Felt Earthquakes Research Articles

III.—On the British Earthquakes of 1891

Compared with that of the year before, the British seismic record for 1891 is somewhat meagre. It includes a slight earthquake felt in North Cornwall on March 26, several at Invergarry, Ardochy, and Loch-hourn Head in Inverness-shire; and one other, believed to be that of an earthquake, at Bournemouth on October 25. The remarkable series of earthquakes felt between November 15 and December 14, 1890, in the district round Inverness seems to have ended at the latter date; for Mr. J. Birnie, a very careful observer residing at Balnafettack, informs me that he has felt none during the past year; and his evidence is especially valuable, since the epicentra of nearly all the shocks must have been close to that village.

The Earthquake of Tokio, April 18, 1889

DR. VON REBEUR-PASCHWITZ'S letter, which appeared in NATURE, vol. xl. p. 294, is of special interest to us in Japan, countenancing as it does the conjecture that the very peculiar earthquake felt and registered here on April 18 was the result of a disturbance of unusual magnitude. It was my good fortune on the day in question to be engaged in conversation with Prof. Sekiya in the Seismological Laboratory at the very instant the earthquake occurred. We at once rushed to the room where the self-recording instruments lay, and there, for the first time in our experience, had the delight of viewing the pointers mark their sinuous curves on the revolving plates and cylinders. At first sight it seemed as if the pointers had gone mad, tracing out sinuosities of amplitudes five or six times greater than the greatest that had ever before been recorded in Tokio. There was not much sensation of an earthquake; indeed, after the first slight tremor that attracted our attention, we felt nothing at all, although in the irregular oscillations of the seismograph pointers we had evidence enough that an earthquake was passing. Very few in Tokio were aware that there had been an earthquake till they read the report of it in the next day's papers. Thus the motion, though large, was too slow to cause any of the usual sensations that accompany earthquakes, and suggested a distant origin and a large disturbance, with a consequent wide extension of seismic effect. Excepting the slight tremors recorded at Potsdam and Wilhelmshaven, there has been, so far, no evidence of any such far-reaching action.

Notice of the Occurrence of an Earthquake Shock in the Azores

The following are the particulars of an earthquake felt in the Azores on the night of April 16, 1852; distinguishing the islands from which information has been obtained. St. Mary's; 0°32′ East of the point of observation at St. Michael's. Communicated by Major Guerra, a highly intelligent officer of the Portuguese army, resident at St. Mary's, to his correspondent here. Point of Observation. —The chief town of Villa do Porto, situated on the south-west coast, about 200 feet above the level of the sea, and separated from it by a slightly ascending plain, nearly three miles wide, and W.S.W. (true) of the base of the central ridge, of which the principal peak, Pico Alto*, is 1880 feet in height above the sea. Time and Phenomena. —At a little more than five minutes after ten (10h 8m at St. Michael's?), a slight subterraneous rumbling was followed by a sufficiently perceptible oscillation from south to north, ending in a strong shock, and lasting not less than three seconds. Effects. —No damage appears to have been done to houses and public buildings. St. Michael's; Point of Observation 25° 41′ West of Greenwich. Point of Observation. —The chief town of Ponta Delgada, close to the sea, at an elevation of 70 feet, on an ascent which in about three miles reaches to the top of the central ridge of the island, which in this part rises into peaks of between 1000 and 1600 feet above the sea. Time and Phenomena. —A distinct but not loud rumbling was heard by some persons for about three seconds, and after a perceptible interval, a slight oscillation was

An account of a slight shock of an earthquake felt in the channel Islands. J. Elliott Hoskins, M. D., F. R. S.: in a letter to P. M. Roget, M. D., Sec. R. S., &c. Communicated by Dr. Roget

