“Remarkable Events”

Date

1-29-1812

Newspaper

Liberty Hall

Page and Column

Page 2, Column 2, 3, 4.

Newspaper Location

Cincinnati, Ohio

Serial Number

494

Abstract

Catalog of earthquakes in world history, with astronomical disasters

Transcript

COMMUNICATION. REMARKABLE EVENTS. It is observed, that many persons, who probably have read but little and have had still less experience of the extraordinary phenomena of nature, are disposed to think a good deal incorrectly respecting those uncommon events which distinguished the year 1811, viz. the Comet and the Earthquakes. As these have not been experienced before, since the settlement of the western country, many are led to consider them, if not as new events, yet as something much more unfrequent and ominous than an acquaintance with history will justify. It is not wished to detract from the interest and solemnity of those events, but a knowledge of the truth can never be hurtful. The repetition indeed of these astonishing phenomena ought to inspire us with more profound awe, while at the same time it is calculated to divest us of the superstitious distraction of ignorance. The following list is selected from one of the most copious and best approved CHRONOLOGICAL TABLES which have appeared. The Table embraces all remarkable events, such as wars, &c. &c. but the limits of a newspaper can admit but a few, (and those greatly abbreviated) which will be confined to what we may call elemental phenomena, principally Earthquakes and Comets, to which may be added instances of pestilence. The list will chiefly regard former times, that is, the times since authentic history commenced (the earlier part of which, was extremely imperfect) and will not descend within our own memory. B.C. or years before Christ. 2352 The world is destroyed by a deluge, which continued 377 days. 1961 The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah are destroyed by fire from heaven. 1503 The deluge of Deucalion. 720 The first record of an eclipse of the moon. 430 A plague over the known world. 373 A great earthquake in Peloponesius, Greece. 315 Rhodes almost destroyed by an inundation. 224 An earthquake at Rhodes, which overturns the Colossus. 146 A remarkable comet appeared in Greece. A. D. or years after Christ. 17 Twelve cities in Asia are destroyed by an earthquake. 33 An unusual darkness and earthquake at the crucifixion. 39 Conjunction of Jupiter, Saturn & Mars. 63 A great earthquake in Asia. 65 Many prodigies are seen at Jerusalem. 79 The cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum are destroyed by an eruption of Vesuvus. 105 A great earthquake in Asia and Greece. 114 A great earthquake in China. 115 A violent earthquake at Antioch. 120 Nicomedia and other cities are swallowed up by an earthquake. 152 A great inundation of the Tiber at Rome, and an earthquake in Rhodes. 168 A plague over the known world. 188 The Capitol at Rome is destroyed by lightning. 205 An earthquake in Wales. 218 Two comets appear at Rome-the course of the most remarkable is from east to west. 252 A dreadful pestilence breaks out in Ethiopia, and spreads over the world. 251 A great plague throughout the Roman Empire. 262 Earthquakes in Europe, Asia and Africa, and three days of darkness. 289 A great comet visible in Mesopotamia for 29 days. 312 Pestilence all over the east. 344 Neocesarea ruined by an earthquake. 358 An hundred and fifty cities in Asia and Greece are overturned by an earthquake. 390 A fiery column is seen in the air for 30 days. 419 Many cities in Palestine are destroyed by an earthquake. 480 A great earthquake at Constantinople, which lasted 40 days. 517 Five years drought and famine in Palestine. 519 A bearded comet appears. 543 An earthquake all over the world. 550 An earthquake in Palestine and Syria. 551 An earthquake in Greece, attended with a great commotion of the sea. 553 A great earthquake at Constantinople. 557 Another violent earthquake at Constantinople, Rome, &c. A terrible plague all over Europe, Asia and Africa, which continues near 50 years. 580 Antioch is destroyed by an earthquake. 589 Rome is overflowed by the Tiber. 599 A dreadful pestilence in Africa. 746 Three years pestilence in Europe and Asia. 797 Seventeen days of unusual darkness. 801 A great earthquake in France, Germany and Italy. 807 A large spot is seen on the sun for eight days. 856 An earthquake over the greatest part of the known world. 873 France is distressed by locusts and pestilence. 875 A bearded comet appears in Europe. 905 A very remarkable comet appears in China. 