AMERICAN 
JOURNAL OF SCIENCE AND ARTS, 
[THIRD SERIES] 
Art. I.-—Notices of Recent Earthquakes ; by Prof. C. G. Rocr- 
woop, Jr., Bowdoin College. 
1. On January 16, 1872, an earthquake almost entirely 
destroyed the city of Shamaka in Russia. Over one hundred 
persons are reported to have been killed and a large amount of 
roperty destroyed, scarcely a building having been left stand- 
ing in the city. The earthquake was felt over a large extent of 
the surrounding country. Shamaka is a city of 25,000 inhabit- 
ants, lying at the southern base of the Caucasus Mountains, 
and about 75 miles west of the Caspian Sea. 
2. On February 6, at 8 o'clock A. M., a slight shock of earth- 
quake was felt at Wenona, Mich. A letter from Ed. D. Cowles 
of that place, states :—‘ The shocks were three in number and 
lasted altogether about thirty seconds, the vibrations travelling 
from the N.N.E. They jarred buildings and were plainly 
observable by persons out of doors, and were characterized by 
that peculiar rumbling sound which is noticed in subterranean 
vibrations.” 
3. On February 8, at about 5 a. M., a slight earthquake 
occurred at Cairo, Ill. A letter (in my possession) from Geo. 
Fisher of Cairo to Clinton L. Conkling of Springfield, IL, gives 
the following :—“ I was in bed on the second floor of a brick 
dwelling house. It seemed to me that something struck the 
head of my bed with considerable violence from the southeast, 
making quite a noise and shaking the entire house. The shak- 
ing continued for several seconds with varying intensity. I 
suppose that fully twenty seconds elapsed before it finally 
ceased. Persons who were up at the time seem to think that 
Am. Jour. wee bee Series, Vou, IV, No. 1.—Joxy, 1872. 
