“The Earthquake Again”

Date

1-4-1812

Newspaper

Western Spy

Page and Column

Page 3, Column 2 and 3

Newspaper Location

Cincinnati, Ohio

Serial Number

521

Abstract

Long account of felt reports for the December 16, 1811 earthquake. Locations mentioned are Ohio, Dayton, Lebanon, Chillicothe, Circleville, Zanesville, Marietta, Frankfort, Lexington, Massac and Louisville. Good article

Transcript

The Western Spy. CINCINNNATI, January 4, 1812 THE EARTHQUAKE AGAIN. Having, in our last, expressed an intention to communicate such additional facts as might transpire concerning the Earthquake in other quarters (and which began with us on Monday, the 16th, and continued daily, with intervals, till the following Saturday, inclusively) various prints received by the last mails, now enable us to give other details, which we shall briefly notice as far as they go. But it is proper to premise, that this town has since experienced five other shocks slightly perceived; three of which were on Saturday morning last (unnoticed in the preceding Spy) and the remaining two on the Tuesday following, 31st. ult-one of them at 4 o'clock, A. M. the other at, or before, day break. Tuesday, and the night preceding it was calm, accompanied with gentle rains, and an atmosphere thickly charged with vapours and uncommonly warm for the season. From the silence of Atlantic papers, of dates posterior to the 16th-the day on which the concussions began, or, rather, were first perceived here (for some individuals believe in a shock the evening before) it would appear the Atlantic side of the Alleghany chain felt nothing of the concussions. Before we travel out of our own state, we shall give the substance of what information has reached us from certain points within it-but in many instances, allowance must be made for omissions and false data arising from the want of due observation in those who furnished the statements.-At Dayton (mouth of Mad River) we are told the inhabitants were kept in constant alarm, on Monday and Tuesday 16th and 17th ult.) by repeated shocks of an Earthquake: the first and severest on Monday, between 2 and 3 o'clock A. M. It was not preceded*, says the account, 'by the usual token of a rumbling noise.' At ,I>Lebanon the same phenomenon was felt; but the particulars are not before us.-At Chilicothe there were ten shocks, nine of which happened on Monday the 16th ult between the hours of 3 and 11, A. M. and the other at half after eleven next day.-The 4th shock, which took place at 4 minutes past 3, was preceded by a subterraneous sound resembling that of distant thunder.-At Circleville only two shocks were noticed; the first on Monday, between one and two o'clock A. M. the next about 8 o'clock-no previous noise perceived--Zanesville & country adjacent, experienced several shocks; two on Monday about 3 o'clock A. M. one at 8 which lasted at least 4 minutes, moved the cupola of the court house to and fro, the electrical rod vibrating 8 or 9 inches; and several clocks were so jarred as to stop.-Ten minutes afterwards there was another shock; at 40 min. after 10 another, and 25 min. after 12 another. The next day, at 5 o'clock in the morning a shock ensued of two minutes duration, and which was succeeded by another, for 3 minutes, at 5 min. after 12, as severe as that of the preceding day at 8 o'clock. No rumbling noise was noticed-At Marietta the same earthquake was very sensibly felt; but we have not the particulars. Accounts from Pittsburg (Pa.) mention only two shocks being felt there; one at 3 the other at 7 A. M. of the 16th-Kentucky was generally affected, and with increased severity in the western parts.-At Louisville (Falls of Ohio) three shocks were distinctly noticed, besides others comparitively slight. The first was preceded by 'a rumbling noise, resembling that of distant thunder, or a terrible storm, accompanied with a ratling like the rolling of a heavy body over a floor.' The person who gave the account says, 'his house vibrated like the pendulum of a clock.***Several chimneys were thrown down, and some houses otherwise injured; particularly, Dr. Ferguson's house whose gable end (to use the writers own words) 'was partly dashed in."-At Lexington and Georgetown two shocks only were noticed in each place; both in the morning of the 16th.-At Frankfort a chimney of the court-house was thrown down-it is reported and we believe on good authority that at Massac,on the Ohio, about thirty ...... a fissure.......not yet ascertained.....Massac,,,,a hightly elevated bank, composed...(Note text here extremely mangled) In our last we suggested a probability that this awful phenomenon proceeded from a volcanic source up the Missouri. We no believe that conjecture will eventually appear to be well founded, and we anxiously wait to hear from St. Louis, where it is probable, the earthquake has been felt with marked severity. In addition to the above the papers received by last nights mail contain accounts of its having been felt in many places in the Atlantic states-at Washington City, Alexandria, Richmond, Norfolk, Charleston S. C. Georgetown S. C. -the account from the last place says, so severe were the shocks, that the parade ground at the fort, settled from 1 to 2 inches below its former level.

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