NOTF.^; — ORIC.INAI. AND SELECTED. lOI 



ago, in great part by earth removed from one end of the mound. The original 

 symmetry can be well made out in spite of this mutilation. 



The name is probabl)' derived from its being a trysting-place of the Quakers 

 under the old Five Mile Act, it being rather more than five miles from the 

 nearest market town (Braintree). It has been suggested that it is an early 

 British Barrow. — J. FRENCH. Fchttad. 



Supposed Earthquake Shock in Essex.— Our member, Dr. J. C. Thresh, 

 Medical Officer of Health for tne Maldon and Chelmsford Rural Sanitary 

 Authorities, stated in the loi-al papers that a slight shock of earthquake was felt 

 by himself and household at the " Linus," Chelmsford at twenty-two minutes to 

 twelve on Friday morning, May 27th. 



Dr. Thresh has furnished the following particulars : — "Time 11.37. Sat at 

 my desk, heard subterranean rumbling ; house shaken most distinctly. Went to 

 some workmen who are enlarging my house, and one of them had been telling 

 another that he was certain that it was an earthquake, as he was looking out of 

 the window towards Writtle, and he distinctly saw some tremor of the earth (the 

 shaking of the room would account for this. The man moved up and down, not 

 the earth). My wife, also, without any suggestion from me, said: 'An earth- 

 quake ! ' I remember distinctly the shock felt in Manchester three years ago, 

 and the house tremor and sound were exactly the same. I cannot tell what was 

 the direction of the shock. The sound was muffled, and very peculiar — quite 

 different to thunder." 



A correspondent of the " Essex County Chronicle " writes that his wife and 

 daughter were seated at home at needlework about the time named, and felt and 

 heard a seismic vibration, so much so that the latter, fearing a thunderstorm 

 was impending, put her knitting pins away. Several neighbours in Fairfield also 

 felt the disturbance, and on May 30th, " Jessie Shortt," of Little Baddow, wrote 

 as follows : — " I felt two distinct though slight shocks here. Feeling so con- 

 vinced it was an earthquake, I at once looked at the time, which was exactly 

 twenty minutes to twelve — two minutes later than the time felt in Chelmsford by 

 Dr. Thresh. I have made inquiries, and am told it was also noticed at 

 Danbury. I am quite sure it was a slight earthquake, as I have had many 

 similar experiences abroad." 



Another correspondent suggested that the \ibration, which was undoubtedly 

 felt, was caused b}^ the discharge of big guns at Shoeburyness ; but in answer 

 to our enquiries. Dr. Thresh writes as follows, under date June 7th : — "A number 

 of people observed the peculiar noise, but few observed the shock ; probably I 

 should not, had I not been sitting quietly at my desk. There had been thunder 

 earlier in the morning, and many persons thought it was merely another distant 

 peal. The biggest gun ever discharged at Shoeburyness could not cause at 

 Chelmsford a vibration of the ground such as 1 felt. It was not an air wave, but 

 a distinct movement of the earth." 



The evidence appears to be conclusive that a noticeable seismic disturbance 

 occurred in the centre of the county at the time stated. It is much to be 

 regretted that no instrumental records of these vibrations is yet possible in Essex. 

 Since the great earthquake of 1884, several shocks have been noticed ; but as 

 they were all too slight to move objects, or to cause any structural damage, it was 

 always open to the sceptic to suggest big guns or atmospheric disturbances as 

 the cause. We think it desirable, however, to put on record all observations 

 from skilled scientific observers such as Dr. Thresh. 



