150 J. HOPKINSON 



of the earth : the noise was a rapid succession of detonations, 

 not loud in its approach, but in an instant equalling thunder, 

 and then in a moment dying away ; with the crash was a fearful 

 lift from beneath, directly upwards ; many bells rang, some 

 walls and ceilings were cracked, china and glass broken, and the 

 trees shook violently, although the air was calm." The crash 

 elsewhere is described as being " equal to the loudest peal of 

 thunder, yet fuller, deeper, and grander." 



In our county the principal shock was felt at Hitchin, Hemel 

 Hempstead, and Berkhamsted. At Hitchin a house trembled 

 and a noise like that of a passing train w^as heard ; at Hemel 

 Hempstead the shock was like a " swaying shiver " ; at 

 Berkhamsted the shock was only reported as " sensibly felt." 

 Hertford is mentioned as a place where no shock was felt. 



The following letter, dated " Hemel Hempstead, Tuesday, 

 Oct. 6," and signed " H. H.," appeared in 'The Times' of the 

 7th : — "A slight shock of an earthquake was experienced here 

 this morning at about 25 minutes to 4 o'clock. It lasted as 

 near as could be calculated some 15 seconds, and made itself 

 felt by a kind of swaying shiver. Thei'e was no undulatory 

 motion that I could detect." (Mr. Lowe places Hemel 

 Hempstead in Buckinghamshire.) 



This is the last recorded Hertfordshire earthquake before the 

 foimdation of our Society in 1875,*' and five which have occurred 

 since then have been described in our ' Transactions.' It would 

 be needless to repeat the accounts there given, related as fully 

 as the information which could be collected would permit, l)ut in 

 order to complete our record a brief notice of these earthquakes 

 follows. For full accoimts reference must be made to our 

 ' Transactions.' 



28^;i January, 1878. 



A shock which originated south of Paris, possibly under 

 Auvergne, was felt on the 28th of January, 1878, at many places 

 in the South of England, extending so far west as Devonshire 

 and north as St. Albans, where it was reported by Mr. H. G. 

 Martin, who felt " three or four distinct vibrations " about noon, 

 the actual time probably being neai-er 11.55. His letter to the 

 Editor of the ' Herts Advertiser,' descril>ing the shock, was 

 n^printed in my meteorological report for 1878, a few remarks 

 being added. 



* Dr. Charles Davison, whose work on the Hereford earthf|uake oi 189G is the 

 most complete account w'e possess of any British earthciuake, has drawn my 

 attention to the fact that as the Hereford earthquake of the 30th of Octoher, 

 1868, was nearly as stronj^ as that of the 6th of Octoher. 1863, and orif,nnated in 

 the same district, it "must certainly have been felt in Hertfordshire," i)Ut there 

 docs not appear to be any local record of it in our county newspapers. It extended 

 so far to the east as Blacklicafl'. , and north-eastwards to about the centre of 

 Enu'land, our countv being well within the radius of disturbance. 



