“Earthquake”
Date
1-6-1812
Newspaper
Boston Gazette
Page and Column
Page 2, Column 2
Newspaper Location
Boston, Massachusetts
Serial Number
176
Abstract
Felt report for the December 16, 1811 earthquake at Knoxville, Tennessee, Savannah, Georgia, Charleston, South Carolina
Transcript
The Earthquake, felt along the Atlantic in the morning of Monday the 16th, pervaded the Western Country at corresponding intervals.-They are noticed in the papers of Pittsburg, Chilicothe, Marietta, Clarksburg and Knoxville. The shocks and attending phenomena were most remarkable at the last mentioned place. The following are the particulars given to us: Knoxville, (Ten.) Dec. 16. EARTHQUAKE-About 2 o'clock, this morning, this town experienced the shock of an earthquake, which lasted from 3 to 5 minutes, the rattling of the window glass and furniture in the rooms, was so great as to rouse every family in the town-A second shock succeeded in half an hour, which continued about half a minute-Between sunrise and breakfast, three others, each of a few seconds duration, were felt. We have heard no damage being done-At the end of the first and longest shock, they were in a direction due north, two flashes of light, (an interval of about a minute between them) much resembling distant lightning. A similar occurrence took place at Savannah, on the 16th Dec. Its duration was from 2 to 3 minutes, during which the shock was so severe, as to shake the houses somewhat like the rocking of a cradle. A fourth shock has been experienced in Charleston. During one of them the houses were considerably shaken, and the church bells set a ringing, by the vibration of the earth.
Recommended Citation
"“Earthquake”" (1812). New Madrid Compendium Far-Field Database. 171.
https://digitalcommons.memphis.edu/cas-ceri-new-madrid-compendium/171