993 A great eruption of mount Vesuvius. 1006 A plague in Europe for three years. 1007 A great eruption of Vesuvius. 1014 Almost all Flanders is laid under water by a storm. 1017 Rain of the color of blood for three days in Aquitain, France. 1040 Smyrna is destroyed by an earthquake. 1076 An earthquake in England. 1186 A conjunction of all the planets at sunrise, Sept. 16th. 1195 Denmark and Norway are laid waste by a dreadful tempest. 1222 A great earthquake in Germany. 1223 A comet of extraordinary magnitude appears in Denmark. 1230 Denmark is distressed by a pestilence. 1245 A clear, red star, like Mars, appears in Capricorn. 1282 Great pestilence in Denmark. 1299 An earthquake in Germany. 1315 Germany is afflicted with famine and pestilence. 1320 An earthquake in England. 1323 A great eruption of mount AEtna. 1337 The first comet whose course is described with astronomical exactness.-Europe is infested by locusts. 1353 Asia and Africa are desolated by locusts. 1377 Inundation of the sea in Flanders. 1431 A great earthquake at Lisbon. 1432 Great inundation in Germany. 1446 The sea breaks into Holland and drowns 100,000 people. 1500 A great plague in England. 1531 A great earthquake at Lisbon. 1572 A new star appears in Cassiopia, in November and disappears in March. 1593 A great plague in London. 1596 Violent earthquake at Japan. 1611 An earthquake at Constantinople, and 200,000 persons die there of the plague. 1631 Transit of Mercury over the sun's disk Great eruption of Vesuvius. 1639 Transit of Venus over the sun's disk. 1648 A new star appears in the tail of the Whale. 1665 A plague in London carries off 68,000 persons. 1678 A strange darkness at noon-day, Jan, 12 1680 A great comet appears so near our earth as to alarm the inhabitants-visible from Nov. 3d to March 9th. 1688 Smyrna is again destroyed by an earthquake. 1692 Earthquakes in England and Jamaica. 1720 A great earthquake in China. 1724 An earthquake in Denmark. 1736 Transit of Mercury over the sun's disk. 1737 A dreadful hurricane on the Ganges, Oct. 10th. 1739 An intense frost in England. 1743 A dreadful plague in Sicily. 1746 Lima is destroyed by an earthquake. 1750 An earthquake in England. 1754 A dreadful eruption of mount AEtna. A great earthquake at Constantinople, Cairo, &c. 1755 Quito, in Peru, is destroyed by an earthquake, April 28th. Lisbon is destroyed by an earthquake November 1st. 1759 Balbec and Tripoli are destroyed by an earthquake, Dec. 5th. 1760 Transit of Venus over the sun's disk. Earthquakes in Syria, Oct. 13th. 1764 Famine and pestilence in Italy. An earthquake at Lisbon. 1766 A spot, thrice as large as our earth, passed the sun's disk. A great earthquake at Constantinople. 1767 Martinico is almost destroyed by a earthquake. 1770 An earthquake at St. Domingo. 1775 An extraordinary dark day. 1779 A most extraordinary eruption of Vesuvius. 1780 Jan. 14-cold at Glasgow, Scotland, 16 degrees below 0. A dreadful hurricane in the Leward Islands, Oct. 9-and an extraordinary storm in England. 1788 Most violent earthquakes in Italy and Sicily. Those of the 5th and 7th of February, and 28th of March were the most violent, and destroyed every building throughout Calabria, not leaving one stone upon another. 40,000 persons perished. The sun was obscured by a kind of fog during the whole summer. A volcanic eruption in Iceland, surpassing all things of the kind recorded in history; the burning lava spouted two miles high, and continued thus for two months. A large meteor appeared in Europe, whose tract was observed more than 1000 miles. Here the list will be closed with the words of the excellent Cowper, who wrote soon after the last mentioned events, and referring to them observes-- "Fires from beneath, and meteors from above, Portentous, unexampled, and unexplained, Have kindled beacons in the skies, and th'old And crazy earth has had her shaking fits More frequent, and foregone her usual rest. She quakes at His approach: her hollow womb Conceiving thunders, thro' a thousand deep And fiery caverns, roars beneath His foot; The hills move lightly and the mountains smoke For he has touched them. The rocks fall headlong and the vallies rise, The rivers die into offensive pools, And charg'd with putrid vapors, breath a gross And mortal nuisance into all the air. What solid was, by transformation strange, Grows fluid, and the fix'd and rooted earth Tormented into billows, heaves and swells, Or with vortiginous and hideous whirl Sucks down its prey insatiable."

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