Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1909-05-27
Several Small Fires Started, but Dam
age is Slight.
wo SHOCKS AT DAVENPORT
Lights in Chicago Swing from North
to South.
BUILDINGS SHAKE AT PEoR1i
New seismOEraph in Weather office
Record shock which Is of FOur
Seconds Observation-Disclosures
wires Affected.

CHICAGO, May pa. light earthquake
shock lasting only few seconds was felt
In the states of Indiana, Illinois. Wisconsin,
Michigan, Iowa and contiguous territory
beginning at 9:41SO A,kook this morning.
early reports covered territory from
Springfield, ILL.,, through Davenport Ia.
and Janesville, Wis, north to Muskeson,
Mich. Reports of the vibrations, which re-
corded material damage, we're received
from the following cities:
Beloit, Wis; Peoria. Kewanee Rockford,
Joliet, Dixon. Streator, Freeport, Blooming
ton, Galena, Moline, Elgln. Aurora, Spring
field H., and from Jaynesvlle. Wis: Day
enport, Dubuque and Burlington, Ia, and
Muskegon and Kalamazoo, Mich.
Throughout the territory affected the
only damage reported was of a minor ma
ture. Several small fires were started by
the overlurning of stoves and many chin
neys were razed. Aurora. ILL.,, is said to
have suffered particularly in this respect.
In this city the shock generally felt,
but in the great majority of cases was at
tributed to the ordinary causes, such as the
passage of street cars. elevated trains,
blasting in distant quarries or the pas
sage of structural iron on big trucks
through the streets. 1t was not until news
papers made their appearances with the
story that the public learned that 1t had
passed through a natural phenomenon.
Chicago Damage slight.
Damage in Chicago, as elsewhere. was
confined to the breaking Of dishes and or
naments shaken from mante pieces or
tables. No fires of material consequence -
were reported. In the outskirts of the city
ft~,.
easily extinguished
During the period of the vibration 1t
was almost impossible to get correct tee-
phone connections. owing to the swayinS of
the wires, damp from last nights rain,
against each other.
At Beloit Wis, ali the college buildings
rocked violently and many persons ex.
perienced difficulty in remaining on their
feet.
At Joliet chairs and other light objects
we're overturned and at Dixon gas fires
were shaken out. At South Haven and
Benton Harbor Mich, windows ratified
violently and much china was broken At
Dubuque Ia, the vibration seemed to have
the effect of two shocks Davenport, Ia.
also felt two shocks, the first shock being
the more violent
Lights swing North and south.
Prof. Cox, the weather forecaster, said
that the light In his office swung from
north to south during the shock and the
chairs and light desks showed the effects
of the vibration.
Although the disturbance was felt every
where in this city 1t was not until news
papers were on the streets that citizens
were correctly informed of what had hap
pened. At first the vibrations we're iaid
N M afrn lVlIl
tions which not uncommonly slightly shake
| buildings, A young woman stenographer
in the federal building thought someone
had come up behind her and given the chair
shake
You stop that" she said angrily, turn
ing around, only to discover that there was
nobody behind her ana that the rest OF
the office force was observing the swaying
of large chandelier.
Recorded at Washington.
| WASHINGTON, May 2s,-A slight dis
tuI bance lasting about a minute was re-
corded on the seismograph at the United
! States weather bureau here today begin
ming at O'Clock Al minutes and 20 seconds
! eastern time). There was not enough de-
tail in the record to indicate the exact To-
cation of the disturbance.
| CEDAR RAPIDS, Ia. May ss.-A sIisht
earthquake shock lasting fifteen seconds
was felt here this morning. 1t was most
severe at Coe college, causing students to
rush from the fourth floor OF the building
Buildings Shake at Peoria.
! PEORIA. H., May 2S-Peoria experienced
| it's first earthquake in years at s:S8 this
morning The shock lasted four seconds
and was recorded by the new weather
bureau seismograph Many Of the larger
business buildings were shaken, and on
the bluffs, In the residence section, Il was
felt more perceptibly than down town.
The school children at the White school
were about TO assemble when a portion of
the plasterne fell causing quite a panic
among the few children who were in the
| room
KEWANEE, Ill, May 26.-An earthquake
! lasting thirty seconds, shook buildings here
at $40 o'clock this morning. The windows
ratified and small articles were shaken
from desks The tremor was distinct and
was noticed in all parts OF the city.
BELOIT, Wis. May 9s,-The entire Rock
river valley experienced an earthquake
shock this morning al $40,
Reports of like happening came TO Be
lott from Rockford, III.
All the college buildings rocked violently
and houses throughout the city we're
shaken. Dishes ratified and people on the
street at the time OF the shock expert
enced difficulty in remaining on their feet
People Flee from BuiIdInRa.
DUBUQUE la. May 2S--INwo earthquake
shocks were felt mere this morning.
The first shock occurred at $50 and con-
tinued ten seconds, The second followed
almost Immediately and was Of shorter
duration. The shocks were felt throughout
the city. but were worse in the down town
district Big buildings trembled and the
occupants rushed into the streets in terror
The bank and Insurance office building a
substantial seyen-story structure. was