ON-EATHQUAKES IN SCOTLAND. 195 



took place in the south of Scotland. Of these an account has now to be 

 given. — A few days after the occurrence of the earthquake, the Member of 

 Committee resident at Comrie communicated with me ; and having seen in 

 the newsjiapers notices of other places where the earthquake had been felt, 

 I entered into correspondence with gentlemen in the various districts. In 

 the end of September I visited several of these districts, and made inquiries 

 in person. From the facts thus made known to me the following account 

 has been drawn up ; but before proceeding with it, I have to express my 

 obligations to the following gentlemen for the kind manner in which they 

 complied with my request, and communicated at once all the observa- 

 tions made by themselves, and facts collected from others on whom they 

 could depend : — Dr. Campbell and Eev. James Muir, Bridge of Allan ; Eev. 

 "William Blair, Dunblane ; Mr. J. Stirling Home-Drummond, of Ardoch, 

 Braco ; Dr. William Bryce and Mr. David Cousin, both from Edinburgh, the 

 former happening to be at Crieff at the time, and the latter at Bridge of 

 Allan ; Mr. P. Macfarlane and Mr. J. Brough, Comrie ; Sir David Dundas, 

 of Dunira, Comrie ; and llev. J. E. H. Thomson, B.D., Blair Logie. Dr. 

 Campbell's evidence is especially valuable, as he resided for some time in 

 Upper Strathearn, where earthquakes are of frequent occurrence and were 

 often experienced by him, and as he is in the constant practice of accurate 

 every-day observations of meteorological instruments for a register kept by 

 him at the usual hours. Mr. Macfarlane and Mr. Brough at Comrie possess, 

 of course, like advantages. Mr. Cousin also had the advantage of previous 

 experience in observations of this kind, an earthquake having occurred while 

 he was resident in Algeria. A similar advantage was enjoyed by the Eev. 

 J. E. H. Thomson ; at the instant when the shock occurred he was in con- 

 versation in his own house with two ladies, one of whom had resided for 

 some years in Valparaiso, where earthquakes are of very common occurrence, 

 as is well known. 



The earthquake took place on the 8th of August, 1872, at from 8™ to 10" 

 past 4 o'clock in the afternoon. The day was warm and perfectly still. In 

 the early part of the day there had been alternations of a cloudy and clear 

 sky ; but at the hour mentioned only the western part of the horizon showed 

 cloudy masses, the sky overhead and eastwards was free from cloud of any 

 kind. The barometer rose slightly during the day, from 29-800 at 10 a.m. 

 to 29-975 at 10 p.m. The maximum temperature of the day, in the shade, 

 was 64°-3 F. ; the minimum temperature of the night preceding was 53°-8 F., 

 of the night following 51° F. No perceptible change in the temperature or 

 character of the atmosphere as to wind and cloud took place after the shock. 



The successive phases, according to almost all the observers, were : — a 

 noise or sound, loud, heavy and rumbling; a shock with a shaking and 

 rattling of objects ; and a wave-like motion of the ground. The noise or 

 sound is compared to the sound of thunder, to that made by a, heavy waggon 

 on a stony street, to the emptying of a cart of small stones or rubbish, to 

 the noise one hears when under a bridge over which a heavy train is pass- 

 ing. Many who were within doors supposed that a heavj^ piece of furniture 

 had fallen on the floor of an adjoining room. A clergyman was standing on 

 the hearthrug in his study, and, hearing a sudden noise or crash, imagined a 

 chimney-stack was falling, and rushed instantly into a position of safety. 

 Finding this surmise incorrect, he referred the noise to the faU of a ward- 

 robe in the next room. This surmise also proving incorrect, he went imme- 

 diately down stairs and found his servants panic-stricken. In the nursery 

 the nurse had i-ushcd to the window and screamed in alarm to her mistress, 



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