A moderate earthquake near Evansville, Ind., Tuesday was felt as far away as Greater Cincinnati.

        According to officials from the U.S. Geological Survey in Golden, Colo., which tracks earthquakes, the quake occurred at 1:38 p.m. and was a magnitude 5.0. The epicenter was 10 miles northwest of Evansville near the small town of Darmstadt, about 185 miles from Cincinnati.

        Tremors from the earthquake rattled church bells and nerves. The only dam age immediately reported was cracked chimneys and broken glass in the Evansville area, said Alden Taylor, spokesman for the Indiana state emergency management agency.

        “Initially, it was this thunderous noise. And then the actual vibration. We actually saw the building moving,” said Vicki Stuffle, an employee of Old National Bank in Darmstadt. “That was one shock. Another came right after and it was just as bad.”

        There were no reports of damage in Greater Cincinnati, although some police agencies got calls from residents reporting the shaking.

        Attila Kilinc, head of the geology department at the University of Cincinnati, said his department's equipment indicated that the earthquake originated 5 kilometers below the surface.

        “I didn't feel it but some people in the building did,” said Mr. Kilinc.

        The quake was felt at least 250 miles away, as far north as South Bend and as far south as Memphis, Tenn. It also was felt in much of Illinois, Kentucky, Ohio and Tennessee.

        In December 2000, a 3.9 magnitude quake hit near the same area, but caused no major damage or injuries.

       
       The Associated Press contributed to this report.
       

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