June 12, 1830 Earthquake: Hebei Province, China

June 12, 1830, W of Cixian, Hebei Province, 36.4 N, 114.2 E, magnitude 7.5, intensity X.

General situation: The ground shook violently along the border area of Hebei and Henan provinces, particularly at pengcheng County of Cizhou Prefecture. The ground cracked, then black and clear waters gushed out, followed by sand and

finally by blasts of cold air. Both the Zhanghe River and Fuhe River dried up. City walls, storehouses, prisons, office building and civilian houses all collapsed. All bridges broke. MB.

Cixian: 80-90% of office buildings, civilian houses and temples collapsed, A large stone bridge caved in. Over 2 hundred thousand rooms were devastated in the county town and Pengcheng County. The ground fissured for a hundred meters in length, from which gushed out yellow and black sand. Well overflowed, while springs dried up. Landslides

occurred, rivers and canals were disturbed. Tombs were levelled, The sunk ground was porous like colton, and looked sandy. 5,485 dwellers were killed. In Pengcheng all buildings were wiped out except a corner in a Village God Temple. All porcelain kilns caved in. Over 1,700 inhabitants were killed or injured. Landslides occurred and the ground cracked open; sandy water gushed out

from fissures, wells overflowed.

Fengfeng: More than half of the houses in temples

collapsed, or had caved in. Not even one in a hundred were left intact. Half civilian houses in Linshui Vi1lage collapsed. Landslides occurred and rivers dried up. Ground fissures of different sizes occurred.

Linzhang: Half of city walls, office buildings and

civilian houses were destroyed. 10-16 cm wide and 1.6-2 m long ground fissures were seen here and there, water and sand gushed out from the fissures, wells overflowed forming ditches on the ground.

Cheng'an: Some fissures were as long as 70-100 m, with ejection of yellow and black sand. Over half of office buildings and civilian houses were devastated, killing many dwellers and domestic animals. Over half of the halls in Yuanfu Temple 25 km northeast of the county town collapsed. Black sand spurted out from fissures in Er'zu Village 10 km west of the town. Of the 7-storey Pagoda, only

the southern facade of its 3 storeys remained. (Another report says only 40% of houses collapsed in villages bordering on Oizou, without casualties).

Handan: Many houses, city walls and platforms collapsed. Black water flowed out from wells, 292 dwellers were killed in the town and 196 villages to the southwest.

Anyang: Half of city walls, office buildings and

civilian houses collapsed. The ground cracked in the suburbs.

Wu'an: Countless houses fell down, half of city walls were ruined.

Linxian: Innumerable houses were destroyed, black

water flowed out from ground fissures.

Tangyin: Some city walls, office buildings and civilian

houses were damaged, several people were injured.

Neihuang: The ground cracked over 66 em wide with ejection of black water in Tianda village northwest of the county town.

Huixian: Many house walls collapsed.

Xiuwu: Some houses and waIls collapsed.

Xinxiang: Houses were thrown into imminent danger.

Huojia: Some houses collapsed.

Puyang, Qingfeng: Government relieved the victims in stricken areas (the effects of the disaster were not known).

Shexian : Some houses and city walls fell down.

Nanle: Rivers overflowed, houses collapsed.

Shahe: The Literature God Hall collapsed, a stone archway fell and some houses were damaged.

After another major earthquake on June 13,1830, light quakes occurred frequently in and around Cizhou. After two weeks (June 27) another violent earthquake wiped out all the remaining houses.

(above from reference #3939)

May 26, 1830, Canton and neighborhood, about 6,000 perished. (reference #1073)