“Charleston December 16”

Authors

Date

1-28-1812

Newspaper

Ohio Centinel

Page and Column

Page 2, Column 3 and 4

Newspaper Location

Dayton, Ohio

Serial Number

1258

Abstract

Long felt report for the December 16, 1811 earthquake from Charleston, South Carolina with attached catalog of United States earthquakes from the Colonial period. Original source was a Charleston newspaper. Has a long catalog of earthquakes centered in the New England area from 1638 onward. List contains typographical errors on dates.

Transcript

CHARLESTON, Dec. 16. AN EARTHQUAKE! This morning, at a few minutes before three o'clock, a severe shock of an Earthquake was felt in this city. Its duration is supposed to have between two and three minutes. For an hour previous, though the air was perfectly calm, and several Stars visible, there was at intervals of about five minutes, a rumbling noise, resembling distant thunder; which increased in violence of sound just before the shock was left. The vibration of St. Philip's steeple caused the clock bell to ring about 10 seconds. Two other Shocks were felt this morning, one a little before 8 o'clock, and other 10 minutes after that hour; both slighter than the first, and of shorter duration, the vibration of the second lasted probably rather more than a minute; and of the last 2 or 3 seconds. Many of the clocks were stopped; and the water in different wells was much agitated. We have not heard of any damage having been done by these repeated Shocks; nor have we heard how far they have extended into the country; except that they were left at Rantowles's. Such phenomena until lately, were very rare. One is remembered to have happened on the 19th May, 1754, about 11 o'clock, A. M.; but it was very slight. Another slight one was felt on the 11th April, 1799, about 2 o'clock in the morning. In the year 1811, on the 13th January, another occurred, and was felt at Columbia and Granby in this state, and at Augusta in Georgia, but not in Charleston. COMMUNICATION.-The publication of the subjoined extract from the 21st and 22d pages of Dr. Ramsay's Chronological Table, connected with his Historical and Biographical Charts of the United States, may tend to moderate the apprehensions of the people, on account of the EARTHQUAKE felt last evening, and this morning. It contains all that is known of the Earthquakes that have taken place in the United States, to the north of South Carolina. Only two have been previously felt in Charleston, one in 1854 and the other in 1799, but neither produced any serious consequences. From circumstances, it is more probable that the Earthquakes of this city, are consequences of causes located to the West, or North-West, than that they originate in its vicinity. "EXTRACT.-1727. A Great Earthquake in New-England. This extended from Kennebeck to the river Delaware. There have been five great Earthquakes in New-England, viz. In 1638, 1658, 1668, 1727, 1765, and minor ones in 1658, 1668, 1669, 1670, 1705, 1720, 1732, 1744, 1755, 1756, 1760, 1766, 1771, 1783. These were all described as coming from about N. W. and going off about S. E. They several times reacted as far as Maryland but seldom or never as far as Carolina, or even Virginia. To the North East they have been generally bounded by Nova Scotia. No uncommon disorder or mortality followed any of these earthquakes, but in many places they threw down stone fences, roofs, chimnies, and parts of houses,--Springs and wells of water were sunk far down into the earth. Some were dried up. The quality of their water often changed. Dry spots become quagmires, and moist places nearly dry. The earth was suddenly raised, and in subsiding was thrown into a vibratory motion. Many clocks were stopped. The vane on the public market house in Boston was thrown down, and many other marks of force or violence were exhibited in different places and at different times."

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