The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-09-04

on the 10Th of December, two distinct shocks
were felt in Dover, N. H., and also at Roch-
ester, Concord and other places near. There
was rumbling sound as at Bath the year
before On August 10th, 1884, officers of the
Signal Service felt a shock inlNew York city,
and reports from other stations of the Ser
vice showed that there had been slight
seismic distul Dances at the same time from
Portland, Me-, to Washington, d. c., and
from the seaboard to Toledo, Ohio. At mid
night, June 18th, of this year, just after the
terrible volcanic outbreak in New Zealand, a
strange tremor was felt at Sandy Hook and
Coney Island.
These are the principal earthquakes that
have been noticed in the United States.
Either because of their lack of violence or
because few people were exposed to their eff
fects, none of them have been very destruct-
i've to life OF property, Most of them have
been very slight indeed when compared with
the upheaval which has just terrified the peo-
pie in Southern and Western cities. 1t was a
week ago yesterday that the the first shocks
were felt in South Carolina. On that day de-
spatches received in Charleston stated that
the town of Summerville, the health resort
of Charleston, had been badly shaken; soon
people from the latter town began to arrive
and tell stories which made the inhabitants
of Charleston shake their heads in doubt.
But Saturday morning, just week ago. at
quarter of 5 o'clock, Charleston itself was
shaken so that its people left their beds in
terror. The earth had begun its movements.
And here it is interesting to notice, though
there may be nothing in the coincidence,
that the news of tho destruction in Greece
was received Saturday. On Tuesday eve
ming of this week the elimination came.
Between the Atlantic and the Mississippi
this country was shaken by the most destruc-
tive earthquakes observed here since the
landing.of Columbus. The tremor was felt
in Jacksonville, Fla, and in Boston, Mass;
in the District of Columbia and in Wiscon-
sin. The inhabitants Of nearly dozen large
cities, like Jacksonville, Atlanta, Charles
ton, Washington, Cincinnati, Louisville, De-
troit, Richmond, Augusta, Ga, Savannah,
ETC., were terrified by enc and the same phe-
nomenon. In other cities, like Phila-
delphia, Boston, New York, Indianar-
oils and st. Louis and Chicags the
shocks were severe enough to cause some
surprise. In the great extent of disturbance
the earthquakes are remarkable no less than
for the havoc they have wrought. 1t is i'm
possible to estimate accurately the damage
done in Charleston; but enough havoc has
been wrought there and in the region around
to put Charleston on the list with Port Roy
al, San Salvador, Caracoa, Callao, africa,
Buenos Ayres, cities whose calamities have
moved the compassion of the world. If the
trouble is over Charleston will undoubtedly
recover, as she has from her other remarka
BILE Affections, bombardment, fire and flood.
But the lighter shocks which have followed
since Thursday are keeping the people in a
state of pitiable dismay. The aid which the
general government is sending will be none
too soon; and all the help which the country
at large will give can be none too much.