Mr Milne on Earthquake-Shocks felt in Great Britain. ^ 



1750. firing of cannon, as on a rejoicing day, and at the same time 

 was felt a great trembling of the earth. (Gent. Mag. v. xx.) I 

 a paper in the Trans. Roy. Soc. London (xlvi. p. 650), it is 

 mentioned that in the Isle of Wight, the shock consisted of 

 three or four slow and deliberate vibrations in an E. and W. 

 direction. The whole was attended with a noise, like thunder 

 at a great distance. The shock lasted four or five seconds. 



Mar. 19. Isle of Wight at aj p.m. 

 ... 20. Do. do. 3 or 4 A.M. 



April 2. Liverpool at 10 p.m., Chester ; Downing, near Holywell in Flint- 

 shire, at lOi P.M. It reached to Wrexham to south, and to 

 Lancaster to north (in all 70 miles). From Flintshire, to 

 Stockport and Altringham. The earthquake extended over a 

 district 40 miles N. and S., and 90 miles E. and W. Direc- 

 tion said to be NW. to SE. 

 A person went out into the open air during the shock, and saw 

 multitudes of blood red rays converging from all parts of the 

 heavens to one dark point ; but saw no luminous body. The 

 phenomenon disappeared in fifteen minutes. — (Gent. Mag. v. 

 XX. and xxiii.) A person at Liverpool who felt it says, " I was 

 in a sitting posture, and tlie motion I felt was like that of a 

 vessel falling from the top of a wave, and rising again upon the 

 next." Other observers concurred in this impression. — (Lond. 

 Phil. Trans. V. xlvi. p. 696.) 

 ... 10. Wales. 



May 4. Winbourne in Dorsetshire, at 10 a.m. There was a sudden 

 blow which shook the house very much, accompanied by a 

 noise like thunder. It was heard 20 miles round. Furniture 

 thrown down. 



Aug. 23. At 6^^ 45' a.m, in Nottingham, Refford, Scofton, Taxford, &c., 

 Grantham in Lincolnshire, Spalding, Newark, 30 miles to 

 NE. Motion from SE. to NW. Felt for 70 miles, and most 

 strongly on coast. This earthquake shook the people in their 

 beds, and made the windows jar. That morning, aud all the 

 day, was calm, — the sky very clear, and a bright sunshine. 

 For a fortnight before, the weather was mild and calm, and 

 one evening there was a deep red aurora. — (Gent. Mag. v. xx. 

 and xxiii. 456.) 

 In Lincoln, the shock was felt at 6'» 35' a.m., and the shock 

 moved N. by E. 



Sept. 18. Portsmouth at 6 p.m. Also at Isle of Wight and Bath. 

 ... 30. Before 1 p.m. at Newton (Northamptonshire) ; Culfordatl p.m. 

 about 4 miles from Bury in Suffolk ; Harborough about 12 ; 

 at Stamford Hall (Leicestershire) at 12i ; Ashby (Northamp- 

 tonshire) at 12^^ 45' ; Kilmarsh, in road from Northampton 

 to Harborough ; Peterborough ; — felt not much farther tbanr 

 Towccster. 

 Felt at Stockton, Leanungton, G miles from Warwick, but not 



