The Portland daily press., 1886-09-02


earth1uake. He said: 81 was sitting in
nv study, holding book, and noticed sud.
den movement of the label, and obse rived
that the house was shaking and revolving
book case near me was vibrating. That
shock began and died away, and the second
one commenced before l thought of looking
at my watch which was in the next room.
I then went into the next room for the
watch. and noticed the time at 8 O'Clock 81
minutes. Estimating the time from the
first shock, think that the latter must have
commenced at 8 hours SO minutes 20 seconds.
The third shock, which was the least severe,
was soon noticed, at exactly hours 81
minutes 80 seconds. 1t lasted nearly one
half minute. After this shock, by the way,
there was continuous shaking, as 1t seem
ed to me- for four minutes, as L could see
my revolving bookcase shaking quite ac-
lively at hours 50 minutes
Atthe National Observatory the officer in
charge said that none of the observers were
on duty at the time of the shock, and that
no one except the watchman was in the
building Had the observers been in at
tendance there are no Instruments there
adapted to the purpose OF measuring tne
vibrations, so that only rude estimates could
have been made. Prof. Paul, one OF the as
sistant astronomers, had had much ex-
perience with earthquakes in Japan and has
some private instruments with which he has
made a series of experiments in that country,
but he, unfortunately, is just now on leave
of absence.
Survey, was interviewed and made the fol-
lowing statement: 1.-THE earthquake was
we'll observed by Mr.. W. j. MCGEE of the
Geological Survey, in the third (and upper
story of brick house, 1925 Corcoran street.
After the elimination of the first shock, the
phenomena were timed A rough substitute
for a selemescope was improyised out of a
tumbler of water placed on a stand IN the
center of the room, and the high head-board
of the bedstead served as rule Selemescope
The following is the record Time OF cul-
mination OF first shock, 10Th meridian, 9.o43 !,
duration of first shock, estimated, so seconds !;
time of termination of same, 9.55; time OF
termination of slight tremor, TO- Sey eral
slight tremors followed but were not timed.
Time of recommencement of continuous
tremors, 1908; time OF elimination OF the
shock, about 80 seconds; time of termina tion
of second series of tremors, 1913. The di-
rection of the vibration, as Indicated by the
Impoverished seismoscope, horizontal dlrec-
tion, was very little north OF east, but
there was an intermediate vertical compon-
ent in the undulation very perceptible in the
motions.of liquids and of articles OF furnl-
ture Roughly the upward impulse In each
vibration appeared to be third or hall OF
the lateral impulse. The rate of vibration
was measured on the high swinging head
board of bedstead during the second
shock, and found to be 115 or 100 per minute;
During the second shock the headboard, 81
feet high, swung through an arc of from
one-half to three-quarters OF an inch. 1t was
estimated that the amplitude OF the oscilla-
tion during the earlier SHOCK was tWlce or
thrice as great.
The sexplanation of earthquakes usually
accepted by ge0logists is something like this
For great variety of reasons, the conclu-
sion is reached that the larch is enclosed by
a solid crust or rock, that this crust rests
ny, torio1 in q less find cOnQI-
tion, so that it readily yields to agencies OF
reformation, like water or molteh iron. The
interior of the earth is constantly losing heat
in a variety of ways. A small amount is
probably being directly conducted from tne
interior to the surface and then radiated in
to space and vast amount of heat is con-
veyed from the interior through the agencies
of hot springs, all of which is ultimately
conveyed into space. Hot springs abound In
almost all portions of the known earth, and
in a few districts are very abundant, and
through them much heat is conveyed from
the interior to the surface. The lavas that
are brought up yield stores of heat all OF
which is lost to the earth through radiation
into space. This steady secular cooling OF
the earth must necessarily diminish its mag
nitude, and as it shrinks the solid exterior
crust must in some manner yield so as to
conform to the lesser magnitude thus pro-
duced. The stresses thus produced are
greatly aided and modified by another
of the earth is washed by rains
large m bodies of material are carried away
and deposited in lake bottoms, which are
gradually filed up, and especially deposited
along the shores of the seas. The unloading
of the land ares and the overlooking of GER
tain water areas to a large extent localizes
the stresses. Again, the fluid or plastic ma
terial OF tne InteriQI ciianSoo Ito Po'itirg?n DC
it flow out as lava. The stresses produced
by the various agencies thus described grad
ually become so great that at last the crust
of the earth must yield and earthquakes are
produced.
