Daily Kennebec journal., 1884-04-23
FOREIGN NEWS.
GREAT CONSERVATION.
Sever Earthquake shock in Eastern
England-Large Amount Of Damage
D0ne-The Inhabitants Panic
Stricken.

LONDON. April %.
At $50 o'clock this morning an earthbuake
shock of considerable force was felt in the
eastern part of England. Locations in east
ern Suffolk were the scenes Of the greatest
distu rbances. At Ipswich, the capital of
Suffolk county, the shock was so severe that
the walls of houses were perceptibly shaken,
plates were ratified and bells ruug. People
we're thrown into such a state of eonsterna-
ton that business was for time suspended.
The disturbance lasted half a minute. The
first SYMPTOM was deep, rumbling sound.
portentious and swe-inspiriug.
This was SPEEDILY followed b. q quaking
and shaking of all the buildings. Church
bells sounded, as if being swayed by unseen
hands. The tall chimney stacks of factories
were crushed in ruins to the earth, and other
lofty structures were destroyed. The spire
of one of the largest churches in the city.
$50 feet in height. fell with an awful crash
to the ground. In one part Of the city fire
was caused by the shock. 1t is impossible
to estimate the amount of the damage, but it
is known to be great
In private houses the greatest confusion
prevailed. Tables were overturned, chairs
swayed and nodded and then fell sprawling
on the floor, china and glass ware in cub
board and sideboards ratified together and
were frequently shattered, while pictures
and other ornaments upon the walls were
loosened from their fastenings and fell to the
floor. People were terror stricken, Men,
women and children rushed shrieking into
the streets, while their agopized cries and
pale faces made a most impressive scene.
Al Chelmsford, likewise. in Essex and only
about thirty miles from London, the shock
was also severe, and people were filed with
terror and dismay. At Southend. a watering
place near the mouth of the Thames, the
earth trembled for miles around. The win
dows of many dwellings were broken. chin
neys were dashed to the earth and erockery
and glass ware were smashed. At Shoe
burgness, a few miles beyond Southland, the
shock was distinctly felt. 1t was also per-
ceptable at Bury ST. Edmunds, while at NAL
don. ten miles east of Chelmsford, the town
hall and private houses were swayed several
times.
The wave passed from south to north. The
Globe says that the shock was felt in the
Strand. London. A business house, ii as
serts, was perceptably rocked; so much so
that the employees were affected, and rushed
into the street. The duration of the shock
at Ipswich is estimated at three seconds. The
earthquake has caused general feeling of
insecurity and alarm throughout England.
Later advices indicate clearly that Calches.
ter was the centre OF the most serious dlS-
turbances. 1t is impossible as yet to deter
mine the extent of the damage. In some
streets traffic is forbidden for the present, as
the buildings are so badly shattered that they
are dangerous to life. The side walls of
houses near Chichester are shaken out.
In London there were numerous indica-
tions of the proximity of an earthquake. Tel
egraph instruments were shaken and the
shock was distincly felt in Chepside and Fleet
street.
The damage the earthquake at Chichester
is estimated at 10000 pounds.
At Chichester a child was killed and a
woman's skull fractured. The parish church
at Lapgenhore was demolished and the place
looks as if it had been bombarded. An in
valid at Wivenhoe died from terror. The
damage at Wivenhoe alone is 1000 pounds.
At Coggeshall number of school girls
rushed panic stricken into the streets and
many were crushed.