THE EARTHQUAKE IN EASTERN MEXICO OF THE 

 SECOND OF JANUARY, 1866. 



BY DR. CHARLES SARTORIUS, OF 3I1RAD0R, NEAR HUATASCO, DISTRICT OF CORDOVA, 

 STATE OP VERA CRUZ, MEXICO. 



[From a letter addressed to the Smithsonian Institution.] 



On the 2cl of January, 1866, at six hours ten minutes in the evening, the 

 earth shook without detonations ; the movement seemed to be vertical, and lasted 

 some ten seconds ; then followed a strong shock from west to east ; after eight 

 seconds another equally strong, succeeded by strong oscillations which endured 

 for about twenty seconds, and finally subsided in a tremulous motion. The du- 

 ration of the whole phenomenon I estimated here at one minute. The beams 

 of houses creaked and were perceptibly moved ; doors opened and closed ; uten- 

 sils were thrown down from west to east ; mirrors and pictures on the wall shook 

 to and fro ; and a pendulum, which 1 had suspended by a long string, exhibited 

 vibrations of one yard for ten minutes after the whole was over. The column 

 of the barometer sank and rose — the magnetic needle vibrated. These were the 

 phenomena here, but no walls were fractured, and the high chimneys of the 

 steam and sugar factories remained uninjured. The hills consist throughout of 

 conglomerates, which may be observed in ravines to the depth of 500 feet. 



Huatasco lies about ten miles (English) south from this place, surrounded 

 by volcanic hills, (trachite and lava,) in a southwardly direction from which 

 project three mountain craters, composed of crystalline limestone. Here the 

 effects were much stronger. In the cathedral a part of the dome fell in ; the 

 walls of many houses were ruptured ; hundreds of earthen and porcelain vessels 

 were dashed to pieces. In two neighboring villages the churches were de- 

 stroyed, and large masses of rock were detached in the adjacent limestone 

 mountains and rolled into the valley. 



The focus and centre of the whole concussion was the volcano of Orizava, 

 which rises ten miles southwestwardly from Huatasco. At its foot, on the east 

 side, lies the city of Coscomatepec, of 4,000 inhabitants. Here the concussion 

 was so violent that the new and strongly-built parish church, with cupola and 

 trebly vaulted dome, was reduced to ruins ; many private houses were rendered 

 uninhabitable ; many walls overthrown, but no human life was lost. On the 

 west side of the great mountain, the city of St. Andres Chalchicomula suffered 

 more than any other ; several churches and numerous houses were destroyed, 

 and many of the inhabitants buried under the ruins. 



The history of the country infornis us that the volcano was in activity from 

 1559 to 1569, but has since been at rest. Yet, although eruptions may have 

 ceased, certain it is that the flame in its depths has not been quenched. This 

 is manifested by the columns of smoke which ascend from time to time, thcj^- 

 marolles on the sides, glowing hot rocks on the western declivity, hot sulphu- 

 rous springs at the eastern foot, &c. On the morning after the earthquake it 

 was observed that the snow-covered cone (3,000 feet^ the absolute height of the 

 ^mountain being 17,800 feet) was almost bare of snow on the south side, while 

 the southwest border of the crater had fallen and a vertical cleft of the highest 

 peak had taken place. This cleft traversed the entire summit, and from its 



