The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-03-10
Seismic Disturbances in
Great Britain.
Some Were Serious and At
tended With Loss of Life.
Anti Tobacco League of France Cast
Into Gloom by Statistics.

There have been earthquakes in this
country and some Of them have caused
considerable damage And yet we do not
look 20 this land for serious seismic dis
turbances but rather TO those older coun-
tries where VOLCANOES belch and where
ancient cities have been buried in the
upheavals England we are disposed 10
regard i'm the same light as regards earth
quakes as our own country and yet "A
recent investigator has found that there
arc on record as having occurred in the
British Isles between 200 and 300 earth
quakes, some of which were attended
with damage and and loss of life. This
was the case as recently as April %, 1884,
when an alarming earthquake occurred
in Essex, Suffolk and .Middlesex. The
center of the disturbance was at Col
chester, where the Congregational church
spire was hurled TO the ground and chin
ney stacks fell i'm all directions doing
great damage to the houses from which
the people fled in horror Much injury
was also caused I'm the neighboring towns
and villages some of which looked as If
they had been bombardcd. Tho parish
church of Langcnhoe was completely
wrecked. The shocks, which were expert
enced about 9:20 "A. m, appear to have
been preceded by n noise like a rushing
wind, similar to that which is stated to
have been heard recently. The seismic
wave passed from northeast TO southwest,
and its influence was sensibly felt in the
metropolis, and at Ipswich, Cambridge,
Bishops Stortford, Northampton, Leicester
Woolwich, and Shecrness. The extent of
the damage done in the county Of Essex
was so great that it led the lord mayor to
openT anJeastern counties earthquake
fund at the mansion house. This benefited
che sufferers to the extent of more than
80, OO0, though it 10y no means compen-
stated for the vast loss of property which
this--probably the worst earthquake
recorded in acknowledgements in its train
This is the first and only time that the
charitable assistance of the city has had
10 be invoked in consequence Of an earth
quake.
Looking further back into history it is
found that the first severe earthquake
recorded in England occurred at Lincoln
IN ll42. In 1874 one was experienced with
more or less force throughout the coun-
try,and Glastonbury abbey was destroyed
while the earthquake which was then
described as the greatest known" hap
pened in 1878. In 1850 London was visited
with a severe shock, which brought down
, part of st. Paul's, while the Temple
yhurchcs fell In 1890 there was an earth
quake in Dublin, and 60 years after Lon
don had another OF these physical dis
.urbances, but on this occasion it was
only slight For hundred years follow
ing 1850 there was n remarkable freedom,
but in 1868 came another serious earth
quake, felt more particularly in Strafford- |
shire and worcestershire. In 1868 slight |
shock was reported from South Wales |
and the west of England, presumably the |
center of the recent disturbance This |
district 1t would appear, is not altogether |
unaccustomed to these occurrences, for i'm |
August, 1892, and again in November
1soa shocks were reported from South |
Wales and Cornwall, affecting also the
east of Ireland. Yorkshire has from time |
to time been visited by slight earth
quakes, while in the years fsSS and 1889 |
there were no fewer than four in Scot
land One of them affected the whole
country, while the Others occurred at |
Annandale, at Edinburgh and Mt Inver-
ness, respectively. At the latter place
and at Forrest buildings were damaged. |