Evening star., 1886-09-04
THE EARTHQUAKE,
What II Said at the Signal Omce-The
Fate OF Bermuda.

NO earthquake was observed at the signal
Office here last night, nor have any reports been
received from Charleston, all the operators at
that point having deserted their posts on ac-
count of the shocks there last night and this
morning. There are no wires to Bermuda, and
the fate of the island is in doubt Lieut..
Powell says that there is an impression that it
may have sunk from the shock, but there is no
means of ascertaining at this time. It lies right
in what was probably the track Of the earth
quake, and it 10 hardly likely that it escaped.
For some years the signal Office has been try
ing to get cable to Bermuda, so as to enable
them to take observations from the Atlantic
but they have failed in their efforts.
THE EFFECT ON BAROMETERs.
During the great earthquake of krakatoa, in
1888, the registering barometers in England and
elsewhere were greatly affected. The self-regis-
tering barOmeters at the signal Office here were
not at all affected by the shock Tuesday night.
In this connection Prot. Russell called THE
STAR reporters attention to curious thing.
The selfregistering wind vane on top of the
building showed the greatest agitation just at
the instant of the earthquake. During the en-
that It was affected by the shock This might
have been on account OF the trembling of the
building, but Prot; Russell is inclined to think
1t more likely that there was an irregular
changing OF the wind accompanying the earth
quake.
"sUN SPOTS" AND EARTHQUAKES.
He says further that, though 1t has been
thought that there was no relation between
magnetic storms and the earthquakes, the
circumstance that there was magnetic storm
observed simultaneously with the earthquake
Is very suggestive and worthy of consideration,
Magnetic storms are known to be affected by
the ',sun spots" or other external influences.
If 1t should be found that the earthquakes and
the magnetic storms have any connection, then
there would be connection established be-
nFOfpSSOr Af r1.vv, b {c
that there was q difference of only 80 seconds
between the time of the shock at Charleston
q shock will travel through the earth at the
rate Of a mile iu second, as 1t 10 said to, then
the center ofth earthquake must have been
than from Charleston; that Is, 1t must have
been deep within the bowels OF the earth: or
else hS snon must be IKE the
be about the same difference between the time
OF the tides at Charleston and at Washington
Professor Mendenhall has gone to Charles
ton to make observations.
AT SEA.
letter has been received at the hydro.
graphic Office from Captain Leo voeRel. of the
steamer City of Palatka, briefly describing the
effect Of the earthquake at sea. He says he had
just LETT Charleston, and was about twelve
miles of the harbOr Of Port Royal in eight and
q half fathomsof water, when he experien ced
a terrific rumbiing sensation, which lasted one
heavy sea from the southeast, and when the
rumbling began the wave motion ceased and
the waters became perfectly calm until the
again manifest. He describes the sensation as
resembling that VI q vessel scraping on pebbly
bottom. The ships vibrations were very great.
THE LIGhT-HoUsEs.
The lighthouse board has received informa.
ton from Charleston that the main tower of the
Horris Island lighthouse Is cracked near the
third landing from the ground, and that the
floor in the watch-room 10 somewhat loosened
Cape Roman light and tower have been seen
since the shock, and are supposed to be all right
The lens at the Bulls Bay lighthouse has BEEN
thrown OF the pedestal.