Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-07-17
Visits Augusta at Early
Hour, Saturday.
Whole City Violently Shaken,
But No Damage Done.
Prof. Lee Thinks Cause May Have Been
Extreme Heat Of Week.

Augusta was visited by an earth
quake shock, Saturday morning, that
was as unpleasant as il was rare, and
While no serious damage was done by
the shaking up which old mother earth
gave to the capital city of Maine, it
was the cause of a great deal of I'M
easlness about the city, and not small
amount of fright. AS far as has been
learned, the only damage done by the
shock was the throwing of some of the
loose bricks from several of the Chin
iley tops about town.
The shock came at 500 in the morn
ing. and vas like thunder from {,
cloudless sky. AS a usual thing, when
on rare occasions the city has been
visited by an earthquake, its arrival
has been preceded by rumbling.
which grew louder as the quake" APP
preached and died out after it had
passed. But this one was different
Those people who were up at the time
said that its arrival was announced by
sound like two explosions, or the
rumble of heavy thunder, and the
trembling of the earth which follow ed
was of Il vertical nature The shock
travelled from east to west and was of
eight or 10 seconds in duration.
The last earthquake which visited
the city was on the morning Of March
Il. 1904, coming on at about l o'clock,
but ii was not as severe rs that of Sat
urday morning, and the motion of the
earth was different, being more of a
lateral nature.
The Saturday morning shock was
very severe. and was without doubt the
heaviest that has visited the city for
years. 1t awakened many people from
sound sleep. and for a few moments
the excitement was intense, cverywhre
Doors were opened hurriedly, and
while some people rushed lightly clad
therefrom. tie inmates of the houses
could be heard calling to one another.
asking what had happened. 1t is said
that some were so frightened that they
tainted, While others were affected by
nausea, on account of the uncanny
movement of the earth.
Some of the people on Bridge street,
who ran out of doors as the shock was
felt. stated that there was smell of
sulphur in the air and that on looking
down toward Water street, the air
seemed to be filled with light haze,
or smoke.
The effect of the shock upon dumb
animals about the city was very no
ticeable. Several horses that happened
to be on the highway. were so affected
by the shaking of the earth that they
We're disposed to squat down, and a
flock of hens over on Chapel street
rushed out of the pen, cackling like
mad. A g"ntleman who was coming
Gown Green street at the time, said
that he had to laugh ut an old cat that
was sitting on one of the door steps.
She was making her morning toilet.
but when the first bang of the shock
sounded, she went more than Il foot
into the air. and then dashed round
the corner of the house and OFT Of sight
as if the old boy was after her.
The effect of the quake in the houses
around the city was marked by the
shaking of furniture, the rafting OF
dishes. and the swaying of the<pictures
| on the walls. One gentleman had Il
bookcase full of books in his room, and
| it shook so that nearly every book fell
to the floor. Another man, from whose
chimney some bricks were shaken. had
his alarm clock set. and it happened
to go off at just that time, and in
speaking Of the affair, later. hr said
that with the bricks rafting over the
roof. the children crying, and chat
alarm going, all at the same time, he
thought for a second or two that every
| thing was going by the board.
An amusing incident in connection
| with the shock. was the case of the
man who had just bought a new gas
| stove. The stove had been set up, Fri