Evening star., 1909-05-26
CENTRAL AROUND CHICAGO
Area Affected Extends From Indiana
to Iowa and Wisconsin.
TALL BUILDINGS ARE SHAKEN
Fires Started In Several Cities and
Ornaments Broken, but No
Serious Damage Done.

CHICAGO, May GA slight earth
quake shock lasting only few seconds
was felt In the states of Indiana. Illinois,
Wisconsin,, Michigan. Iowa and eontig-
uous territory, beginning at Sal so
o'clock this morning.
Early reports covered a territory from
Springfield, H.. through Davenport,
Iowa. and GAINESVILLE, Wis, north to
Muskegon, Mich.
Reports of the vibrations were received
from Beloit, Wis, Peoria, kewanee,
Rockfort,. Joliet. Dixon. Streator, Galena,
FreepoFt. Bloomington. Moline. Egln,
Aurora, Springfield, ILL.,, and from James
vile. Wis, Davenport and Dubuque.
Iowa, and Muskegon and Kalamazoo,
Mich
Throughout the affected territory only
minor damage was reported. Several
small fires were started by the over
turning of stoves and many chimneys
were raZed. Aurora, ILL.,, is said to have
suffered particularly in this respect.
In Chicago the shock was generally
felt. but in the great majority of cases
was attributed to the ordinary causes,
such as the passage of street cars. elevat-
ed trains, blasting in distant quarries or
the passage of structural iron on big
trucks through the streets. It was not
uftil newspapers HldQo tuoIT appearance
with the story that the public learned
that there had been an earth tremor.
Ornaments Shaken Down.
Damage in Chicago, as elsewhere. was
confined to the breaking of dishes and or
naments shaken from mantelpieces or ia
bles. No fires of consequence were re-
ported. In the outskirts of the city sew
eral small fires were started. but we're ex-
tinguished by householders.
During the period of the vibration it
was almost impossible to get correct tele-
phone connections. owing to the swaying
of the wires, damp from last nights rain,
against each other.
At Beloit all the college buildings rocked
violently and many persons experienced
difficulty remaining on their feet. At
Joliet chairs and other light objects were
overturned. and at Dixon gas fires were
shaken out. At Benton Harbor, 4iich..
windows ratified and much china was
broken. At Dubuque, Iowa, the vibration
seemed to have the effect of two shocks.
Davenport. Iowa, also felt two shocks,
the first shock being the more violent
Prof. Cox. the weather forecaster. said
that the lights in his Office swung from
north to south during the shock and the
chairs and light desks showed the eff
fects of the vibration.
Shock Lasted Four Seconds.
PEORIA, ILL.,, May 26.-Peoria expert
enced its first earthquake in years at
S:3S this morning. The shock lasted four
seconds and was recorded on the new
weather bureau seismograph. Many of
the larger buildings were shaken and
on the bluffs in the residence section 1t
was felt more preceptibly than down.
town.
JOLIET, ILL.,, May 26.-An earthquake
was felt here this morning at $40
Steady Iremors continued for three min
utes. Some felt two distinct shocks.
Reports of the quake were received for
miles in all directions. from Lemont on
the north to Bradwood on the south. 1t
seemed to follow the line of the Des-
PLANES River valley. No serious dam
age is reported except to mirrors, chin
neys and frail objects. Chairs and port
able objects were overturned.
Panic in Big Office Building.
DUBUQUE. Iowa, May 26.-Two
earthquake shocks were felt here this
morning. The first was at $50 and
continued ten seconds. The second fol-
lowed almost Immediately, and was of
shorter duration. The Bank and Insur-
ance office building, a substantial seven
story structure, was shaken Violently,
and several hundred occupants made a
their haste To escape.
Reports from the residence districts
emphasize the severity of the shocks.
BELOITs Wis. May o6.-The entire
Rock River valley experienced an earth
quake shock this morning at $40.
Reports of a like happening came to
Beloit from Rockford, Ill. All the college
buildings rocked violently and houses
throughout the city were shaken. Dishes
ratified and people on the street at the
time of the shock experienced difficulty in
remaining on their feet.
MILWAUKEE, Wis, May 26.-An
earthquake shock at S:34 o'clock this
morning gave every city in southern Wis
consin a severe shaking up, though no
great damage was done. At GAINESVILLE ii
was so severe that dishes were hurled off
the tables. and IL was even worse at
Beloit. People at first thought that there
had been an explosion OF dynamite. 1t
was the first earthquake recorded in Wis
consin.
SHOCK RECORDED HERE.
Slight Tremor Indicated by the