“The Earthquake”

Date

1-11-1812

Newspaper

Western Spy

Page and Column

Page 3, Column 3

Newspaper Location

Cincinnati, Ohio

Serial Number

522

Abstract

Account that notes effect of December 16, 1811 earthquake in the region around Cincinnati. Note lights in sky were seen at time of earthquake at Cincinnati and Knoxville. Mentions it was felt at Clarksburg, West Virginia and Meadville and Waterford in Pennsylvania, Northwestern Pennsylvania. Other places noted are Nashville, Marietta, Vincennes.

Transcript

The Earthquake--Further accounts of it are received by every mail. At present we are unable to trace its extent, in a northern direction (east of the mountains) beyond the city of Washington, we find, however, that, on this side, it has been felt in much higher latitudes In our last we noticed such information as had reached us by the preceding mails. But since then several shocks have been experienced in this town: indeed, there was not a day for three weeks together in which one or more were not perceived-The Pittsburg Mercury, in speaking of the phenomenon, as felt in different places, has this observation; but there is one thing more curious (or at least more uncommon) that the earthquake which is not mentioned in the papers of other towns-it is the light that was perceived at the time of the concussion' Now this light was visible to some in Cincinnati, and likewise at Knoxville Tennessee where it is said, 'at the end of the first & longest shock there were in a direction due north, two flashes of light (an interval of about a minute between them) much resembling distant lightning.' At Nashville (Tenn.) the same earthquake was felt, succeeded, within a few minutes of the first shock, by a 'rumbling noise, like the roaring of distant thunder, or a terrible storm, accompanied with a ratling like the rolling of a heavy body over the floor of an adjacent room.' It is stated to have lasted between 5 and 6 minutes. Another shock (says the same account) 'did some injury, such as displacing and knocking the tops off chimneys, and several houses were moved several inches' we suppose the writer meant to say, the houses were rocked -- From Vincennes (I T) we learn that repeated shocks happened there on different days, by which 'two or three brick chimneys were cracked, and the roofs of several houses thrown off'-so says this account!-By the Pittsburgh Gazette, it appears, convulsions were perceived at the same time far up the Allegheny river; at Meadville and Waterford; where three smart shocks were felt on the 16th and 17th ult.-Having now before us some particulars of the earthquake, as felt at Marietta, we shall barely notice as a fact corroborative of various other statements, that 'by some an explosion was heard, resembling the noise made by emptying loads of small stones, or that of a carriage in rapid motion on a pavement.-Concussions were also felt at Clarksburg, Va. but the account of them is too meagre to merit particular notice. We are yet disappointed in hearing from the Missouri.

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