Colchester Earthquake: any songs?

Subject: Colchester Earthquake: any songs?
From: Penny
Date: 07 May 99 - 05:40 AM

This just came into my head while reading another thread where quakes were mentioned, and it struck me that I had never heard anything on this subject. Every now and then I find things in history that you would have thought would have been recorded in folklore, and seem to have fallen through the net without anyone taking them up either in song or story, and it's quite interesting wondering why. Does anyone know if there is anything on this one? It happened in 1884, and was big enough to count internationally, about VI on the Mercalli scale, I think, with building damage, church spires and roofs falling.

Subject: RE: Colchester Earthquake: any songs?
From: The_one_and_only_Dai
Date: 07 May 99 - 10:26 AM

Were there any local survivors left to write about it? And what is the Mercalli scale?? (Richter's jealous younger brother?)

Subject: RE: Colchester Earthquake: any songs?
From: Penny
Date: 07 May 99 - 12:58 PM

Plenty of survivors - only one death that I know of, and that was a heart attack. Fortunately it wasn't a Sunday. My brother-in-laws cousins go to one of the churches which lost a roof, so it is known about. Mercalli is to earthquakes what Beaufort is to wind, a set of observational based levels which help to classify quakes in terms of damage, ranging from I, just detectable by experienced observers when prone, through to XII, damage total, vibrations distort vision, objects thrown in air, major catastrophe. VI is felt by all, heavy objects moved, alarm, strong; VII is general alarm, weak buildings coonsiderably damaged, very strong. I think Colchester was verging on VII. When I was taken around the area on my first week in college, we had all the strengthening stays and distorted doors in cottages pointed out to us, but I somehow missed the word earthquake. I'm sure it wasn't mentioned. It would have made a boring day much more interesting.

Subject: RE: Colchester Earthquake: any songs?
From: Penny
Date: 07 May 99 - 03:35 PM

Didn't have time to expand before: Richter measures the energy produced at the centre, below the ground. Mercalli describes the effects at the epicentre, above it, and out to the very fringes of the quake. A deep quake with a high Richter number could have the same Mercalli number as a smaller quake nearer the surface. While most of our British quakes don't deserve mention in the company of folk from the western States, we do occasionally have bigger ones in the South. Being intraplate and not at plate margins, the effects spread further before dying out. The Colchester quake caused the large tower at the Houses of Parliament to shake so much that workmen had to rush downstairs, and a small tsunami was seen crossing the Thames. In the same way, the 1382 Canterbury quake was felt in London. Because they are rare, there have been few buildings to be affected in the past, though there have been a significant number of collapsed churches (eg St. Michael's at Glastonbury Tor). In 1884, old cottages survived, distorted but upright, because they did not have foundations in the earth. Since then, many buildings have been built with, understandably, little regard for earthquake proofing. Anyway, the Colchester quake was followed by a wave of salesof work and other fund raising, and I would have thought that such an event would have stirred someone to song.

Subject: RE: Colchester Earthquake: any songs?
From: Penny
Date: 07 May 99 - 03:35 PM

Didn't have time to expand before: Richter measures the energy produced at the centre, below the ground. Mercalli describes the effects at the epicentre, above it, and out to the very fringes of the quake. A deep quake with a high Richter number could have the same Mercalli number as a smaller quake nearer the surface. While most of our British quakes don't deserve mention in the company of folk from the western States, we do occasionally have bigger ones in the South. Being intraplate and not at plate margins, the effects spread further before dying out. The Colchester quake caused the large tower at the Houses of Parliament to shake so much that workmen had to rush downstairs, and a small tsunami was seen crossing the Thames. In the same way, the 1382 Canterbury quake was felt in London. Because they are rare, there have been few buildings to be affected in the past, though there have been a significant number of collapsed churches (eg St. Michael's at Glastonbury Tor). In 1884, old cottages survived, distorted but upright, because they did not have foundations in the earth. Since then, many buildings have been built with, understandably, little regard for earthquake proofing. Anyway, the Colchester quake was followed by a wave of sales of work and other fund raising, and I would have thought that such an event would have stirred someone to song. Music Hall songs, at least.

Subject: RE: Colchester Earthquake: any songs?
From: Bert
Date: 07 May 99 - 04:00 PM

Richter is used by scientists and newspapers. The Modified Mercalli Index is used by earthquake people and disaster control & emergency services folks. That's because scientists want to know how powerful an earthquake is but emergency people want to know what it did.

Penny, you constantly surprise me. I've not met anyone before, other than experts, who knew about Mercalli.

Those of you who live in earthquake areas can take some simple steps to reduce damage in your own homes.
1. Chain your water heater to the wall.
2. Fit an earthquake valve to your propane tank or gas line.
3. Fix heavy bookshelves and cabinets securely to the walls.
and so on....

Bert.

Subject: RE: Colchester Earthquake: any songs?
From: Barry Finn
Date: 07 May 99 - 04:09 PM

For other earthquake songs enter earthquake for a DT search. There's also the Flying Burrito (sp?) Brother's Sin City "this ol earthquake's gonna put me in the poorhouse". Barry

Subject: RE: Colchester Earthquake: any songs?
From: Penny
Date: 07 May 99 - 07:34 PM

Did that, and found a few. Also did Earth Science in the OU.