Evening star., 1897-05-31
AN EARTHQUAKE HERE
The Shock Felt in Various Parts Of
the District.
some BUILDINGS SEEMED TO SWAY
An investigation to Be Made at the
Naval Observatory.
E F F ECTS ELSEW H E r E

EFF ECTS ELSEW HER E
There were two distinct shocks OF earth
quake felt here today.
At the telegraph Offices of the Southern
railway on 18th street and Pennsylvania
avenue the operators reported that they
had not felt the shock there, but had re-
ceived tips from along the line through the
south of its having been felt at various
southern cities. The operator at Green's
bcro', N C.. reported that the telegraph Of
flee building there was badly shaken The
shcck was also felt at Charlotte and otner
southern cities
AT the naval observatory the shock vas
distinctly felt, and 1t is thought by those
there to have lasted at least minute. A
scientific examination is to be started by
the officials Of the observatory, and a re-
port Will be made tomorrow. At the tele-
phone exchange in this city there was quite
lively rattling on the fifth floor. The
same was also the case in the telephone
exchange at Alexandria.
At Falls Church. Va. in the drug store
OF M. T.. Church, 1t was stated that the
Whoie town had perceptibly realized that
there was shock. From Falls Church tel
ephone messages were sent to Vienna,
Lewinsville and Rosslyn, elfcitine the in
three Of those places.
The only person at the weather bureau
was the watchmaN, and ne reported that
ne mad felt nothing. From the Cairo Fats
II was also reported that no unusual dis
turbance had been felt, but on Columbia
heights great many people felt the
shock.
At the Capitol.
Persons sitting in the upper rooms of
the Capitol today were conscious of per-
ceptible vibration Of the great building
lasting for several seconds 1t was no.
ticed about o'clock this afternoon, and
the movement of the structure was suffi-
clent TO cause people sitting in chairs to
sway from side to side in a degree that
was plainly noticeable. The general optn-
ion was that there had been a slight shock
OF earthquake. and people rushed to the
windows to see what the effect had been
upon outside buildings.
Two Distinct Shocks.
The operators on duty in the fire alarm
and telephone rooms on the top floor of the
District building felt two distinct shocks.
Operator Mothershead, who was in charge
OF the fire alarm room. was seated near
the instruments, with his feet on the win
dow sill. when he felt the first shock.
Il was talking to one of the linemen at
the time" he said to a Star reporter
when 1 felt the house shaking, and I
spoke TO the lineman about it. We looked
out the window at the fire escape, and
then both Of us felt the second shock
felt the building shake just as distinctly as
II somebody had struck me.
Soon afterward,' he added, Il received
message from Foreman Kelly or No 2 En-
gine Company, asking If l mad heard any
thing Of an earthquake. He was seated on
the upper floor of the engine house. he
said, when he felt the building sway, ana
fearing 1t would fall, he rushed downstairs
to the lower floor
Operator Maddox was on duty in the
telephone room at the time, and he tells
substantially the same story as told by his
brother operator. 5'-
Il felt the shock very distinctly" he
said, ''and the building seemed to sway
from one side of the lot to the other. the
feeling was similar to that of being In
boat on rough water There were two dis
tinct waves. Not only did feel the waves,
but several articles in the building fell and
the thermometer hanging on the wall made
a railing noise"
The shock was slightly felt in the COM
posing room of The Star office.
Father Ennis of Georgetown University
felt his room shake, but was not aware at
the time what caused it.
The report from the weather bureau Is
that the earthquake shock was felt at l. sS1z.
pm and lasted about five minutes. ~
The shock was noticed in the telenhone
exchange and several of the high buildings.
In the Associated Press Office In the Post
building, the vibrations were felt very dis
tinctly.
Prof H. M. Paul of the naval obserya-
tory says that as he was at work at his
desk In his home, corner 22d and X streets
near Washington circle. he noticed the vi
brationand read the face time correctly at
1 1:59: % pm.
The vibrations continued and there SEEM
ed to be another maximum at 1880, and
he continued to feel his chair shaking un-
der him until 1920. 1 Immediately went
on his wheel to the observatory to compare
his watch. SO that the above are correct
eastern standard time.
Prof; Paul says: Il think if I had been
expecting an earthquake and everything
had been quiet 1 should have noted the
vibrations and began to count time some
three or four seconds earlier than the
first face time read. say about 1925"
Effect In Alexnndria.
In Alexandria chairs shook tables ca
reened and crockery fell from the shelves.
The shock was distinctly felt all over the
city, but people were afraid to speak to
each other about it for fear that the per
son to whom the story was being told
would think the narrator was drunk. At
The Evening Star bureau the pictures on
the walls shook and the files dropped to
the floor. ~