The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1886-09-10
Abent Iarthquakss.

IT ~ -.
Earthouske is o shaking Of The solid ground
~ mors or less violent movements, prodnced1
" natural forces. Such shakings, to whioh
every part Of the world is liable. are oftsn iu-
except to very sensitive instruments,
,ut ON the other hand are frequently produc-
i've Of fearful destruction Of life and property.
On November IA, 1861, another great earth-
quake occurred in Switzerland, simultaneously
With which IL was noticed that in the artesian
wells at Passy, Paris, the sediment suddenly in
creased from 956 to 2,268 grains per cubic
metre, after which It began to decrease. In
general 1t has been noted that The springs Of
his place are similarly affected by almost
every earthquake Of western Europe.
In Portugal, the city Of Lisbon was visited
ON the morning Of November l, 1856, by one |
Of the most memorable earthquakes recorded in |
history. The rumbling sound that prccedes |
most earthquakes was Immediately followed by |
the great shook which threw down the princi- |
pal portion Of the city. The sea retired, leav- |
ing the bar dry, and returned in minute as o
great wave or breaker 80 feet or moro in height |
Il Is believed that 10000 persons perished IN
the space Of six minutes. The part Of the city
that was permanently engulfed beneath the
waters Of the bay was covered to the depth Of
GOO feet. The portion Of the earth that was
shaken by this earthquake was estimated by
Humboldt as equal TO four times the extent
of Europe but many Of the reports and esti-
mates in reference to it have been greatly exag-
gerated, and from more exact considerations
Reolus states that probably an area equal to six
times that Of France was sensibly distributed
The shock was felt in the Alps and on the coast
Of Sweden; in Bohemia the warm springs Of
Teplitz disappeared for q time, and again burst
forth, deiuging the region with ochre-stained
waters. Many towns were destroyed In north
ern Africa. The waves Of shock reached Scot
land, probably passing under it, causing tempo
rary changes in tho waters Of Loch Lomend,
which suddenly rose moro than two feet and
then fell to below their usual level. Almost if
not quite simultaneously there began the great
eruption Of the volcano Of Ketluggia in Ice
land. The velocity Of propagation Of the wave
Of shock was about 1000 feet per second, and
its origin was probably under the ocean some
distance west Of Portugal. The great sea wave
that swept over the coast of Portugal was nearly
60 feet high at Cadiz, and extended to Madeira,
and possibly to the West Indies. The numer.
Gus other earthquakes and earthquake waves
experienced during the same month throughout
Europe and America may very probably have
had some connection with that at Lisbon, but
are not to be confounded with the shock Of
November /.
In India, by the. earthquake Of 1919, tract
Of 1000 square miles Of country near the
mouth of the Indus was submerged, and q
nsighboring region elevated into q mound.
The great earthquake of January 10, 1869, has
| been studied by Oldham with results Of great
| value The origin Of the shock was q point
l under Asaloo, somewhat deeper down than in
| the Neapolitan earthquake as investigated by
Mallett. Eruptions Of sand and hot water
took place through the assures, forming cones.
The entire lower valley Of tho Gauges was en-
braced in the fields of disturbance, and che
shock was felt quite decidedly at Calcutta.
| In mid ocean there are certain regions fre-
! auently visited by earthquakes, if we may rely
on the testimony Of those navigating them.
Among these may be specially designated the
! portion of the Atlantic Ocean near the equator
| and about half way between Guinea and Brazil.
In the United States, in 1871, occurred the
famous earthquake Of New Madrid in Missouri,
in the valley of the Mississippi river. Hum
| boldt remarks that it presents one OF the low
| examples Of the incessant quaking OF the
ground for several successive months far from
any volcano. Over on extent OF country
| stretching for 300 miles southwark from the
mouth of tho Ohio river the ground rose and
| sank in great undulatons, and lakes were
formed and were again drained. The surface
NE and s. w., and were sometimes more
than half mile long from these assures mud
l and water were often thrown as high as tht
| tops Of the trees. During the continuance o.
| these convulsions the Inhabitants distinguished
two classes Of movements, the vertical and tn,
horizontal tho latter were regarded as fa
more desolating than the former. The distur
Il
called "the sunk country" until March 2G
1872 when they ceased coincidently with tn
great earthquake Of Caracas. The most sever
earthquake that has been recorded in the Mid
die and Eastern States was that Of Novembe
} ID, 1855. The shock then felt in New Englan
was undoubtedly wave promulgated fror
| either the same centre whence emanated tn
tremendous disturbance that had destroye
Lisbon on the first day Of the month, or from
centre whose activity had been stimulated b
the continual quakings that then prevaile
from Iceland to the Mediterranean. Thi
earthquake Of the 18th began in Massachusett
with roaring noise like that Of thunder
amer q minutes continuance Of this there cam
the first severe shock with q swell like that Of
long rolling sea-a swell so great that men i
| the open fields ron to seize something by whic
| to hold on lest they should be thrown dowr
After two or three lesser shocks there came til
most violent Of all, producing a quick horizon
tai tremor with sudden jerks aud wrenches
this continued two minutes, and after slgh
revival died away. Numerous other shock
, followed In the course Of o month. In Bosto
the main shock threw down or disocated an
, twisted many chimneys, wind vanes, brio
buildings, &C., and throughout the country
threw down the rude stone walls bounding tn
, farms new springs Of water were opened III
, vessels in the hsrbor felt the shock large nun
bers Of fish were killed and foated on the su,
face Of the water. Nine hours atferward, at
o'clock p. m, q sea wave 20 feet high, that ha
undoubtedly originated at the source Of th
earthquake, arrived at tho harbor of st. Ma,
tins in the West Indies. On October 10, 1870
occurred the most considerable shock that hu
| been observed in tho Middle and Easter
States during the present century. The sourc
Of this disturbance has been traced with som
probability to the volcanic region so to- ~
miles N. +. Of Quebec; from this region th
shock spread to st. Johns, New Bruins wicl
and thence was felt westward to Chicago IN
southwark to New York. The velocity Of th
wave Of shock was about IA. 900 feet per second
The occurrence Of the shock felt at Quebec VIC
telegraphed to Montreal by the operators Of th
Montreal telegraph company in time to call III
attention Of those at the latter city TO tn
phenomena about 80 seconds before the shoe
reached them. In California, the earthquake
i ~ 1870 nuod ~