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

i The people Of a very large section of
/ country, extending from Central Pennsyl-
vania to Maine, were pretty thoroughly
alarmed yesterday by very distinct shock
/ Of earthquake. In some localities they
were so frightened that they rushed out
/ Of their houses to avoid apprehended
| danger. The reports indicate that the
/ shock was more severe in some places
/ than others. The chief evidences of an
unusual disturbance were overthrown
/ chimneys. cracked walls and displaced
/ furniture. The great majority of the
/ people evidently did not realize
what the trouble was until
/ all danger had passed. AS the
/ shaken region is not subject to earth
quakes, it was natural that the people
| should have been in doubt as to the true
I cause of the disturbance until they had
| compared notes and heard from other
points. The best opinion seems to be that
the original shock lasted about ten seconds,
and that vibrations were perceptibIe for
/ nearly a minute afterwards. A little
more than a year ago the Ischia earth
quake destroyed hundreds of lives, and
little less than year ago the world was
startled by the news Of the Java calamity,
which was far more destructive to life
and property than that of Ischia. There
is no reason to appTehend a destructive
earthquake in this country, although the
shock Of yesterday indicates that such
calamity is not wholly improbable.
The action of the Aldermen of New
York in granting a franchise to compa-
ny to build a surface railroad on Broad
Way, the great street of that city, has oc-
casioned a good deal Of speculation about
the proposed railroad under the same
street. 1t is said that the construction of
a surface railroad on Broadway viii not
interfere with the building Of an under
ground road. A cable road, which goes
seven or eight feet under the surface for
its foundations, would seriously interfere
with a tunnel or arcade. The Broadway
Underground Railroad, in which ex-Sec-
rotary Window is a large stakeholder,
will probably 60 to work to carry out its
new underground plan in October. 1t
proposes to build an arcade 50 by 16 feet
under Broadway, with four tracks, and
having sewer, gas and water pipes at the
sides. This will not interfere with any
store vaults or private rights. The four
tracks will carry 800, O00, 600 people year.
ON the other hand, a horse car road on the
surface will only carry from 100000 to
100000 people in the course Of a year;
whereas the natural increase of city
travel. as shown by the records, is %, 000,-
600 a year. The underground road, with
its ability to run express trains at the
rate of forty miles an hour, is the only
feasible and practical solution of the
vexed question of rapid transit.
There is an alarming increase Of NOR
tality among children in New York. The
different kinds Of summer complaints are
Staying the little ones by the hundred.
These diseases are probably caused in
many cases by the drinking of contami-
mated water and adulterated milk. No
doubt the greater number Of these chill
dren owe their death to improper diet.
Candies and CONNECTIONS and half-decayed
fruit should not be given to children in
summer, New York and a great many
other places need a few cargoes Of old
fashioned sweet potatoes. Nothing else
is half so good to keep the children quiet
and healthy.
The New York Herald is responsible
for the story that Blaine, when Speaker,
erawled out of a window and passed
along the stone betting course of the cap
itol to another room-thence tOthe House,
where be announced the Chairman on
Appropriations which he had promised to
Gen. Butler. He crawled out Of the vim
dow to avoid Gen. Butler, who was watt