Portland Gazette, And Maine Advertiser

EARTHQUAKES

NAPLES, JULY 31.

The following are some fresh details relative to the earthquake which has desolated this capital, and a great part of the kingdom.

In the morning of the 16th, we experienced a heat much greater than the preceding days. About six in the evening a north west wind arose, bringing with it some thick clouds, which threatened a storm, but which insensibly dispersed. At half past eight the wind began to blow from the north, which is called in Naples a land wind and which is cold and dry in winter and hot in summer. It was on that day much colder than usual, and continued about an hour. At three quarters past nine, the sea, which had been extremely tranquil during the day, began to be disturbed. Several persons who were bathing felt the earth fail them under their feet, and the fish mounted to the surface of the water, and appeared agitated in an extraordinary manner.

At length, at three minutes before ten, a shock of an earthquake was felt, at first with a slight trembling, and afterwards with a strong undulation, in a direction from north to south, and which lasted from 45 to 60 seconds. At eleven there was another shock, but weaker; and at three quarters past twelve, a third still lighter. The sky was perfectly serene, but on the surface of the earth there was a sort of fog, from which emanated a strong smell of sulphur.

From the summit of Vesuvius an immense and very thick column of smoke arose, and between the first and second shock two explosions were heard, similar to those which proceed volcanic eruptions, but weaker.

The first shock shook all the bells, which rang spontaneously. All the clocks and dials in the city, public as well as private, stopped at three minutes before ten, the precise moment of the first shock.

We have not yet received any news from Calabria or Sicily. The damage done at Capua, is happily less than was stated; 20 soldiers perished under the ruins of the barracks of Santa Maria: several horses were also killed. In the province of Salerno, and in three provinces of La Pouille, the shock was much lighter; but in the county of Molise the damage done is very considerable; the town of Isermo is entirely destroyed. From the official reports of the Governor, who arrived here yesterday, it appears that more than 1000 dead bodies have been already dug from the ruins, and the search is continuing.

Isermo contained about 7000 inhabitants, a sixth part of whom are supposed to have perished. Campobasso, Bannello, Loppitutto, Pietrabondante, Macchia, and some other small places in the county of Molise are also nearly destroyed. It is supposed that 20,000 persons have perished in these different places. Great damage was also done at Piedimonte d'Alife, Cajazzo, CaSserta, Santa-Maria, Capua, and Roccaromana, but no one was killed.

From an observation of the places where damage has been done, it appears that the earthquake took a direction from sea to sea, in a line which might be drawn from the Crater of Vesuvius, to that of Pozzuoli.

It is feared that great damage has been done at Brienza, the ancient capital of the Samnites, which has already been several times destroyed by the same misfortune.

As to the city of Naples the registers of the police only state the number of deaths to be four; that of wounded is considerable, a circumstance which is almost a miracle in the midst of so many ruins and so much tumult among the inhabitants. The Queen the Princesses, and Prince Leopold, after the first shock, took refuge in the King's stables, and passed the night in different carriages.--The King, who was at Portici, did the same thing. The Hereditary Prince Royal, and the princess were at Caserta, and experienced no accident. More than two hundred houses have been rendered uninhabitable, and those the most solidly built, as if nature had taken pleasure in triumphing over the efforts of art.

It is observable, that the buildings which have suffered least are those which are elevated upon arches. But even in those which have suffered least, there is not a beam which remains in its situation. It is, however, a great consolation, that in the midst of such great disorder, thanks to the astonishing activity of the Police, there were no other evils than those which arose from the earthquake.