202 H. G. rOEDHAM — THE EARTHQUAKE 



RoYSTOJsr. — I was awakened, as near as I can tell, about half-past 

 five by a most peculiar rumbling and grating sound, appearing to 

 come in a south-westerly direction. By the time I had done 

 speculating as to its cause, the window of my room loudly rattled, 

 and I expected to hear a sound of wind with it, but nothing more 

 was heard by me. — [Mrs.] A. E. Hughes, High Street, Royston. 



On Thursday, 17th Dec, 5.30, upon retiring to my bed I was 

 very much alarmed, owing to a violent shaking, lasting, of course, 

 only a few seconds. On inquiring next day I found nothing 

 otherwise than normal. — W. L. Farnham, Limes, The fFarren, 

 Royston. 



Eeed. — About 5.35 on the 17th Dec, I felt my bed rock from 

 north to south for three or four seconds very distinctly, and the 

 shaking of a partition gave me a fright. — John Wilson, Goodfellow 

 Farm, Reed. 



BucKLAND. — First it was like gusts of wind, and then as 

 though the house was all falling down, and the bedsteads shook 

 as though someone was shaking them, and then all was quiet. — 

 William Jarman, Hodenhoe Farm, Buckland, near Buntingford. 



Bakkway. — Mr. J. J. Balding, of Barkway, told me in conversa- 

 tion that his bed shook as if a traction-engine was passing in the 

 road. He thought it was an earthquake. Also that two ladies, in 

 different houses in the High Street, Barkway, 200 yards apart, felt 

 the shocks, and that one of them got up. — H. G. F. 



Westmill, Buntingford. — I felt the earthquake of l7th December 

 distinctly in this house. I had been awake some time, and was just 

 falling asleep when I was startled by feeling my bedroom heave 

 gently up and down. The bed-curtains rustled and the curtain- 

 rings rattled. There were no other sounds, and the night was very 

 still. I did not look at my watch, so cannot fix the time, except 

 that it was early morning. — Louisa R. Greg, Coles, Buntingford. 



* Braughing. — Shocks were felt by my wife, sons, and daughter, 

 in bed on first and second floors, about 5.30 a.m. I slept through 

 it. They say they all felt the bed shake considerably for some 

 time, but they cannot give any exact account either of their 

 sensations or of the duration. Nothing was thi'own down. I 

 fancy some fresh cracks were made in ceilings, but no plaster fell. 

 I do not think any sound was heard here, but a good many people 

 in the neighbourhood were disturbed by the motion. — P. G. Ward, 

 [Vicar], Braughing Vicarage, Ware. 



Bishop's Stoetfoed. — On Thursday morning, between half-past 

 five and six o'clock, an inhabitant of Bishop's Stortford was aroused 

 by the peculiar movement of the bed. It, and the room in which 

 it stood, shook so much that under ordinary Stortford circumstances 

 it would have occasioned no little alarm ; but the occupant, 

 reflecting that the town was now the happy possessor of a steam- 

 roller, and tliat it was doubtless rumbling along on its way to some 

 early rendezvous, turned contentedly over and peacefully went to 

 sleep again. The shock was distinctly felt in many parts of 

 Hertfordshire, and as far east as the borders of Essex. It was 



