Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1886-09-09


Of the cloud in which one is envelop.
ed; at the same time the ground is
shaken and lifted upward, or thrown
forward, as by the passage of an ire.
sistible wave beneath it. The shocks
may be repeated several times in
quick succession on recur after long
intervals; the movements may be so
great as to rend the surface into
chasms, aud these may open and shut
again, or remain in assures Of the
width Of a few feet or yards, and ex
tending to unknown depths; smoke
and flames are occasionally sent forth
from them during the continuance of
the earthquake. even if the region be
not volcanic. Torrents Of water are
elected from these chasms, and springs
of water are often forced by the con-
vulsion into new outlets and direc-
tons Objects upon the surface, as
dwellings, trees. and animals, are en-
quilted in the chasms; and by subsi-
dence OF the surface, large trees, noun
tains even, and whole cities are swal-
lowed up. Occurring as they most
frequently do along the seaboard,
the water is observed common
~ to retire to some distance, leav-
ing the harbors dry, and then to re-
turn in a great wave Of many feet in
height, which sweeps everything be-
fore it. This may occur by the pro
gress Of the great wave, the recession
being occasioned in the same way as
the similar movement upon a small
scale noticed along the shore as a
steamboat approaches it, the water
first receding, and then returning in
great wave; or it may be owing to
tract being uplifted in the sea at some
distance, toward which the waters
would first be drawn from every di-
rection, and Immediately after be pro.
PEELED back with redoubled force. OF
all the calamities to which man is
exposed, there are none Of such fear
full character as earthquakes; none in.
yolve such terrible and devastating
destruction oflife and property. There
are none of the approach Of which he
is less forewarhed, and none against
which he can take fewer precautions.
The very righteousness Of the dan
ger Expresses him with terror. lie is
ignorant in what form it is most i'm
minent, or in what direction to seek
way to escape.
FAMOUS EARTHQUAKES.
Among the earliest accounts ofearth-
quakes is that which describes the de-
struction Of Hurculaneum and Pom
peii, A. d. 03, l6 years before they
were buried under the ashes Of We.
suvius. In 1l5 the ancient city of
Antioch was almost destroyed 1t
was again visited in AS and in 526
it was the scene of the most disastr Gus
earthquake of which any record has
been preserved. 100000 persons are
said to have persisted at this time, a
oonhux Of strangers to the festival Of
the Ascension swelling the multitudes
belonging to the city.
Lines of sea beaches at higher lev.
els and further inland indicate the
previous lifting up of the same region
at different times along the same lines,
A depression of the land was occas-
toned in the island Of Jamaica in
1892, when Port Royal, the capital,
was carried down, with greater part
of the city, beneath the surface of the
water. A thousand acres or more
thus sank in less than one minute, the
sea rolling in and driving the vessels
in the harbor over the tops of the
houses. A similar catastrophe occur.
red on a much more gigantic scale in
the island of Java in l772, when Pa
pandayang, then one of the loftiest Of
the volcanoes Of this region was in &C
ton; an area suddenly sank down,
including the mountain Of 10 miles
long and 6 miles broad, carving with
it 40 villages, and destroying 2,9S7
of the inhabitants. .F.IN
The great earthquake Of Lisbon
commenced on Nov. !, 1855, The
rumbling sound below the surface was
Immediately followed by the shock,
which threw down the principal por.
ton of the city. In the short space
of 6 minutes it is believed that 10000
persons persisted, The sea retired,
leaving the bar dry, and returned in
great wave so feet or more in height
The mountains around were shaken
with great violence, and were even
rent and thrown in fragments into the
valleys below. Multitudes of people
sought safety from the falling build.
ings by crowding upon the marble
quay, which had been constructed at
great expense. 1t suddenly sank with
them like a ship laundering at sea;
but when the waters closed over the
place no fragments of the wreck, none
of the boats and vessels near by that
were drawn into the whirlpool, and
| not one of the thousands of bodies car
ried down, reappeared upon the sur
face. Over the spot the water stood