Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1913-05-01
EARTH ROCKED A LITTLE
Tremor Was Noticed by Many in
Burlington.
New England One OF the Most Stable
Parts of the American Continent.
Says Prof. g. II. Perkins.
state GeoIogist.

The earthquake reported Monday night
from Ottawa Montreal, western New
York and other points was distinctly
felt in this city and the vicinity. Several
persons who felt the tremor called the
Free Press office to learn whether or not
there had been an earthquake. The
shock however, was so slight that many
others did not notice It.
Prof. c. a. Kern of the University of
Vermont distinctly felt the movement in
his home at Y South Winooski avenue.
where pictures swung free of the walls.
Professor Burrows felt the shock at his
residence on South Union street Prof
George II. Perkins was at his home on
South Prospect street, but did not notice
the motion. But his daughter-in-law,
Mrs II. f. Perkins, who was in n room
on the second floor, distinctly noticed the
vibrations of the wall.
Dr. Perkins was at the Williams Science
hall, where he did not feel It. Resi-
dents Of williams street and Vicinity
felt the motion very plainly, and said
that It was noticeable in the reflection
from mirrors. Professor Perkins said
that the solidty OF construction of a
house or building might easily influence
the extent to which the shock would be
felt by the occupants.
The Rev p. Rand of Winooski
said that the shock rocked his
home. His sister. Miss Mary Rand, was
on the lower floor of the house, where
she felt the motion and heard the
rafting of dishes Some persons claimed
they heard a rumbllng sound lk,
thunder.
That the earthquake, as reported from
other points, lasted for half a minute OF
more, Professor Perkins, who is STATE
geologist said was unusual, for sligh
shocks seldom prevail for more than
a few seconds
Professor Perkins recalls a severe ire
NOR that occurred in this vicinity abou
1911 At that time the old high schoo
building was considered unsafe, and whei
the shock was felt here the pupils were
Immediately ordered out of doors. Their
have been slight shocks since, but nom
of any consequences The early Jesuit ia
theirs recorded severe earthquake
throughout the Champlain valley som
200 years ago.
This section of the country, said Pro
fessor Perkins, overlies rock formation
that are old and firmly settled. 1t Is on
of the most stable parts of the nortl
American continent, and the few earth
quakes that occur in such a region ar
seldom or never violent over the east
ern part of the United States earthquake
are not so extensive as in the west hu
sometimes a violent shock occurs uneX
pectedly, as in Charleston, S. c., severa
years ago
"a
elsewhere, there is a line of weakness /
the formations. and earthquakes are NOR
frequent and more violent. Volcanic re
gons are subject to earthquakes of grea
force Sometimes the ocean bottom sci
ties, causing shocks
An earthquake shock may be caused b
a contraction or weakening of rock fol-
: nations far underground. a dsplac'
ment of only a few inches in the roc
masses maycause n tremor spreading owe
= hundreds of square miles Of territor!
t The shock usually starts in a small are;
t from which 1t radlates with crack. frol
= which the shock travels in both dire,
t tons.
= crack ten miles in length might pro
0 duce shock extending for 300 or 800 mile
= The extent to which violent shocks ma
= spread IS shown by the fact that an eartl
= quake in Russia was detected by II
$ seismoSraph in Cambridge, Mass. IT,
10 tremor in this case was of course far tC
2 slight to be felt, except by a delicate il
strument which magnifes the motion
that 1t can be measured.
2 Opinions differ as to the depth at whic
the break occurs. Some believe this
Y be from five to ten miles, others as neS
9 the surface as one mile. Professor Pc
4 kns said that the depth is probably n,
u over five miles; below that the rock 60
ri cid