“Earthquakes”

Date

8-2-1810

Newspaper

Richmond Globe

Page and Column

Page 3, Column 3

Newspaper Location

Richmond, Kentucky

Serial Number

65

Abstract

Article that notes the occurrence of earthquakes in the world and their effect on man and nature. Speculates on the origins of earthquakes and their effects. Notes that in Kentucky “that there are many traces of them in Kentucky, but the breaches which they have made have not been of any great extent, at least none which I have seen and I suppose there has none happened in these parts for many thousand or perhaps millions of years”

Transcript

EARTHQUAKES. Perhaps there is no phenomenon in nature so awful and tremendious as that of an earthquake, when the war of elements, storms and thunder threaten desolation; a plain or a cavern may offer an assylium to the affrighted inhabitants, when torrents of burning lava, storms and showers of burning cinders, smoak and thunder assail the inhabitants in the vicinity of burning mountains-the inhabitants have often an opportunity to fly from its ravages-but when we feel the earth shake and reel to its center, our habitations & every thing else that could afford a shelter from evils, increase the danger.-In a few moments whole cities and countries with all their inhabitats are consigned to the shades of oblivion, in a moment we find ourselves suddenly sinking to the regions of death amidst the schrieks of a dying maltitude. These scenes are not imaginary, as will appear by the following catalogue-We are naturally led to enquire into the cause of this wonderful phenomenon; many conjectures have been started by naturalists, such as a collection of air or some kind of gas in the bowels of the earth, which accumulating under mighty pressure, at least breaks up the superincumbent strata, throwing the surrounding country into convulsions; others attribute it to explosions by electric and inflamable gas &c. Certain it is that air has been observed bursting from beneath during eruptions of the strata by earthquakes, & that sand & other matter is frequently thrown up, of a strong metiphetic or sulphrous smell. Perhaps the following solution has scarcely ever been offered-A variety of circumstances concur to induce a belief that our earth has once been in an exceeding rough state upon the surface to what it is at present, and that it has been very much burnt or heated to a great depth so as to reduce much of the lime stone, calcareous earth or whatever it might have been its primitive state, to a state of quick-lime-this upon the affusion of water in showers upon its surface would break it down and stop up all the avenues to many mighty cavens which would be left [unreadable] and prevent the water from penetrating [unreadable text] now suppose, continually [unreadable text] the tops of the highest mountains are covered [unreadable text] of water limpid and tasteless at first by dissolving the calcarious earth or quick-lime now become highly charged and, by coming into contact at the surface with [unreadable] which is charged with [unreadable] quantities of carbon (which at present [unreadable text], it unites with it and renders the whole turbid and is precipitated to the bottom in a dust which there form those immense sheets of lime-rock which compose the base of this and many other countries.-The water by thus dissolving at the lime, & perhaps also compounds of calcarious and selicious earth which had been fused together and by thus dissolving it away penetrate into some of those cavities, and force out the air and in coming into contact with quick-lime heat and steam are formed, which expand with inconceivable power, breaking up, and sometimes throwing into confusion the strata and country above and in the mean time a portion of water disappears from the surface, and this being repeated from time to time has left a great part of the surface of the earth dry and fit for the habitation of the infinite tribes of aerial animals which now swam upon the earth. Earthquakes are much more rare than they have been in the first ages of the world-there are many traces of them in Kentucky, but the breaches which they have made have not been of any great extent, at least none which I have seen and I suppose that there has none happened in these parts for many thousand, or perhaps millions of years. ---- From the Cazenovia Pilot. Destruction by Earthquakes during the last century. In the beginning of the last century, there was a terrible earthquake, which in a quarter of an hour, laid the whole country of Peru in ruins, to the extent of 300 leagues and 90 wide. Palermo in Sicily, was nearly destroyed by an earthquake, and 600 people lost their lives-1726. Four Provinces in China were swallowed up by an earthquake-1732. Calo, in Peru, was destroyed by an earthquake, when all the inhabitants perished, except one man, who was standing on an eminence and to whose relief they providentially threw a boat-1646. There was a terrible earthquake at Lima, which entirely destroyed that city, in which five thousand people lost their lives, 1746. The city of Constantinople, in Turkey was in a great measure destroyed by an earthquake, and 5000 inhabitants perished-1745. Two thirds of the houses in Grand Cairo, and 40,000 inhabitants were swallowed up-1735. In 1735, most of the houses in Libson and 30,000 inhabitants were destroyed in about eight minutes. The terrible earthquake extended no less than 500 miles, and at the Azores islands, 10,023 people were buried in it. Dames in Barbary was nearly destroyed by an earthquake, when, 50,000 inhabitants perished-1759. Truxillo, in Peru, was swallowed up by an earthquake-1759. There was an earthquake at [unreadable], which destroyed sixteen hundred persons-1757. Guitimali in New Spain, was entirely swallowed up by an earthquake, and many thousands of persons perished-1778. At Faurls in Persia, fifteen thousand houses were thrown down by an earthquake and thirty thousand people lost their lives-1783. Ardiebinsebum, in Turkey, was destroyed, and 12,300 of its inhabitants buried in its ruins-1784. A part of the island of Cuba, & 30,000 persons were destroyed by an earthquake, 1701.

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