The herald., 1896-12-18
Scares the People and Does
Some Damage
THE WHOLE ISLAND SHAKEN
From Durham to Surrey From London
to Wales
Much Damage Is Done to Chimneys and
Crockery and One Poor Woman
Dies of Fright
Associated Press Special Wire

LONDON, Dec. ll.-An earthQuake OF
the most violent character ever expert
enced in this country has shaken every
shore from Durham to Surrey and from
London to the Welsh coast. The subter-
ranean disturbance was first noticed
about $50 this morning, which lasted
from four to thirty seconds. AT many
points two distinct shocks were expert
enced. The most severe shocks were felt
at Chelten, Ledbury and Dean Forest.
The earth shaking was accompanied by
a loud, rushing sound. Buildings were
violently shaken, furniture shifted and
doors thrown open, and pictures and
! other ornaments upset. The inhabit-
ants. panic stricken, fled from their
! houses. The earthquake also visited
birmingham and various points of
Shropshire and was violent in Worces-
ter and the country surrounding that
city.
Houses shook nearly minute at Bris-
tol and Clifton, causing much alarm.
Railroad employees report that they felt
the rails oscillate. At Eversham the
shock was followed by brilliant light
in the sky. Tuesday there was sudden
change from mild weather to severe
frost, followed by dense fogs and snow
Wednesday, In the mining districts
it was first thought the shocks were the
results of colliery explosions. The dis
turbance was violent at Warwick castle
The earl of Warwick felt his bed lifted
as though by some force beneath it, and
the furniture in the room shifted.
The shocks were followed by tremor
of the earth. The greatest alarm pre-
vailed everywhere Chimneys were over
thrown, windows. ETC., smashed At
some points on the country roads persons
were thrown down. A number of people
were thrown out of beds. The Hereford
cathedral was injured. There was a
dull rumbling beneath the earth's sur
face that was followed by two loud
crashes and terrible lifting and rocking
The panic at Hereford was so great that
one woman died from fright. People
rushed wildly into the streets. Many
chimneys fell crashing into the thorough
fares. All the pinnacles at st. Nicho-
las church toppled over and part of the
pinnacle of the cathedral fell At Liv-
erpool the earthquake was preceded by
heavy thunder and a fearful hail storm.
In London the earthquake was only
slightly felt At Bridgenorth near
Shrewsbury. before the disturbance, the
streets suddenly seemed to be on fire and
there was a. violent rise, accompanied
by shaking of the earth. People going
abroad in that vicinity were unable to
walk owing to the violence of the shock
There was great excitement among peo-
pie about the Pool, who thought the end
of the world had come.
The inhabitants of Slough were awak-
ened by a shock so severe that they
thought the MiddleseX factory had ex-
= ploded.
Near Stockport and at Melton Now
| hro ha iaI, iad tbe,
| earthquake shock resembled discharge
of guncotton under water.
Many strange experiences were re-
ported in connection with the earth
quake.
Yesterdays earthquake shock seems
to have been felt in greater or less de-
gree throughout the length and breadth
of this island, throwing from his feet the
laborer toiling in the highway and pen
etrating in it's effects to the abode Of
royalty itself.
The shock was felt distinctly at Wind
sor castle, and some of the royal house,
hold We're shaken in their beds. Furni-
ture, china and ornaments We're ratified
in several rooms on the north side of the
castle An official of the castle describ-
ing the effects as they seemed to him,
says the tower literally rocked. This
sensation was at first supposed to be due
to a powder mill explosion at Hounslow
The earthquake was also felt through
out Wales, though no actual damage
resulted there. At Ruthn and in the
district of the vale of Clyde it is stated
there We're six shocks, lasting altogether
fifteen seconds. The driver of a mail
train observed thunder and lightning
accompanying the shock. The tremors
We're distinctly felt on the upper floor
in Ruthin castle.
kilograms and letters without limit
f-nNN oil 90
are published in the newspapers this
morning, but they add little to the pre-
vious information as to the effects of
the earthquake. The interviews with
scientists on the subject, of which there
are many, throw little light on the
phenomenon. There are no seismic rec
ord instruments at Greenwich or else
where in places where they We're avail
able yesterday. Such instruments are
kept in the Catholic observatory at
Stonyhurst. Lancashire, but no move
ment was recorded.