“Earthquakes”

Date

1-28-1812

Newspaper

Lexington American Statesman

Page and Column

Page 1, Column 2

Newspaper Location

Lexington, Kentucky

Serial Number

213

Abstract

Article from the Nashville Clarion detailing historic European and American earthquakes. Gives dates and effects.

Transcript

EARTHQUAKES. FROM THE NASHVILLE CLARION. From the many speculative opinions which have been advanced relative to the reiterated shocks of an Earthquake lately felt in the United States-we shall be silent as to the conclusion which ought to be drawn as to its probable effect. That it must have a vent, and vomit forth destructive fury, if not already done, is most evident. The symptoms are awful to the reflecting mind. For the information of our readers we offer a saccinct statement of the different Earthquakes, which, in their effects have carried with them desolation, destruction and death.- Earthquake, one in Asia, which overturned 12 cities in the year 17; Herculaneum buried by one in the year 79, four cities in Asia, two in Greece, and three in Galacia, overturned in the year 107; Antioch destroyed by an Earthquake, 115; one swallowed up Nicodemia and several other cities, 120; one in Macedonia swallowed up 150 cities, 357; a terrible one with an innundation, when 50,000 persons were destroyed at Alexandria, July 1, 305; one which continued from September to November, and swallowed up several cities in Europe, 391; one which swallowed up several villages in the neighborhood of Cybyry, 417; one which destroyed Antioch, September 14, 458; one at Constantinople, which lasted 40 days, and overturned several edifices, 480; another at Antioch, which destroyed 4,800 inhabitants, 528; one which shook France, Germany, and Italy, and threw down St. Paul's at Rome, April ???; one throughout all England, which was afterwards followed by a scarcity, 1090, one which swallowed up the city of Citania, and more than 1500 souls, 1137; in Hungary and England, 1179; One in Calabria in Sicily, when a city and its inhabitants were lost in the Adriatic sea, 1186; the greatest ever known in England, November 15, 1318; a dreadful one in Germany, 1316; a dreadful one at Lisbon, which continued eight days overthrew 1,500 houses, and killed 30,000 persons, February, 1531; a whole province in China, in one moment, was absorbed into the earth, and all the towns and inhabitants buried in an immense lake of water, 1556; one in Naples and Sicily, which swallowed on several towns and 30,000 persons1638; one in Chili, when several whole mountains sunk into the earth, one after another, 1616; 100,000 people perished by an Earthquake in Sicily, January, 1693; Palermo, in Sicily, nearly destroyed, and 600 persons lost their lives, Sept. 2, 1726; in New Jersey, November, 1726, and 1732; again Dec. 7, 1737, November 18, 1775, and Oct. 30, 1763; a remarkable one at Massachusetts, and other places in New England, Oct. 29, 1727; the whole of the kingdom of Chili was swallowed up, and also St. Jago, 1730; four provinces in China swallowed up July 31, 1731; in Calabria, in Sicily, when the territory of Nova Casa sunk 29 feet without destroying a building, April 18, 1733; in Ireland, which destroyed five churches and upwards of 100 houses, Aug. 1734; one in the beginning of the present century; which laid waste the whole country of Peru in a quarter of an hour, ??? leagues long and 90 wide; a terrible one at Lima, which entirely destroyed that city, and 5000 persons lost their lives; there were 74 churches, 14 monasteries, and 15 hospitals thrown down, and the loss in effects reckoned, immense. This Earthquake continued from October 27 to November 20, 1746, and extended to Callao, which was also destroyed; in London, February 6, and March 8, 1750, and in several other places in the south of England, April 2, 1750; Grand Cairo had two thirds of the houses, and 40,000 inhabitants swallowed up, September 2, 1754; the city of Quoti, in Peru, destroyed April 24, 1755; a terrible one November 4,1755 which did considerable damage at Oporto in Portugal and Seville in Spain, but more particularly at Lisbon, where, in about eight minutes, most of the houses, and 50,000 inhabitants were destroyed; the cities of Colmbra and Bruga suffered, and St. Ubes was swallowed up; the calamities occasioned by this Earthquake were immense, as it extended no less than 5000 miles; at the Azore islands, when one hundred thousand persons were buried in the ruins, and the island divided into two, July 9, 1757; at Bordeaux in France, August 11, 1758; Truxillo in Peru, was swallowed up by one in November. 1759; at Martinico, August, 1767, when 1600 persons lost their lives; Guatimala, in New Spain, entirely swallowed up, and many thousand inhabitants perished, December 15, 1773; at Tauris, in Persia, when 15,000 houses were thrown down, and great parts of Calabria in the island of Sicily was destroyed, and 30,000 people lost their lives, February 23, 1783; another in the same Island did great damage 1784; one in the north of England, August 11, 1786; in Mexico, and in other parts of New Spain, April 18, 1787; in Scotland, October, 1791; a slight shock perceived in Pennsylvania, early in 1792.

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