In 1755 , about 4:15 am on Tuesday , November 18 , was the most destructive earthquake yet known in New England . The first pulsations of the ground were followed for about a minute of tremulous motion . Next came a quick vibration and several jerks much worse than the first . Houses rocked and cracked ; furniture fell over . Dr. Edward A. Holyoke , of Salem , wrote in his diary that he " thought of nothing less than being buried instantly in the ruins of the house . " The shaking continued for two to three minutes more , and seemed to move from northwest to southeast . The ocean along the coast was affected ; ships shook so much that sleeping sailors awoke , thinking they had run aground . In Boston , the earthquake threw dishes on the floor , stopped clocks , and bent vane-rods on churches and Faneuil Hall . Stone walls collapsed . New springs appeared , and old springs dried up . Subterranean streams changed their courses , emptying many wells . The worst damage was to chimneys . In Boston alone , about a hundred were leveled ; about fifteen hundred were damaged , the streets in some places almost covered with fallen bricks . Falling chimneys broke some roofs . Many wooden buildings in Boston were thrown down , and some brick buildings suffered ; the gable ends of twelve or fifteen were knocked down to the eaves . Despite the danger and many narrow escapes , no one was killed or seriously injured . Aftershocks continued for four days
most destructive earthquake
1755 Cape Ann earthquake
History of Massachusetts