‘From the Evening Ledger”

Date

2-22-1812

Newspaper

Louisiana Gazette

Page and Column

Page 2, Column 2

Newspaper Location

St. Louis, Missouri

Serial Number

292

Abstract

Long report of the effect of the December 16, 1811 earthquake at Savannah, Georgia. Catalogs shocks felt there following the December 16, 1811 earthquake.

Transcript

From the Evening Ledger. Mr. Evans--The repeated shocks of Earthquakes, which have been felt in this place since the morning of he 16th; having drawn forth some speculations and hypotheses from the scientific. I shall take the liberty of giving as perfect an account of the phenomena as they occurred, as my own observations, assisted by that of others, will enable me to do. About 3 o'clock of the morning of the 16th a shock was felt which produced an oscillating movements of the houses, and lasted for nearly a minute. It was not preceded by any noises which usually portend this phenomenon, nor was its approach announced by any other appearance than a great serenity in the atmosphere. An hour afterwards another shock was felt, but of shorter continuance than the other, and a person then up, has said, that he observed at the same time a tremulous undulating motion of the earth like the rolling of waves. At 8 o'clock a noise resembling distant thunder was heard, and was soon after followed by a shock which appeared to operate vertically, that is to say, by a heaving of the ground upwards-but was not sufficiently severe to injure even furniture of glasses. This shock was succeeded by a thick haze, and many people were affected by giddiness and nausea. Another shock was experienced about 9 o'clock at night, but so light as not to be generally felt-and at half past 12 the next day (the 17th) another shock was felt which lasted only a few seconds, and was succeeded by a tremor which was occasionally observed throughout the day effecting many with giddiness. At 9 o'clock last night, another was felt, which continued four or five seconds, but so slight as to have escaped the observation of many who had not thought of attending particularly to the operations of this phenomenon. At one o'clock this morning (23d), another shock took place of nearly equal seversity with the first of the 16th. Buried in sleep, I was not sensible of this, but I have derived such correct information on the fact, that I have no reaction to doubt it; but I have observed since 11 o'clock this morning frequent tremors of the earth, such as usually preceded severe shocks in other parts of the world. It is something extraordinary, that these shocks so numerous should not be attended with more formadible effects, or that they should not have encreased in their severity. There is nothing extraordinary in their frequencey, but as in other countries, not so much subject to the influence of the sun as this is, such frequent shocks usually have ended in mischief and desolation, we ought to have calculated upon similar effects from similar causes. The mildness of those we have felt can be attributed only to the distance of the cause by which they have been produced. On this subject, of the cause of earthquakes, there are numerous and discordant opinions from the ancient philosopher Anaxagoras to Dr. William Hamilton or Mr. Dolomien. According to the hypothesis of some, earthquakes are occasioned by subterranious fires throwing down the arches or vaults of the earth, according to others the rarefaction of the [unreadble] waters, [unreadable] to [unreadable] and fermentation, volcanic experations and lately by the electric fluid. The latter hypothesis seems to be the most accredited as it is evidently the most rational. The instatanious effects of some earthquakes prove beyond doubt that electricity must be the principal agent in the alarming and terrible phenomena. Whether, according to Dr. Stokley this electricity is superficial, or is buried in and pervades the bowels of the earth, as it is supposed by others, is among those arcana of nature, which human wisdom may never be able to ascertain. The most rational hypothesis to me seems to be, the earthquakes are produced by an union of terrestrial an atmospheric electricity, as by the former the heaving in the ground upwards is easliy explained as the corruscations and explosions which sometimes precede and accompany earthquakes may be accounted for by the influence of the other. Volcanic operations may have their influence in the production of earthquakes, by giving an extraordinary impulse to the electric matter which every where prevades the interior of the earth, and as no bounds can be fixed to the progress of that subtle fluid, the impulse which may be given by a volcano of the Andes would reach us in the course of an hour, or sooner in proportion to the quantity of electric fluid affected by the contact. The celebrated earthquake in 1759 appears from all the facts as they have been carefully compiled, to have travelled four millions of square miles in about one hour and ten minutes. From the nature , quality and direction of the shocks felt in this city. I am induced from a variety of circumstances to suppose, that they may be traced to some of the volcanic operations of the Cordillera de los Andes, and if the hasty remarks which I now do myself the pleasure of submitting, are deemed sufficiently interesting for publication, the subject will be renewed with more method and reflection. A SUBSCRIBER Savannah, Dec.23, 1811.

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