The Times 1781 - 1790 Aug 22 1786 - More about the Earthquake

Aug 22 1786 - More about the Earthquake

The Times, Tuesday, Aug 22, 1786; pg. 3; Issue 520; col B Extract of a letter from Dumfries, Aug. 15. "On Friday morning last, about twenty minutes after two, we had two smart shocks of an earthquake. Although at a time of night when most people are asleep, it was felt by great numbers; many it awakened, who were terrified by the shaking of the beds which made the joists and partitions of their houses to crack as if falling. Those who were awake say, the distance betwixt the shocks would be three or four seconds. One man, who had been about a mile down the river fishing, happened to be sitting on the ground with his face to the west: The account he gives is, that the ground seemed to lift itself first against the right thigh, and immediately against his left, something like a wave; and in two or three seconds after, the same was repeated, but with greater violence; from this he judged the shocks came from north to south. "We learn from another man, who happened to get up early to go out of town, that while he was sitting in his room, with his back to the wall, he was affected as if some person had taken him by the shoulders and shaken him; he gives the same account as to the distance betwixt the two shocks. He tells too, that a bird he had in a cage was thrown from the stick on which it was sitting, and that it fluttered about the cage in a great fright. The same thing, we hear, happened to many other birds; and that some killed themselves by the violence with which they had, thro' the fright, darted themselves against their cages; and others lost a great many feathers. The man who had got up to go out of town, informs us moreover, that since the shocks, his kitchen door cannot be shut but with a good deal of force, which before was shut quite easy. "The plates on many dressers were made to clatter or jingle; and in one house an earthen plate was thrown from a dresser down to the ground and broken; and the slates were heard to rattle on the house by some people in the street, who had been leading peats. The same shocks we hear had been felt many miles round, but we have not learned further particulars. And though many have been frightened, yet providentially nobody, so far we hear, has been hurt. We are since informed that this shock has been felt at Carlisle, Penrith, Kendal, Whitehaven, and Newcastle, about the same time." By letters from Kirkcudbright, we also learn, that the abovementioned shock of an earthquake was felt there, and occasioned much alarm. Several people in Edinburgh and Leith were likewise sensible of it, though it would seem in a less degree to the Southward. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

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