Earthquakes deliver a sharp compression wave felt as a blow to the feet

Evidence

In Moodus, there have been no reported cookies cut out of turf, but the strongest of the earthquakes can be felt as well as heard. According to Mrs. Wilson, who kept records of the events (and was afterward consulted by the geologists), the bigger events were “like you got hit with a sledgehammer on the bottom of your feet.” — Eric J. Heller, Why You Hear What You Hear- An…, 718

Categorization

• QUESTION: Moodus’s earthquake sounds and this Mrs. Wilson record-keeping episode could be worth chasing; the folk nomenclature of ‘Moodus noises’ is oddly specific.
• CANDY: Earthquake felt ‘like a sledgehammer on the bottom of your feet’ is a striking, conversation-worthy image.