The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1886-09-02
AN EARTEEOUA1xE.
EAST TENNESSEE RECEIVES A SHAKING
ZIP.

UP.
Tuesday night about 8 o'clock the
shock of an earthquake was distinctly
felt at this place, and perhaps all over
East Tennessee. Houses trembled
and rocked as if about to totter over.
In several instances the people were
terribly frightened. A great many
did not seem to understand what was
the matter. One man in Johnson
City thought burglars were trying to
break in his house and rushed to the
door and fired off his pistol
Another concluded the shaking was
caused by his dog trotting across the
floor, and went peacefully back to
sleep.
Frank Evans was in the furniture
factory alone, and was considerably
shaken up, but thought it was done
by some one trying toplay practical
joke on him.
At Elizabethton, the shock was per-
haps moressevere than here, Maj
Folsom thinks the vibrations measur-
ed two or three inches and lasted half
minute. The people there rushed
into the streets to see what was up.
The jailor thought the prisoners
were trying to break out, and the pris-
oners thought somebody was trying to
break in after them.
Sam Smith, near the depot, grabbed
his gun and run outside to see who
who was trying to turn his house over.
At @. P. Toncray's the vibrations of
the house started a clock that had not
run for months, and they concluded
that something awful was going to
happen.
About five feet of the tall stone
chimney at the Thomas farm, above
Elizabethton, was shaken down and
fell with crash on the roof, and the
family rushed out into the yard fright
ened as if they thought the judgment
had come.
The following from the Journal
gives an idea of the extent OF the earth.
quake at Knoxville:
Last night about 8 o'clock, while ALT
Taylor and his brother Bob were in
room 81 of the Hattie House agoniz.
ing over the question of joint discus
sion, old mother earth began suddenly
to culver, and then to vibrate from
side to side, like a drunken man. In
stantly men rushed out from almost
every building on Gay street, with hal
in hand, eyes protruding and gasping
for dear life. 1t was an earthquake
and there were three distinct shocks.
In the hotels, the Hattie House, the
Lamar House, the Akin House ant
Schubert's, the furniture was shaker
about the mirrors ratified and the
guests were all very much frightened
At the Atkin House the plate glass il
the front door was broken. At thu
Hattie House the candidates for gov
ernor were closeted with Col. Thos
Mcconnell and Col. A. M. Hughes
engaged in making out a new list 0
appointments, and when the hous,
began to rock, ALI. and Bob immedi
ately started out in race, but not ex
actly the kind they were preparing
/ for
Several gentleman were in tn
Chilhowee club rooms in the thirC
story of the new McCallum building
and the vibrations there were so Sc
we're that the occupants of the room
were all frightened and some of then
so badly scared that it took some tim
for them to recover from the effects @
the fright. This building was consid
erably damaged. In the Chilhowe
club rooms the walls were cracked a
every conner, from the floor to tn
ceiling, and the plastering and pape
was cracked along the ceiling the ful
length of the room.
In the Garfield club room humble
of gentlemen were collected, an
when the house began to swing the
all ran down the steps to the street.