Earthquake in Guernsey

(Abridged from the Guernsey (Eng.) Star of Dec.)

On the afternoon of Friday last, at a few minutes before four o'clock, the shock of an earthquake was felt throughout the whole of the island, of a very considerable violence. For some days previous the weather had been perfectly calm, and the temperature so mild that many persons continued sea-bathing; the only remarkable meteorological circumstances being that a luminous body, resembling a clouded moon, was seen over the island at seven o'clock on Wednesday evening, which continued visible for, ten or fifteen minutes, and that the evenings, excepting during the short appearance of the meteor, were impenetrably dark. The whole of Friday, till about three o'clock, had been fine and bright, but the sky had somewhat an unusual appearance, the clouds being singularly tinted with pale green, red, and purple. At the time when the shock was felt-seven minutes before four-the sky was partially overcast, and had a rainy appearance, the wind blowing in slight squalls from the southward and south-westward, At the time above-mentioned, a loud rumbling or undulating noise was heard in every part of the island, accompanied by one or two shocks, which, to our apprehension, had much less affinity to the concussion produced by an explosion, than to the benumbing effect created by electricity. This phenomenon, it is generally agreed, lasted about four seconds, and was evidently subterranean.

The shock, as we have already stated, was felt in all parts of the island, and everywhere appears to have produced the same effects. Persons out of doors felt the earth heave under them, in some cases so violently as to oblige them to lay hold of the nearest object for support. The banks and hedges of the fields were seen to be in motion, and in the houses the furniture and goods were rocked and shaken.-Buildings of all kinds were distinctly seen to heave and shake, as well as the pier walls, the iron railings at the south west corner of the quay, and the massive quay at St. Sampson's harbour [harbor]. The vane of the town church was violently agitated, and the bell struck twice.-Many imagine that heavy pieces of furniture were being removed over their heads, whilst many more believed that their houses were falling, and there was a general rush into the streets. So severely was the shock felt in the office of this paper, that the numerous persons employed, simultaneously, and without concert, sought safety out of doors, in the full conviction that the building was falling about their ears. We have not heard of any damage beyond

the shaking down of a few tiles, bricks, &c. All the accounts which we have collected from various parts of the island differ as to the apparent direction of the shock, and the time of its occurrence. we are inclined to believe, that the shock must have taken various directions, guided either by the fissures of the earth, or by other causes acting on the electric field. The shock, we believe, took place simultaneously throughout the whole island, and we are the more inclined to this opinion from having learnt [learned]from Jersey that the shock was felt at that place precisely at the time it occurred at this town-namely, seven minutes before four o'clock. We learn from Sark, that the shock was felt in that island at about the same time, and in the same manner as in Guernsey.