Quotation from: Ulysses

Written by: James Joyce


The catastrophe was terrific and instantaneous in its effect. The
observatory of Dunsink registered in all eleven shocks, all of the fifth
grade of Mercalli's scale, and there is no record extant of a similar
seismic disturbance in our island since the earthquake of 1534, the
year of the rebellion of Silken Thomas. The epicentre appears to have
been that part of the metropolis which constitutes the Inn's Quay
ward and parish of Saint Michan covering a surface of fortyone acres,
two roods and one square pole or perch. All the lordly residences in
the vicinity of the palace of justice were demolished and that noble
edifice itself, in which at the time of the catastrophe important
legal debates were in progress, is literally a mass of ruins beneath
which it is to be feared all the occupants have been buried alive.
From the reports of eyewitnesses it transpires that the seismic waves
were accompanied by a violent atmospheric perturbation of cyclonic
character. An article of headgear since ascertained to belong to the much
respected clerk of the crown and peace Mr George Fottrell and a silk
umbrella with gold handle with the engraved initials, crest, coat of arms
and house number of the erudite and worshipful chairman of quarter
sessions sir Frederick Falkiner, recorder of Dublin, have been discovered
by search parties in remote parts of the island respectively, the former
on the third basaltic ridge of the giant's causeway, the latter embedded
to the extent of one foot three inches in the sandy beach of Holeopen
bay near the old head of Kinsale. Other eyewitnesses depose that they
observed an incandescent object of enormous proportions hurtling through
the atmosphere at a terrifying velocity in a trajectory directed
southwest by west. Messages of condolence and sympathy are being
hourly received from all parts of the different continents and the
sovereign pontiff has been graciously pleased to decree that a
special MISSA PRO DEFUNCTIS shall be celebrated simultaneously by
the ordinaries of each and every cathedral church of all the episcopal
dioceses subject to the spiritual authority of the Holy See in suffrage of
the souls of those faithful departed who have been so unexpectedly called
away from our midst. The work of salvage, removal of DEBRIS, human remains
etc has been entrusted to Messrs Michael Meade and Son, 159 Great
Brunswick street, and Messrs T. and C. Martin, 77, 78, 79 and 80 North
Wall, assisted by the men and officers of the Duke of Cornwall's light
infantry under the general supervision of H. R. H., rear admiral, the
right honourable sir Hercules Hannibal Habeas Corpus Anderson, K. G.,
K. P., K. T., P. C., K. C. B., M. P, J. P., M. B., D. S. O., S. O. D.,
M. F. H., M. R. I. A., B. L., Mus. Doc., P. L. G., F. T. C. D.,
F. R. U. I., F. R. C. P. I. and F. R. C. S. I.

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Created: 2007-2-22T12:35:29Z
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