The phenomena described in this letter occurred simultaneously in Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Serk, Herne, and Jethore. On Friday, the 22nd of December, at seven minutes before 4 p.m., a noise resembling a distant thunder-clap was heard; this was immediately followed by sounds as of a railroad carriage rumbling over an irregular metallic surface; it was accompanied by distinct undulatory motion. This again was succeeded by a shock; the whole lasting from 10 to 15 seconds. The barometer was uninfluenced, standing at 30.354: a light wind prevailed, varying from S. S. E. to S. S. W. During the whole of the month the air had been peculiarly still, and the baro­meter uniformly high; the maximum, up to the above date, having been 30.518, the minimum 30.042. The thermometer had ranged throughout the month, from 47° to 52° during the day, and from 45° to 49° during the night. Hundreds of persons agree as to having experienced a distinct shock, their impressions varying according to the positions occupied by the observers. Those inhabiting the solid granite structures of the lower town conceived that heavy masses of furniture were over­ turned and moved in the apartments above or below them: they were not, however, so conscious of vibratory motion as those in the less substantial houses of the upper part of the town, or as those in the open air. In many houses, this vibratory motion was so violent as to cause much alarm, and was accompanied by crashing sounds, as though roofs and chimneys were falling; in some instances, chimney­ pots were thrown down; suspended lamps were observed to wave; bells rang spontaneously; the vane of the town church waved, and one of its bells struck twice.

2. Remarks having reference to the earthquake felt in demerara on the morning of the 30th of August 1844

The earthquake here described commenced at twenty-seven mi­nutes past three o’clock, a.m. on the 30th of August, and continued during two or three minutes. It appeared to be composed of two waves or pulsations quickly succeeding each other, and producing gyratory movements of the earth. Though the alarm it occasioned was very great, no serious damage seems to have resulted from it.

Notice of a shock of an earthquake felt in the Island of St. Mary’s, one of the scilly Islands, on the 21st of January, 1839, in a letter addressed to the secretary

The tremulous motion of the ground is described as being very slight, and felt chiefly in the south parts of the island. It was accompanied by a peculiarly harsh and grating sound, which was only of momentary duration, and no particular agitation of the sea was observed.

On the earthquake felt in parts of Cornwall, on February 17, 1842

On the earthquake felt in parts of Cornwall, on February 17, 1842

LVII. On the earthquake felt in Sicily in February 1818 extracted from a historical and physical memoir by Dr. Agatino Longo, Professor of Experimental Philosophy in the University of Catania

LVII. <i>On the earthquake felt in Sicily in February</i> 1818 <i>extracted from a historical and physical memoir by Dr.</i> A<scp>gatino</scp> L<scp>ongo</scp>, <i>Professor of Experimental Philosophy in the University of Catania</i>

XV. Account of the earthquake felt in various parts of England, November 18, 1795; with some observations thereon

Having been desired by the President of the Royal Society to draw up, from various letters transmitted to him and to the Society, and from such other authentic information as I might be able to procure, an account of the earthquake which was felt in most of the midland counties of England, on Wednesday, November 18, 1795, I beg leave to lay before the Society the following account thereof; which, however imperfect it may be, contains all the material information I have been able to obtain upon the subject. The earthquake happened, as is already said, on Wednesday, November 18, about eleven o'clock at night. The state of the weather, and other circumstances previous to it, are described in some of the letters hereafter noticed. Before I proceed to take notice of them, I shall endeavour to give a general idea of its extent.

XIV. A narrative of the earthquake felt in Lincolnshire, and the neighbouring counties, on the 25th of February, 1792. In a letter from Edmund Turnor, Esq. F. R. S. to Sir Joseph Banks, Bart. P. R. S

Dear Sir, When I heard of the earthquake of the 25th of February last, which was felt in Lincolnshire, and some of the neighbouring counties, about a quarter before nine in the evening, I immediately wrote to my friend Captain Pennyman, at Little Paunton, near Grantham, desiring him to inform me of the duration and extent of the shock, the direction it came in, and the state of the weather before and after it was perceived. His remarks, together with the subsequent information I have obtained, great part of which I derive from your obliging communication, may serve to record this recent instance of a phænomenon to the terrors of which this country is but little exposed. Lord Rawdon’s steward was sitting with his back against an old massy stack of chimneys, which gave him a sensible shove; he at the same time saw the chairs of other persons in the room move very visibly.

