
were very greatly alarmed, the fright in
some cases amounting to panic.
At Cleveland the shock was plainly but
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