“From many speculative opinions”

Date

1-7-1812

Newspaper

The Clarion

Page and Column

Page 2, Column 4 and 5

Newspaper Location

Nashville, Tennessee

Serial Number

456

Abstract

Long article on the origin of earthquakes, includes earthquake catalog, historic earthquakes.

Transcript

From the many speculative opinions which have been advanced relative to the recterated 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 succinct 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 Galatia, 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 inundation, when 50,000 persons were destroyed at Alexandria, July 1, 365; one which continued from September to November, and swallowed up several cities in Europe, 394; one which swallowed up several villages in the neighbourhood 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 4800 inhabitants, 528; one which shook France, Germany, and Italy, and threw down St. Paul's at Rome, April 801; one throughout all England, which was afterwards followed by a scarcity, 1090, one which swallowed up the city of Catania, and more than 1500 hundred souls, 1187; in Hungary and England, 1179; one at Calabria in Sicily, which a city and its inhabitants were lost in the Adriatic sea, 1186 the greatest ever known in England, November 14, 1318; a dreadful one in Germany, 1346; a dreadful one at Lisbon, which continued eight days, overthrew 1500 houses, and killed 30,000 persons, February, 1531; a whole province in China was in one moment 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 up several towns and 30,000 persons, 1638; one in Chili, when several whole mountains sunk into the earth, one after another, 1646; 100,000 people perished by an Earthquake in Sicily, January, 1693; Palermo, in Sicily, nearly destroyed, and 600 persons lost their lives, September 2, 1726 in New Jersey November, 1726 and, 1732; again December 7, 1737,November 18, 1775, and October 30, 1766; a remarkable one at Massachusetts, and other places in New England, October 29, 1717; the whole of the kingdom of Chili 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, August 1734; one in the beginning of the present century, which laid waste the whole county of Peru in a quarter of an hour, 300 leagues long and 90 wide; a terrible one at Lima, which entirely destroyed that city, and 3000 persons lost their lives; there were 7 churches, 14 monasteries, and 15 hospitals thrown down, and the loss in effects reckoned immense. This Earthquake continued from October 25, to November 28, 1746, and extended to Callo, which was also destroyed; in London February 6, and March 8, 1750, an 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 2d 1755. a terrible one November 3, 1755 which did considerable damage at Orporto in Spain, but more particularly Lisbon, where, in about eight minutes many of the houses, and 50,000 inhabitants were destroyed; the cities of Connium and Bruges suffered, and St. Urbes was swallowed up , the calamities occasioned by this Earthquake were immense, as it extended no less than 5000 miles; at the Azore islands, when100,000 were buried in the ruins, and the Island divided into two, July 9, 1757; at Bordeaux in France, August 11, 1758. Texillo in Peru, was swallowed up by one November, 1759; at Martinice, 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 part of Calabariam the Island of Sicily was destroyed, and 30,000 people lost their lives. February 25, 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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