November 22, 1859 Earthquake: Circular Head, Tasmania, Australia

The Launceston Examiner, 1 Dec. 1859. The earthquake at Circular Head. Sir, - Since my last communication, published in your paper on the 10th inst., relative to the shock of an earthquake in this district, on the 29th October, we have had four more, - one on Sunday last, the 20th, at half past three in the afternoon accompanied by a rumbling noise, with a distinct movement of the ground. The day was clear and warm; the barometre 30 inches. Again on Monday night or strictly speaking Tuesday morning, the 22nd instant, another slight shock was felt; at half past three p.m. a second, and at ten minutes before five in the morning a third. The latter shock was by far the severest ever known in the colony; the whole earth moved like a huge wave, startling the people from one end of the district to the other. The only damage done, yet ascertained, is the destruction of a brick oven on my farm; the fall of a portion of a stone chimney, a part breaking the roof of a stable; the cracking of a chimney on Anderson's farm, at Black River; and a considerable in just to Mr Ford's house at Highfields; and it was observed that the Prince of Wales schooner, lying at anchor at Duck Bay, had the bow rope taut and the stern fastening slack, immediately before the shock, whilst the reverse was the case directly afterwards, showing that the vessel had been moved several feet. Many household articles were thrown down such as candlesticks, jugs &c., and picture frames were lifted out from the wall, and then flapped back to their places with a startling distinctness. The shock was accompanied by a loud noise, and the earth wave appeared to travel slowly: it seemed as if a person on horseback could have kept up with it, though according to Humboldt, it probably moved at the rate of not less than 28 miles in a minute. I have made minute enquires from a great number of persons, and feel satisfied that the earth was propelled from the north; though strange to say, it was not felt at Melbourne nor King's Island, neither at Launceston or Hobart; it would seem to be comparatively speaking local. It however, was sufficiently alarming to cause the inhabitants to become decidedly nervous and strongly apprehensive that a series of shocks only precede a very severe earthquake, though the opposite would appear

to be the truth. The people have a great objection to sleep near tall chimneys, and upon the whole feel satisfied that after all a wooden house is far superior to stone. There are some singular features connected with the earthquake; the loud sound, so different to that of thunder, and the knowledge forced upon us for the first time perhaps, that the earth, is no longer to be trodden with safety, though all our lives we had been accustomed to think differently. ... I am, S.B.E. November 26th. (ref. #7675)The Hobart Town Daily Mercury, 23 Nov. 1859. Earthquake at Circular Head. This morning at ten minutes to five o'clock, a violent shock of an earthquake was felt here, frightening the inhabitants out of their beds, and even out of their houses, many expecting them to fall. The shock as so great that women were running about in their night dresses not knowing what was the matter. The shock was preceded by a low rumbling noise which lasted a minute; it was then followed by a tremendous shaking, upsetting bottles and crockery and creating a great clatter. I got up and came to the office to see if there was any disturbance in the electrical state of the atmosphere, but I could not discover any then. The course of the shock was from north to south as nearly as I could judge. This is the second severe shock that has been felt here within the last month. There was a severe shock felt here on Sunday at 3 p.m., and there were at least two previous shocks during the last night but not so severe as the one I have above mentioned. (ref. #7735)