. 25? > 



GEOLOGICAL COLLECTIONS, 



mCLUDING MINERALOGY. 



Earthquakes in Murcia, in 1829 We extract the following account of 



these remarkable and destructive earthquakes from a paper by Professor 

 Gutierez, of Madrid, published in the Journal de Geohgie, Vol. II, No. 5. 



" The district in which these shocks have been experienced, comprehends 

 the country between Carthagena and Alicant, and stretches inland to 

 Murcia, and even to Lorca, a space of about 100 square leagues. The 

 direction of the coast is N. N. E. 



** The mountains of Orihuela, and the Sierra de Callsesa, a ridge of black 

 marble, rising to the height of 586 yards, bound to the north the land called the 

 Huerta of Orihuela, the principal theatre of the earthquake. On the south 

 they are bounded by mountains stretching from Guadamar to Murcia, on 

 the east by the Mediterranean, and on the west by the Huerta of Murcia. 



" The country is flat, and slopes gradually to the east, where, in a deep 

 channel, flows the river Segura. The whole of this low country was saline, 

 moist, unhealthy, and covered with saline plants, such as the Salicornia, ^c. 

 until Cardinal Belluga dug canals, which have drained it, and rendered it 

 healthy. By employing the river water to irrigate the land, he has also 

 brought it to a remarkable state of fertility. The soil consists of sand and 

 marl, resting at the depth of three or four feet on a thick compact blue marl, 

 which prevents the infiltration of the water. The interior of the country, 

 to the left of the Segura, has suffered most, and especially Almoradi, the 

 largest of the towns which have been destroyed. 



" Since the commencement of the present century, this country has suffered 

 occasionally from earthquakes. On January 17, 1802, a series of shocks 

 began to be felt at Torre-la Mata and Tovrevieja, which continued till the 

 6th of February. Some houses were destroyed at this period. In 1817, 

 the shocks became more frequent; there happened no fewer than 116 in 

 three months. On the 8th of October, 1821, theie was a great trembling, 

 which lasted 26 days. On the 18th of January, 1823, there was another, 

 which overthrew several houses. The shocks were repeated more than 

 200 times in 24 hours. The effects were experienced at Carthagena, 

 Alicant, and Murcia, over the same extent as in 1829. On the 15th of 

 September, 1828, at 5 p. m. a trembling commenced, which was repeated 300 

 times in 24 hours, and destroyed several houses. These shocks continued 

 feebly, until the 11th of March, 1829, and at length ceased entirely, until the 

 2 1 St of the same month. On this day, one was experienced at noon ; and 

 the most violent took place a few seconds later than half past six p. m. 

 Then succeeded the immense vibratory shock, which totally destroyed seven 

 , towns, and partially reduced to ruins nineteen others. During the night, 

 there happened more than 100 shocks, after which they ceased. 



" From this time, noises, or slight shocks, were regularly repeated, 30 

 or 40 times every day, until the 16th of April. On this last day, at 

 7 A. M. a very violent shock was felt ; and, on the 18th, another, as alarming 

 as that of the 21st of March. 



" At Torrevieja the noise is said to have been heard for more than forty- 

 five minutes. In the month of September the noises ceased. They are 

 said to have generally resembled the firing of cannon, though sometimes 

 they gradually increased and ceased suddenly. The peasants relate, that 

 where the noises were loudest, the shocks were least perceptible. It was 

 not so, however, on the 21st of March ; 3000 buildings were then destroyed, 

 349 persons killed, and 365 wounded. The earth received an undulatory 

 motion, and every thing was overturned. At Dajanueva and Dajavieja, the 



