Omaha daily bee., 1896-12-18
ENGLAND IS BADLY SHAKEN
Whole Country Experiences an UnwOnted
Subterranean Manifestation,
AT HEREFORD A WOMAN DIES OF FRIGHT
Most violent Seismic Disturbance OF
Recent Years Recorded In the
Southern Part of
the Island.

LONDON, Dec. 17.-Great Britain is In
the throcs of a genuine and unprecedented
sensation. An earthquake, the most VIC.
lent ever experienced in this country, has
shaken every spire from Durham to Surrey
and from London to the Welsh coast. The
subterraneous disturbance was first noticed
at about $50 o'clock this morning. and
lasted from four to thirty seconds, At some
points two shocks were experienced.
The most severe shocks were felt at Chel-
tenham, Ledbury and Danfort The earth
quaking was accompanied by loud, rushing
sound. Buildings were violently shaken
furniture was shifted doors were thrown
open and pictures and other ornaments were
upset. The inhabitants were panlc-strcken
and fed from their houses.
The earthquake also visited Birmingham
and various points in Shropshire, and
was violent in Worcester and the country
surrounding that city. Houses were rocked
and furniture overturned. The shocks were
followed by a tremor of earth and were
accompanied by a rumblng sound. The
greatest alarm prevailed everywhere. Chin
neys were overthrown and windows, etc
were smashed At some points persons on
the country roads were thrown down and
a number of people were thrown out OF
their beds.
Hereford cathedral was injured. There the
dull rumblng beneath the earth's surface
was followed by two loud crashes and a
terrible lifting and rocking. The panic at
Hereford was so great that one woman died
of fright. People rushed wildly into the
streets. Many chmneys fell crashing to
the ground Towers and all the pnnacles
of St Nicholas church toppled over, and
part of the pinnacle of the cathedral fell
to the ground. At Liverpool the earthquake
was preceded by heavy thunder and fear
full hail storm.
In London the earthquake was only
slightly felt. singular phenomena oc-
Cured at Bridgenorth, near Shrewsbury,
previous to the disturbance. The streets
suddenly seemed to be on fire, and there
was a violent rush, accompanied by a shalS-
ing of the earth. People who were going
abroad in that vicinity say that they were
for a time, unable to walk, owing to the
ment among the people about Poole, who
thought that the end of the world had
come.
Houses shook for nearly a minute at Bris-
tol and Clifton, causing much alarm in
those districts. The railroad employees at
Crewe report that they felt the rails oscil-
late. At Eversham the shock was followed
by brilliant light in the sky. Up to Tuee-
day the weather in England was unusually
mild, but on Tuesday there was a sudden
chanc= to severe frost, which was followed
~ dense fogs and snow on Wednesday,
In the mining districts 1t was at first
thought tha. the shocks were the result OF
colliery explosions.
The disturbance was experienced with
great violence at Warwick castle. The earl
of Warwick was awakened and felt his bed
lifted as though by some force beneath il
and the furniture in bis room was shifted.
The inhabitants of Slough were awakened
by a shock so severe that they thought the
MiddleseX powder factory had exploded
Near Stockport and at Melton Mowbray the
noise which accompanied the earthquake
shock resembled a discharge of gun cotton
under water. Many strange experiences
were reported in connection with the earth
Quake.