236 MITCHILL ON THE EARTHQUAKES OF 1811, 1812, AND 1813. 



The beautiful comet was visible in the northwest during the whole 

 month. 



The inhabitants of Savannah were sensible of four earthquakes. The 

 first was on the morning of the 16th December, between two and three 

 o'clock. It, was preceded by a flash of light, and a rattling noise, 

 resembling that of a carriage passing over a paved road. It lasted 

 about a minute. A second soon succeeded, but its duration was shorter. 

 A third happened about eight o'clock ; and a fourth about noon on the 

 17th. Persons who experienced the hardest shock, were made to 

 totter, as if on shipboard. Its course was believed to be from south- 

 west to northeast. 



It was observed, by Dr. Macbride of Pineville, (S. C.) that the 

 earthquake terrified the inhabitants exceedingly. It was accompanied 

 by several appearances that countenances the theory of this phenome- 

 non, which brings in the agency of the electric fluid. 1. The unfre- 

 quency or absence of thunder storms; that is, they were much less 

 frequent this year than usual, especially in the autumn. 2. Imme- 

 diately before the earthquake, a red appearance of the clouds, which 

 had much darkened the water for twenty-four hours immediately before 

 the shock; and, 3. The loudness of the thunder, and the number of the 

 peals within twenty-four hours after the first shock, and but a few hours 

 before the last, which was felt before he wrote. Such thunder was 

 very unusual at that season. 



At Natchez, the occurrences, as related by a careful observer, were 

 as folloAv: Four shocks were felt on the morning of the 16th. The 

 principal one was at ten minutes after two, A. M. There was no noise, 

 except in a few situations. Several clocks were stopped. Articles, 

 in some instances, fell from the shelves. Plastered walls were some- 

 times cracked. The Mississippi was agitated as if the banks were 

 falling in. The trees in the forests waved their tops. Many houses 



