Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-09-01


the enemy were laundering at our gate
and bombshells were bursting 10 In
sight of our women and children, VA
there such fright.
At Ford's, st. James, and Exehsng'
Hotels hundreds Of people wer'
awakened, and those who were mo-
asleep felt the quake and heard the
rumbling noise most plainly. At these
hotels bells were rung, lights put out
people were almost jostled from their
beds, and panic and confusion took pos
session of many. The great desire
indeed, the instinct-seemed to be to
get out Of the buildings. At the Ex-
change one man climbed out on the roof,
seeking at@fe place.
In Manchester there was the same
experience.
A gentleman who has sleeping apart
ments in Stearns's building says be saw
lights springiDg up and down In all di-
rectlons. The plastering was knocked
down from the ceiling in number Of
houses.
Between IL and l O'Clock dozens OF
gentlemen from
ALL PARTS OF THE CITY
called at the Dispatch Office. They
gave accounts agreeing in the main
with what is here written. One said
he felt three separate shocks as plainly
as be ever felt anything in his life. All
described the movement Of the esfth as
Of regular rocking rather than Of a
conyulsive character. There as a
swaying to and fro rather than an up
heaval or spasmodic movement. Many
represent that the ladies had been
frightened nearly to death, and IT is
certain that large portion Of our pop
ulation passed q sleepless night, not
knowing how soon new shocks would
come, or. when they came. what would
be the result. Quite a number OF gen.
tlemen, ladies, and children passed the
night in the open air.
MR.. KEILEY's ACCOUNT.
Mayor Kelley graphically described
the sensation as follows. He said |
had gone to bed, but found it impossi-
bic to sleep. The extraordinary sui
triness Of the atmosphere, and cer-
tain quality in the air for which there
is no name in our language, but VIII n
may be sufficiently described b. the
word unbIeathableness," cOnspired
to keep me awake, and as is usual
when the wakefulness is complete and
at the same time protracted, an unusual
sensitiveness to sound and motion fol-
lowed. My bed lies with the head
to the southeast, and in the third
story Of very substantially built
house. While lying thus, perfectly
awake, heard the stiffness broksn by
what | supposed was the first puff Of
coming storm, and had full time to
frame this explanation Of the noise
when it increased to roar, and the
same instant the house began to trem-
bic, the vibration and the rSAr incress-
ing together. The movement did not
resemble the swsying of body freely
moving as a pendulum; but the rapid,
irregular, and agitated shake which
a passionate man might give to
a weak adversary. 1t appeared
to me to have two or three lulls
during Its progress, subsiding for a
half.second, perhaps, and then swelling
in force and volume. From the first
sound to the last an interval Of fully ten
seconds, and, think more, must have
elapsed, making every allowance for the
tendency to exaggerate time under cir
cumstances of suspense and alarm. The
moment the vibration ceased ] rose,
turned on the gas, and found the time
sixteen minutes before u. Iraised my
window and looked out. The sky was
perfectly cloudless. and nothing unusual
in its appearance, no change in tempera-
ture, and, in fact, none Of the startling
phenomena which are often reported
as accompanying these conyulsions,
were perceptible. returned to bed,
and between five and seven minutes
afterwards another but far less vio-
lent shock followed, and at an inter-
val Of some twelve or fifteen minutes
more third, of less violence than the
first, but much more than the second.
In all, the beginning was sound like
a rising wind rapidly increasing in
force, and in all the conclusion was like
the dying Of fierce storm. In all. the
sound and movement seemed to me to
come distinctly from the east and move
towards the west, and IN all the motion
was an irregular shaking, not . sway
ing to and fro-a circumstance which
even at the time struck me as singular,
in view Of the definite east-and-west
direction which the earthquake appear
ed to follow.
do not think | can better describe
the roaring that accompanied the yibra-
ton Of the earth than by saying that it
resembled the sound Of chimney on
fire. But the whole was so unlike
anything | had ever witnessed or felt
that l never thought of ascribing it to
any other source than an earthquake.
Such a turmoil in the atmosphere, such
a tIemor on the earth, trembling OF
The house so violent and protracted.
could have no other origin and | shared
he alarm which may well be enter
aimed when the 4" foundations of the
Earth" are felt TO tremble.
THROUGH THE STATE.
Badly Sbaken-Furniture