THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Friday, August 4, 1995                 TAG: 9508040501
SECTION: LOCAL                    PAGE: B5   EDITION: FINAL 
SOURCE: NEWPORT NEWS DAILY PRESS 
DATELINE: YORKTOWN                           LENGTH: Short :   34 lines

YORK, GLOUCESTER COUNTIES SHAKE DURING MINOR QUAKE THE RATTLE LASTED ONLY A SECOND OR TWO, AND FEW SAID THEY COULD FEEL IT.

A minor earthquake rumbled portions of York and Gloucester counties Thursday morning.

The quake measured 2.6 on the Richter scale, according to scientists at the Virginia Tech Seismological Observatory, who detected the quake on instruments in Goochland County west of Richmond and in Blacksburg. Magnitude 2 is the smallest normally felt by humans, while a 3.5 magnitude has the potential for slight damage.

The quake, centered under the York River near York River State Park, took place at 9:07 a.m. and lasted only a few seconds, said Matthew Sibol, a researcher at the Virginia Tech observatory.

``The actual earthquake itself probably took a second or two,'' Sibol said. ``The vibrations could last several seconds.''

At magnitude 2.6, the quake could easily have gone undetected by many people or simply been mistaken for a passing truck. Stephanie Turner, manager of the York River State Park, said she and her staff were unaware that anything had occurred.

But some people at nearby Camp Peary told the Virginia Tech scientists they felt the quake. by CNB