As Prophesied, "It" Did Not Last Long - Eight Or Ten Seconds At
Most, Which Seemed To Me An Hour.
Not the least unpleasant sensation
was a low, rumbling noise, like distant thunder, that accompanied the
shock.
It seemed to come from the very bowels of the earth.
"We have them every day," said J - - at breakfast, placidly, "but
one soon gets used to them." My host was obliged to acknowledge
reluctantly that this morning's shock was "a little sharper than
usual"! It was sharp enough, Gerome afterwards told me, to send all
the people of Kazeroon running out of their houses into the street.
Common as the "Zil-Zillah" [D] is in these parts, the natives are
terrified whenever a shock occurs. The great Shiraz earthquake some
years ago, when over a thousand lost their lives, is still fresh in
their minds.
An easy ride, through a pretty and fertile country, brought us to
the telegraph-station of Konar Takta, where Mr. E - - , the clerk in
charge, had prepared a sumptuous breakfast. But we were not destined
to enjoy it. They had, said Mr. E - - , experienced no less than nine
severe shocks of earthquake the night before, one of which had rent
the wall of his house from top to bottom. His wife and children were
living in a tent in the garden, and most of the inhabitants of the
village had deserted their mud huts, and rigged up temporary shanties
of palm leaves in the road. "We will have breakfast, anyhow," continued
our host.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 142 of 226
Words from 37403 to 37657
of 60127
