The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1884-08-11
THE EARTHQUAKE.
A Shock at 2:O6 Yesterday Afternoon
and its Incidents.
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING.
How People Behave Under sudden Fright
Children Bnwling, Women
Screaming, Men Swearing
After All Nothing.

NEW YORK. Aug. lO.--About 2:O5
o'clock this afternoon the residents of
this vicinity were startled by q severe
shock of earthquake, lasting about ten
seconds. At this hour, p. M, particulars
have been received at the Western
Union Office here, showing the effects
from the following points: The At
lantic highlands near Sandy Hook,
Long Branch, Philadelphia, New Haven,
Boston, Elizebeth, Plainfeld, Spring
lake, Marthas Vineyard and Portland,
Maine. AT the last named point it was
slight. Reports have also been received
from many of the sub-otiices about New
York. The reports as to its duration are
diverse, but the average seems to be
about ten seconds.
The operator at Providence was
vaguely questioned az TO whether he
had heard or seen anything unusual,
and he promptly replied that he had his
hands on the steam pipe and that it had
trembled violently. He had been look
ing up and down the street to discover
the heavy team which up to the time of
inquiry he had supposed was passing.
The question made him suspicious of an
earthquake. The suspicion was psomptly
confirmed by various people rushing in
to the streets and into the office asking
for an explanation.
At 2:l5 p. M, Atlantic, Highland, on
perienced second shock, but less vio-
lent than the first.
At Philadelphia the scatiolding on n
new building going up on the corner Of
Sixth and Reed streets, was shaken vio-
lently and some bricks on the boards
were shaken off and fell 10 the street be-
ow.
The severest shocks were reported
from Seabright, New Jersey, where the
depot was shifted to one side, shaking up
the contents and alarming the inmates.
At 2:30 p, nj. an Intellectual ciT;Ht was
made to raise Long Bran h OIL ce which
had been in communication with
the local office up to the time of the
shock. The operator just had time to
report the shock together with the fact
that the jars of his battery had been
overturned when thewire gave out.
At Hartford bareheaded man rushed
frantically to the telegraph office, hold
ing in his hand newspaper which he
had been reading. lie said he had been
rocked violently, and that the plaster on
the ceiling above him had been cracked,
and in some places had dropped off on
the floor.
In Brooklyn tho streets were alive
with people who had come out to as
certain the cause of the rocking and to
gossip about 1t. One cOol-hoaded OBJ
server, upon the first porceptible mo.
| ton, took out his stop watch and
! timed the vibrations. He reported
that the shock begun at 2:01:50 and that
the first shock lasted Just ten seconds,
and that quieting down rs he had de-
| scribed it, it took nearly fifty seconds
more. On-hand guessels as TO the dura
ton varied from five Sseconds to two
minutes, according to the extent of the
Observers fright and ! y, Judgment o
the flight of time.
At Menlo Park and Tronton tho shock
was timed at 2;05 p. m, while at more
southerly points it was felt at 2:l0.
Exaggerated reports come in from
various points. From Trenton it was
reported that water in the river was
dashed to foam. A passenger ar.
| rived from Trenton soon after, however,
and said the story was absurd, and that
the water was as placid and muddy Il,
usual. g..
The telegraph manager at Coney
| Island, promptly asked for particular
| pfthe explosion, supposing that some oil
refinery, or 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 and thai
guests and visitors Were very greatly
| alarmed, flight in some cases amounting
to panic. Neither Cape May or Atlanti,
| City noticed any unusual motion, and $.
| far as early reports indicate Philadolphi.
! was the southern limit OF the shock.
At Cleveland the shock was plainly
! but slightly felt,
In the main local telegraph Office the
| hundreds of people present ltlt u seriou,
movement Of the iiOOr la the seventh
! story, hut there was no electrical phc
| nOmenun connected with it, aud no clec
| trlcai disturbance.
The first impression which seemed t.
/ strike the inmates of houses. IN
! New York was that the building WI,
! about to fail, and the people ran int,
! the streets, only to discover ncighbur,
rushing out, amazed like themselves
Then, Us there was no evidence of .
catastrophe, the people returned 20 thoi
homes, realizing there had been al
earthquake.
as 81 ul,u, people remained in front o
their houses "A few minutes, apparcntlN
| irving 10 get at some solution to thGi
fears aud watching the faces and man
uers Of others. Women and children
as they rcgained some degree of con
lliencc, returned to their houses
Tho men remained in groups h
the streets discussing I'm occur
renee SO unexpected and ;,
startling, An earthquake Is u Jhing \,
unlocked for IN this part Of the w0rl,
that its causes aud history ot mos
terrible ones become topics OF para
mount interest Above an, tho propl
were concerned in trying to fnd on
from those they talked with whether
second, and perhaps subsequent shock
were likely to follow.
At the observatory of the Unitct
States signal service, the time ol On
earthquake and its duration were noted
Assistant Observer II. E. Hinman, an
MerrGg, were at the time In the otlicr,a
2OO feet above the level OF the seas. Tn
first intimation of the earthquake wa
u low rumbling sound, like ihn muttor
ing of distant thunder. This wa
immediately followed 10y shock lik
that of violent explosion. whicI
caused the building 10 culver, although
II did not shake perceptihly. A rattiu
continued about eight seconds and wa
accompanied by rumhiug soun,
which gradually died away. The urs
shock felt was about ten minutes pas
. O'clock.
In many instances II Is being roportc
that clearly doiinod rocking mlVohcn
was felt and dishes In pahtfits wer
shaken from the shelves. Thus far, how
ever, no damage of any kind Is reported
while tho shock was felt strongly {
dwellings,
Persons travelling on elevated rtilioUl
did not knew of the occurrence ant
told of 1t by people getting in a, station.
and the shock felt ON olev,utu sttlou
was slight compared with thai fl, o
the ground he cath.
AS far aS can he assertGned tn shoci
is ontiroN imperceptiblo on water
immediately after the Shock hat pnp
ielt nt the Police Ccutral Onirc cuustt
cradle confusion was occasinued and a