VI. Some account of an earthquake felt in the northern part of England. In a letter from Samuel More, Esq. to Sir Joseph Banks, Bart. P. R. S

Sir, I take the liberty of addressing this to you, to give you information, and furnish you with all the particulars I have been able to collect, relative to a shock of an earthquake felt in this part of the kingdom on Friday, the 11th instant, about two o'clock in the morning; some say it was a little before that hour, others a little after, owing probably to the difference of the clocks.

V. An account of an earthquake felt at Lisbon, December 26, 1764: In a letter to the Rev. Samuel Chandler, D.D. F. R. S

Wednesday December 26, 1764, I was awakened about 3 o'clock in the morning by violent squalls of wind, and a deluge of rain, accompanied with almost uninterrupted flashes of lightning, many of which ended in a bright purple. About 8, we had some distant claps of thunder; at 10, some more. Before 11, the rain ceased, and the sun shone forth. In less than half an hour after, we had a sudden shock, preceded by a rumbling noise, and succeeded by a dead calm of at least half an hour.

XL. An account of an earthquake in the East Indies, of two eclipses of the Sun and Moon, observed at Calcutta: In a letter to the Reverend Thomas Birch, D. D. Secret. R. S. from the Reverend William Hirst, M. A. F. R. S

Reverend Sir, To the inclosed accounts of the transit of Venus, I have subjoined others of an extraordinary earthquake felt in this part of the world, which, I flatter myself, will not be unacceptable to the Royal Society.

XXX. An account of the earthquake felt in the Island of Madeira, March 31, 1761

In the city of Funchal, on the island of Madeira, March 31, 1761, we were alarmed with the shock of an earthquake, preceded by the usual noise in the atmosphere, like heavy carriages passing hastily over rough pavements.

LXII. An account of the earthquake felt in the island of Sumatra, in the East-Indies, in November and December 1756. In a letter from Mr. Perry to the Rev. Dr. Stukeley, dated at Fort Marlborough, in the Island of Sumatra, Feb. 20. 1757

The earthquake at Lisbon, which you gave me an account of, was certainly the most awful tremendous calamity, that has ever happened in the world.

LXXXII. An account of an earthquake felt at Lingfield in Surrey, and Edenbridge in Kent, on the 24th of January 1758

In the London Chronicle, N°. 181, published on the 25th of February 1758, in page 185, is the following article: "We hear, that about two o’ clock in the morning of the 24th of last month” (which was the month of January), "an Earthquake was felt in the parishes of Worthe, and East-Grinsted, in Sussex; Lingfield, in Surrey; and Edenbridge, in Kent; and other adjacent places: which alarmed several of the inhabitants very much; but no damage ensued.”

I. An account of the earthquake felt in New England, and the neighbouring parts of America, on the 18th of November 1755. In a letter to Tho. Birch, D. D. Secret. R. S. by Mr. Professor Winthorp, of Cambridge in New England

Reverend Sir, I beg leave to lay before you the best account I am able to give of the great earthquake, which shook New England, and the neighbouring parts of America, on Tuesday the 18th day of November 1755, about a quarter after four in the morning.

XI. Extract of a letter of Mr. Abraham Trembley, F. R. S. to Tho. Birch, D. D. Secret. R. S. Translated from the French

Sir, I Wrote to you on the 26th of November last, concerning the earthquake felt some time before between the Rhine and the Meuse.

LXXVII. An Extract of a Letter from Mons. Grovestins, Master of the Horse to his R. H. the Prince of Orange, Lieutenant-General, Commandant of the Forces, concerning an Earthquake felt by himself at the Hague, on Wednesday the 18th of Feb. 1756. Translated from the French and communicated by the Rev. William Parker, D.D. F. R. S.

On Wednesday morning, twelve minutes after eight, we had a shock of an earthquake.

LXVII. An account of the earthquake felt at Glasgow and Dumbarton; also of a shower of dust falling on a ship between Shetland and Iceland; in a letter from Dr. Robert Whytt, Professor of Medicine in the University of Edinburgh, to John Pringle, M. D. F. R. S

The earthquake at Glasgow and Greenock happened in the night between the 30th and 31st of December, nearly at the same time.