B. TEERESTKIAL PHYSICS AND METEOROLOGY. 47 



13. TERRESTRIAL PHYSICS AND METEOROLOGY. 



THE EARTHQUAKES IN NORTH CAROLINA. 



Professor "Warren Dupre, of Spartanburg, South Carolina, 

 communicates to the Orphans' Friend, published at that place, 

 some interesting details gathered by him in relation to the 

 recent earthquake phenomena in the neighborhood of Bald, 

 Stone, and Round mountains, in North Carolina. He states 

 that, in company with other persons accustomed to accurate 

 observation, he examined this region in the latter part of 

 March. The mountains in question are three peaks of a ridge 

 extending ten miles, in a direction northeast to southwest, 

 averaging over 3000 feet high, and which is one of the ridges 

 that flank the Blue Ridge proper. Geologically considered, 

 this ridge consists of granite slates without any evidence of 

 volcanic rocks, and is covered everywhere with a dark rich 

 soil and a growth of heavy timber. Professor Dupre states 

 that from fifty to seventy-five shocks occurred between the 

 10th of February and the 20th of March. In almost every 

 case the noise that was heard was simultaneous with the 

 shock that was felt. The latter seemed to follow the direc- 

 tion of the rumbling sound with which the noise of the explo- 

 sion usually ended. Certain days were marked by loud re- 

 ports and severe shakes. Those living on the top of this ridge 

 assert that the shocks appeared to be all under and around 

 them : those living at a distance from it uniformly point to 

 the ridge as the region from which the sounds and shocks ap- 

 peared to come. The noises occurred as often in the night as 

 during the day, in fair weather as in foul, and the shakes were 

 felt to a distance of five miles on each side of the mountain 

 ridge, and as far as twenty-five miles northeast and south- 

 west of it. This testimony was collected from thirty or forty 

 persons, whose uniform concurrence places the facts beyond 

 the possibility of doubt. The shakes were frequently so se- 

 vere that stout log-houses shook alarmingly. 



On the 19th of March Professor Dupre's party had the 

 pleasure of experiencing one of these earthquakes, and it is 

 described by them as a loud explosion, followed by a low re- 