lowing earthquakes in the United States and
Canada Canadian provinces, s; New Eng.
land s.; Atlantic States, s.; Mississippi
Valley, 8; Pacific Slope, 3d. total, 90. During
the twelve years, 1872 to 1883, there nave
been recorded in the United States and Can
ada 365 earthquakes, distributed as follows
Atlantic States 147; Mississippi Valley, 60;
Pacific Slope. 151. From this list 1t appears
that in the entire area earthquakes occur on
an average once in twelve days, and once
month in the Atlantic slope. Many OF these
disturbances are, however, so slight as to
be unperceived by the majority. OF the peo,,
pie, and it should be observed that the Dill
is more compile in the sdensely populated and
frequently shaken Atlantic slope than IN
either the seldom shaken Mississippi valley
or the sparsely populated Pacific slope,
CHARLEsToN, S. c., Sept. Another
earthquake shock was felt here at 8. IS this
afternoon. The situation of things is be-
coming horrible, worse even, 1t is sald, tnan
that when Gen. Gilman bombarded the city.
cut off from communication with the rest OF
the world, and haunted by prospect OF i'm
mediate death. Women and children are
running about in open air greatly agitated;
No trains have departed or arrived Tor "a
hours. All lines leading into the city are
sol TO haa aripnlpd If is r9n0rte0 all rail-
road tracks are twisted like snakes Inere
are three or four steamers IN port, !ncludlng
buoy tenders and many OF the lnhaDltants
are provided with the best berths on these
steamers. Fortunately the weather has been
good and the hardships are not as severe as
they might have been. There are not half
dozen tents in the city, and for to-mght
many heads of families have constructed
rude shelters out of bed sheets, awnings and
any other material that comes to hand. "
is calculated at least that three-fourths of
the city will have to be entirely rebuilt II the
houses are to be inhabited. The
city is literally in ruins and the. people
are living in open squares and public parks.
Telegraphic communication IS cut on Win
the exception of one wire of the Southern
Telegraphic Company, which IS crowded
with anxious private messages. Not SIN
gle place of business in the city is open save
a drug store which is busy preparing pre-
scriptions fer the wounded.
1t is impossible also to give any correct
estimate of the killed and wounded as bod
les are constantly being disinterred from the
debris of the wrecked houses. One under
taker states that he had furnished eight col
fins up to noon today. Many of the dead are
living unburied, principally the poorer classes
Of c0lOred people. There were in all five
shocks, diminishing in violence from the
first. The sidewalks in the streets were
dotted with mothers, wives and daughters,
with their protectors, awaiting In anxious
expectation still another agony. The
air was thick with horrid rumors and
| the lurid glare of the fires but heightened
| the general ruin.
AUGUsTA, Ga, Sept. IA special tele-
| gram says last night was one OF terror IL
| Beaufort Seventeen shocks of earthquake
| occurred during the night. At $50 o.clock
| last evening the town was thrown into
| state of terror and excitement by genera
| shaking of the houses all over town. Lots
| of chimneys were shaken, clocks stopped
and mirrors and pictures torn from theil
| fastenlngs. This was followed by othe
| shocks at regular intervals of five minutes
| till eleven shocks had occurred, when all wal
| ouieted till II 110 O'Clock, when four NOR,
| Slight shocks followed each other in quicl
succession Again at 4.40 this morning an
| other shock occurred. Everybody rushed
| into the street at the first shock, and Their
remained all night. But few, if any, slept
| The negro church bells were tolled AM
thousands of colored people congregate'
there and remained in prayer all night
AUGUSTA, Ga, Sept. 1.--Another shocl
was felt here at O'Clock this afternoon
causing people to rush into the streets. TIL
| damage last evening was confined to jostlin
| OF chimneys and breaking plastering in res
| ;donoac Mrs Samuel Bowers an old lady