The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1909-09-30
TWO EARTHQUAKE
SHOCKS ARE FELT
TREMoR REPORTED IN ST. LOUIS
THROUGHOUT MISSOURI
AND ILLINOIS.
MANY AROUSED FROM SLUMHER
Disturbance Characterized BY Univer
sity Scientist as Most Violent In
25 Years-Thousands Alarmed
NO Damage or Injury.

St Louis, Mo.--St Louis and
vicinity was COnyusod early Monday
by an earthquake which for violence
was one Of the most severe known
throughout the Middle West in quar-
ter Of n century Thousands, routed
from their sleep, rushed into the
streets
Houses rocked, windows ratified and
the seismic uphcayal caused general
alarm, No one was injured and
there practically was no damage TO
! property
There were two distinct shocks
each varying from 10 to 10 seconds in
duration Reports by telegraph and
| telephone show the trcmors we're OBJ.
served distinctly at Madison, Ind: Nj
! Vernon, Springfield, Edwardsvllr,
.cllevillc. Granite City and East 81
Louis m. and 81. Charles, Mo.
There was panic In the East ST.
! Louis jail when the building began
to rock. 1t took the TALLER half an
hour to quiet the prisoners. many "
/ whom were women
No official Record Was Taken.
There is no scismOgraph in 50
/ Louis and no official observations "
the length and intensity of the ph".
| nomcuon are obtainablc
The uphoayal Travelled from south
east to northwest. according to re-
| ports. While the vibrations were not
| sufficiently ntcns" to do any prur-
| crly damage, number of unusual In.
cidonts followed In their wake
Burglars at Bellcyillc. H.. were
frightened away by the quake as thcy
were robhing a safe. The trembl"r
| stopped the town clock at st Charles
Mo, and moved ahead the hands Of
the Catholic church clock at Webstc?
| Groves 10 minutes
| Out in St Louis county the chick.
ems raised such chorus as never was
heard before by residents Of Webster
Groves. Kirkwood and Clayton. Bur
glar sCarCs were numerous.
The two distinct shocks were about
10 seconds apart The second. sharp
or than the first, was followed by two
heavy rumbles, like deep peals Of
| thunder. when rolled from the south.
! east to the northwest. The sky was
clOudl"ss.
The seismic disturbance Travelled
slowly, as II II were the exhausted
portion Of an earthquake far away.
lyv.
ported, the shocks swaycd buildings
and rocked persons in their beds. but
no one was injured
Tho first report Of the quake came
from CurOndelot. the extreme south.
eastern limits OF the city, at 3.45
a. m
Almost Immediately the telephones
at central headquarters began to ring.
PatrOlmen in all parts Of the city
called up and asked what the disturb
ance was.
Night Chiefs Wife Frightened.
Mrs. c. G. Gillaspy. wife of Slight
Chief Gillaspy. directed her family TO
dress and prepare for any emergency.
Then she telcphoned to her husband
at police headquarters for informn,
ton He told her 1t was an earth.
quake and instructed the family to go
back to bed They went
Thomas Foerstil. 1929 Clayton ave-
nue.. felt the disturbance and Couclud
ed it was due to burglars Barefoot
ed and In nlghtgown he seized the |
family muskct and began a burglar |
search. After he was chilled from the |
futile quest he learned the truth
Several Jewish families in the Ghct. |
70 in terror ran into the streets and |
prayed. believing the end Of the world |
had come Ncighbors treasured them |
and induced them to go in,
The quakes routed sleep for rest. |
dents of Webster Groves. Wellston
and Kirkwood The clock in the tow.
or Of Webster Groves was so affected |
that the customary G O'Clock bell rang |
10 minutes earlier than usual
The tremors awokc all the chickens,
and hardly had the last vibration
passed when Webster Groves was
treated TO one of the most tremendous
chantiCleer chOruses ever heard in
St Louis county.
Kirkwood friends Of Lieut.. Hess Of
Central district telephoned him of
their impressions. At Wellston the
druggists will do rouslng business
in quinine because of the bare heads
and feet that were exposed while
amazed householders sought to learn
what had betallen them.