Earthquake of Calabria. "Of the numerous earthquakes," says Mr. Lyell, "which have occurred in different parts of the globe, during the last 100 years, that of Calabria, in 1783, is the only one of which the geologist can be said to have such a circumstantial account, as to enable him fully to appreciate the changes which this cause is capable of producing in the lapse of ages. The shocks began in February, 1783, and lasted nearly four years, to the end of 1786." The importance of the earthquake in question, arises from the circumstance, that Calabria is the only spot hitherto visited, both during and after the convulsions, by men possessing sufficient leisure, zeal, and scientific information, to enable them to collect and describe with accuracy, the physical facts which throw light on geological questions.-Lyell, vol. i. p. 412.

Authors who witnessed the phenomena of these convulsions, are quite numerous. Among them, it is said that Pignataro, a physician, who resided at the centre of the earthquakes, and who kept a register of the number and force of the shocks, is among the most correct. The Royal Academy of Naples, also sent a commission from their own body to Calabria, accompanied by artists, with instructions to describe and illustrate by drawings, the effects of these terrible convulsions: and Sir William Hamilton, who surveyed this district before the shocks had ceased, has added many facts not recorded by others. Our limits, will however, allow only a very brief summary of the facts, from these several sources.

The subterranean concussions were felt beyond the confines of Sicily; but if the city of Oppido, in Calabria, be taken as the centre, a circle around it, whose radius is twenty two miles, would include the space which suffered the greatest calamities. Within this circle, all the towns and villages were almost entirely destroyed.

The first shock, which took place on the 5th of February, 1783, threw down, in the space of two minutes, a greater part of the houses, within the whole space above described. The convulsive motion of the earth, is said to have resembled the rolling of the sea, and that in many instances, it produced swimming of the head, like sea-sickness. This rolling of the surface, like the billows of the sea, was like that which would have been produced by the agitation of a vast mass of liquid matter under the ground.

In some walls which were shattered, the separate stones were parted from the mortar so as to leave an exact mould where they had rested, as though the stone had been carefully raised from its bed in a perpendicular direction; but in other instances, the mortar was ground to powder between the stones, as though they had been made to revolve on each other.

It was found, that the swelling, or wave like motions, and those which were called vorticose, or whirling, often produced the most singular and unaccountable effects. Thus, in some streets, in the town of Monteleone, every house was thrown down, except one, and in some other streets, all except two or three; and these were left uninjured, though differing in no respects from the others.

In many cities all the most solid edifices were prostrated, while those which were slightly built, escaped; but, in others, it was precisely the reverse, the massive buildings being the only ones that remained standing.

But, perhaps, the most singular effect was that produced on a pair of obelisks, at the convent of St. Bruno, where the different stones, composing these monuments were moved on each other, in a manner altogether unaccountable, unless, indeed, it can be supposed that the earth, where each stood, underwent a rapid gyratory motion. The shock which shook the convent is said to have been of that kind which writers describe by the term vorticose, or whirling. The annexed cut, fig. 6, will convey an idea of these effects.

The pedestal of cach obelisk remained in its original situation and place; but the separate stones were turned partly around on each other, as represented in the figures; some of them being moved eight or nine inches out of their places, but none were thrown down.

instances,

It appears from the statements, that in many where the ground was fissured, the motion must have been from below, upwards, for these fissures opened and closed alternately, as though the ground, in that particular spot, had been violently lifted up with a force from below, by which a fissure was formed, but, the force ceasing instantly, the ground again assumed its former position, and the fissure closed. Perhaps the escape of some gas or steam through the fissure, produced this effect.

In many instances, these fissures were so wide as in an instant to swallow up men, trees, and even houses, and when the earth sunk down again it closed upon them so entirely, as not to leave the least vestige of what had happened, nor were any signs of them ever discovered afterwards. In the vicinity of Oppido, the centre of these convulsions, many houses were precipitated into the same great fissure, which immediately closed over them; and, in the same neighborhood, four farm houses, several oil stores and dwelling houses were so entirely engulphed, that not a vestige of them were seen afterwards.

In some instances these chasms did not close. In one district, a ravine, formed in this manner, a mile long, 100 feet broad, and thirty feet deep, remained open; and in another, a similar one remained, three quarters of a mile long, 150 feet wide, and 100 feet deep; in another instance, there remained such a chasm thirty feet wide and 225 feet deep.

In various places, the ground sunk down, and lakes were formed, which, being fed by springs, have remained ever since. The convulsions also removed immense masses of earth from the sides of steep hills into the valleys below, so that, in many instances, oaks, olive orchards, vineyards and cultivated fields, were seen growing at the bottoms of deep hollows, having been removed from the side hills of the vicinity. In one instance, a mass of earth 200 feet thick, and 400 feet in diameter, being set in motion by one of the first shocks, travelled four miles into the valley below.

The violence of the upward motion of the ground was

singularly illustrated by the inversion of heavy bodies lying on the surface, and which can hardly be accounted for, except on the supposition that they were actually thrown to a considerable distance into the air. Thus in some towns, a considerable proportion of the flat paving stones, were found with their lower sides uppermost. Mr. Lyell accounts for this effect, by supposing that the "stones were propelled upwards by the momentum which they had acquired, and that the adhesion of one end of the mass being greater than the other, a rotary motion had been communicated to them." But it is difficult to conceive how a whirling motion, so rapid as to produce such an effect, could have been communicated to a whole town, without producing some consequences still more extraordinary.

In the plain of Rosarno, a different effect was produced from any yet described. This plain consists of an alluvial soil, which after the commencement of the earthquakes, was found covered with circular hollows, containing water, and around the hollows, were fissures radiating from their sides in every direction, as represented by fig. 7.

These were for the most part about the size of carriage wheels, but sometimes larger or smaller. When filled with water to within a foot or two of the surface, they appeared like wells, but more commonly they were filled with dry sand, sometimes with a concave, and at others with a convex surface. On digging into the earth, these cavities were found to be funnel shaped, the moist loose earth in the centre, indicating the tube through which the water had ascended. The annexed cut, fig. 7, is intended to represent a section of these inverted cones, when the water had disappeared, leaving nothing in it but dry micaceous sand. This sand appeared to have been brought

up from beneath by the water which was sometimes found over the sand.

But our limits will not allow the description of other effects and appearances, which this dreadful calamity produced, some of which are equally curious aud inexplicable.

We must not, however, close this account without reference to an incident connected with the destruction of human life, as well as to the number of responsible beings which were suddenly called to the world of spirits, by this appalling act of a mysterious Providence.

The Prince Scilla had persuaded many of his people to betake themselves to their fishing boats, as a place of safety, on the first indications of an earthquake, which in that volcanic country are so well understood, and which create so much alarm. The Prince himself had set the example, by going on board of one of these boats. On the 5th of February, when the first violent shock happened, many of these people were sleeping in their boats near the shore, while others were on the shore, at a place little elevated above the sea. With this convulsion the earth rocked, and suddenly there was precipitated a great mass of rock from mount Jaci, on the plain where the people had taken refuge, and immediately after, the water rose to a great height above its ordinary level, and swept away the sleeping multitude. The wave then instantly retreated, but soon after returned again with increased violence, bringing back many of the people, and animals, which it had carried away. At the same time every boat in the vicinity was overwhelmed, or dashed against the beach, and thus destroyed. The Prince who was an