“An Earthquake”

Date

1-11-1812

Newspaper

Reporter

Page and Column

Page 3, Column 1

Newspaper Location

Lexington, Kentucky

Serial Number

258

Abstract

Felt report of the December 16, 1811 earthquake at Charleston, South Carolina. First shock was felt at a few minutes before 3 o’clock, duration was “between two and three minutes.” A rumbling noise was heard five minutes before the shock was felt. St. Phillips clock bell rang for “about 10 seconds” Second shock was felt

Transcript

From Charleston. 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 been between two and three minutes. For an hour previous though the air was perfectly calm and several stairs 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 felt. 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 the other 10 minutes after that hour; both slighter than the first, and of shorter duration; the vibration of the second lasted probably more than a minute; and of the last, 2 or 3 seconds.-Many of the clocks were stopped; and the water in the 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 felt at Rantowle'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 occured, and was felt at Columbia and Granby in this State, and at Augusta in Georgia, but not in Charleston. (Times.)

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