“Earthquakes”

Date

2-20-1812

Newspaper

National Intelligencer

Page and Column

Page 3, Column 1

Newspaper Location

Washington, D. C.

Serial Number

982

Abstract

Series of felt reports for December 16, 1811 earthquake and its aftershocks mentions that the December 16,1811 earthquake was felt as far north as Charlestown, New Hampshire. The two other felt reports are from Cape Girardeau where it was stated on January 6, 1812 that; “ We have experienced more than one hundred shocks of earthquakes since 2 A. M. on the 16th of December 1811, five of which were violent. The concussions still continue but little damage has been done at this place.” The other one is from Clinton Hill, Illinois Territory( located across the Mississippi river from St. Louis near Belleville, Illinois) dated January 6, 1812. “We have experienced a very violent shock of an earthquake on the 16th ult. in this and the adjacent neighborhood-and the concussions have continued ever since at short intervals, but were much more moderate than the first” Finally a report from Gosport, England for a December 1, 1811 earthquake there.

Transcript

"Earthquakes.-The following extracts of letters to the Editor go to show the wide extent and frequent repetitions of the late Earthquakes: Cape Girardeau, L. T. Jan. 6, 1812. "We have experienced more than one hundred shocks of earthquakes since 2 A. M. on the 16th of December, 1811, five of which are violent. The concussions still continue, but little damage has been done at this place." Clinton Hill, Illi. Ter. Jan. 6, 1812. "We have experienced a very violent shock of an earthquake on the 16th ult. in this and the circumjacent neighborhood-and the concussions have continued ever since at short intervals, but were much more moderate than at first." The Earthquake of the 16th of December last was felt as far North as Charlestown, New Hampshire. Extract of a letter dated Gosport, (England) December 6, 1811. We had a terrible shock of an Earthquake Saturday last, about 2 o'clock in the morning-It alarmed almost every body around us within 20 miles-I was one that jumped out of bed, and thought my house was coming down. There was no wind at all, but a shaking of the earth: so much so, that it shook my house, and all the ships in Portsmouth harbor.

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