August 5, 1875 Earthquake: Melbourne, Australia

Reference #14282:

1875 08 05 at 11:00 UTC, Naval guns - not earthquakes in Melbourne

The Argus Friday 6 August 1875, Page 5 and 7 August Page 7.

EARTHQUAKE IN MELBOURNE.

An earthquake, which seems to have been chiefly felt south of the Yarra, was experienced last night. Mr. White, the acting Government astronomer, writes: " One of the severest earthquakes ever recorded in Melbourne was experienced this evening. The first shock occurred at the Observatory about a minute before 9h. 7m. 55s., when the second shock was observed; about a minute after this a third shock was noticed; at about 9h. 10m. 5s. a fourth shock happened, and the fifth shock was felt at 9h. 11m. The second shock appeared to be the strongest, the first and third were somewhat weaker, and the fourth and fifth were much weaker than the others.

THE SUPPOSED EARTHQUAKE.

The shocks referred to in yesterday's paper as those of an earthquake have proved to be due to the reverberation of sound from the guns of the Cerberus at Point Nepean. Four guns were fired at about the hour of the supposed earthquake viz., 9 o'clock on Thursday night and that those caused the supposed earthquake shocks is rendered certain by a correspondent who writes that while walking on the St Kilda Esplanade at that time he saw four distinct flashes like those from ordnance in the direction of Point Nepean followed immediately by as many muffled reports and shocks.

These extracts are included in case others stumble upon the first story.