Personal Narrative Of Travels To The Equinoctial Regions Of America During The Years 1799-1804 - Volume 1 - By Alexander Von Humboldt And Aime Bonpland.
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Its Direction Was From North To South, Which Is
Rare At Cumana.
Slaves, who were drawing water from a well more
than eighteen or twenty feet deep, near the river Manzanares, heard
a noise like the explosion of a strong charge of gunpowder.
The
noise seemed to come from the bottom of the well; a very curious
phenomenon, though very common in most of the countries of America
which are exposed to earthquakes.
A few minutes before the first shock there was a very violent blast
of wind, followed by electrical rain falling in great drops. I
immediately tried the atmospherical electricity by the electrometer
of Volta. The small balls separated four lines; the electricity
often changed from positive to negative, as is the case during
storms, and, in the north of Europe, even sometimes in a fall of
snow. The sky remained cloudy, and the blast of wind was followed
by a dead calm, which lasted all night. The sunset presented a
picture of extraordinary magnificence. The thick veil of clouds was
rent asunder, as in shreds, quite near the horizon; the sun
appeared at 12 degrees of altitude on a sky of indigo-blue. Its
disk was enormously enlarged, distorted, and undulated toward the
edges. The clouds were gilded; and fascicles of divergent rays,
reflecting the most brilliant rainbow hues, extended over the
heavens. A great crowd of people assembled in the public square.
This celestial phenomenon, - the earthquake, - the thunder which
accompanied it, - the red vapour seen during so many days, all were
regarded as the effect of the eclipse.
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