of remarking the effects of this terrible phenomenon on many buildings. The upper floors, of houses built on level ground, suffer most. Churches and public buildings of large dimensions were shaken with great violence, and suffered, comparatively speaking, more: where, however, the buildings were strongly constructed, and well cemented with mortar, their resistance was greater, and in a great measure they remained intact and unshaken. Iron chain bars, the good qualities of which we have ere now appreciated, have saved a great number of buildings."
The station referred to in the preceding, at which Signor D'Errico was situated on the night of the earthquake, is almost midway and in a right line, between the towns of Genzano and Gravina: it is precisely in the latitude of Naples (39°·45' N.), and is 89 to 90 geographical miles, due east of that city, or long. 16° 13' 15" east of Greenwich.
The time of sunset at this station on the 16th December, 1857, was
| h. | m. | s. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 33 | 22 | mean local time | |
| Naples, west of station, in time | 0 | 7 | 50 | |
| 4 | 25 | 32 | sunset at the station |
by Naples mean time.
We must assume, however, that Signor D'Errico's watch, was going by Potenza, (his own town's) time.
The time of sunset at Potenza (N. lat. 40° 40') on the 16th December, 1857, was
