Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-11-01

Her First ON Record in tho Line Of Seismic
Disturbances-Ouivers Felt from the At
lantic tn the Mississfppi and the Lakes -
the Gulf-st. Louis Goes hack to l8ll for
Comparison-The subterranean Ague.
Dnmase Anywhere.
CHICAGO, Nov. 1.-Chicago experienced
her first recorded earthquake at 5:l9
o'clock yesterday morning. But unlike
some choice things-likc the great fire, the
Worlds fair, etc.-Chicago did not have
a monopoly Of the event. For over an area
covering thousands Of miles, north, south,
east and west, the ground trcmbled under
the shudder Of an earthquake. From
Michigan psleries to Louisiana cotton
fields, over western prairies and into the
heart Of the hills of Dixie, the gigantic
trcmor made itself felt. Tho heart of the
entire land over which floats tho stars
and stripes quivcred with tho shock. Va
rying from ten to thirty seconds the scis-
mic disturbance made its presence felt all
over the central belt of the country. The
only report Of lives imperiled comes from
Galsden, Ala, where several houses were
shaken down and the occupants buried be-
meath tho ruins. No fatalities are men.
toned MS resulting from the mishap.
How It Was Felt Mt Chicago.
Some claim that in this city there were
two distinct shocks lasting about five sec
ontls each, interrupted by an interval of
quiet Of about n minute. The writer felt
ono shock distinctly, was wide awake and
did not feel another. There was no tremor
Of the building on the fourth floor of which
the writer was at work. 1t was a very
slight and very gentle swaying motion
The building moved back and forth like a
reed shaken by the wind" But it was
very distinct and decidedly inclined to
make fellow panicky. All over the bust
ness part of the city in the tall buildings
the sensation was as described above But
one building did not seem to shake, and
that was the Auditorium. Sleeping peo-
pie were awakened and waking people
frightened everywhere but in that build
ing, SO 1t is claimed.
That peculiar Feeling.
All accounts Of earthquakes have some
thing to say about the peculiar feeling
like seasickness, they say-that people
have who are in the territory shaken
careful note by several, and the conclusion
reached was that the popularity" Of the
feeling was more imaginary than real;
that it is exactly the sinking feeling one
has when he is scared-that was the way
the aforementioned observers felt.
Out in the Chicago Suburbs.
Out in the suburbs the rolling prairies
trcmbled between the tension, leaving
the sensation of q continuous trcmor.
Residents of outlying sections of the city,
awakened by the disturbance, all describe
their experience as n violent shaking from
cast to west. Clocks were stopped, win.
dows ratified, pictures swung slightly and
dressing cnse mirrors raped the walls be-
hind them. Beyond the breaking of very
few dishes, stopping Of clocks, rafting of
chandeliers and the loss of an hour or two
Ut sleep the damage wrought by the seismic
disturbance amounted to nothing.
Has . Unique Explanation.
Professor Garrictt of the weather bureau,
accounts for the disturbance as coming
from Hot Springs. He said: You know
there IL a scientific connection between
bubbling hot water that springs from the
ground and the gigantic upheavals of ma
turc which manifest themselves in the
shape Of volcanoes. Now, there has been
SO much atmospheric vibration in the
ncighborhood Of Hot Springs the last
week or two. vibrations which the eminent
scientist, Professor John L. Sullivan,
nscribes to the action Of wind jammers,'
that 1t is quite possible such vibration
may have had visible effect on the sur
face Of the boiling water as it spurts from
the ground"
Only Official Record Mt Chicago.