Earthquake in Connecticut, &c. 341 
The concussions of the earth, made at the same time, are as much 
diversified as the sounds in the air. The shock they give toa 
elling house, is the same as the falling of logs on the floor. 
The smaller shocks produced no emotions of terror or fear in the 
minds of the inhabitants. 'They are spoken of as usual occur- 
rences, and are called Moodus noises. But when they are so violent 
as to be heard in the adjacent towns, they are called earthquakes. 
During my residence here, which has been almost thirty-six years, 
I have invariably observed, after some of the most violent of 
these shocks, that an account has been published in the news- 
papers, of a small shock of an earthquake, at New London and 
Hartford. Nor do I believe, in all that period, there has been an 
account published of an earthquake in Connecticut, which was 
not far more violent here than in any other place. By recurring 
to the newspapers, you will find, that an earthquake was noticed 
on the 18th May, 1791, about 10 o’clock, P. M. It was perceiv- 
ed as far distant as Boston and New York. A few minutes after 
there was another shock, which was perceptible at the distance 
of seventy miles. Here, at that time, the concussion of the 
earth, and the roaring of the atmosphere, were most tremendous. 
Consternation and dread filled every house. Many chimnies 
were untopped and walls thrown down. It wasa night much to 
be remembered ; for besides the two shocks which were noticed 
at a distance, during the night there was here a succession of 
shocks, to the number of twenty, perhaps thirty ; the effects of 
which, like all others, decreased in every direction, in proportion 
to the distances. ‘The next day, stones of several tons weight, 
were found removed from their places ; and apertures in the earth, — 
and fissures in immovable rocks, ascertained where the explosions 
were made. Since that time the noises and shocks have been 
less frequent than before; though not a year passes over us but 
some of them are perceptible.” 
It appears that the earthquake was perceived at Middle Had- 
dam on the present occasion. ‘The country in that region is of 
granite, gneiss, and other primary rocks, and has during many 
years been famous for its fine crystallized minerals,—beryl and 
emerald, chrysoberyl, tourmaline, garnet, columbite, &c. Its nu- 
merous quarries afford the most magnificent slabs of hornblende 
gneiss for pavements, and supply distant parts of the United 
States; and porcelain feldspar has been obtained there by hun- 
Vol. xxxrx, No. 2.—July-September, 1640. 44 
