The Express.
London, England, 1856-03-29 00:00:00

EARTHQUAKE IN CALIFORNIA.

(From the 4' sin Fraacisto Ur raid.")

The severest shot•k of earthquske ever experienced
in this vie oiey tune the et Vitrneat of California by Ame-
ricans, occurred on Fr.day morning, at just twenty-four
minutes past 5 o'clock. Every buil•ring in this city' and
vicinity sho k to its toutra.i,o3, and in tome quarters the
houses rw...y.d and ro,l-d as veetela in a heavy lea.
The inapt s t f every dwelling were awakened, and some
were wen thrown lei:With. it beds, so violent we• Vie @heck.
Many persios tio.hed into the strecte, and bu' Oat the air-
eamstance of their eunden appeara..ce W-1 of a eliar,eter to
produce smisatioi a of terror rather Van sentiment, the
revise world have been 'most ludicrous. The large hotels
ware d•po, ulcted instant, r, end in th, general rash articles
of furniture were thrown down, cecasiening noises which
aided considerably to the cotter and cocito.oa closed by
the earthquake.

In the upper stories of the large brick buldir es the vio •
lent motion produced a peneral comm Alto ern.: e rackety
wars. ess•ls con eining liquid, w. re locoed over,
either by the sh, ek r r ot the Leary of the inmates
to mace. Every distu.bance ws credited to the earth-
quake however, aid it 'mimed to be an almcst unanimous
impression Vet: S n Franc,eco was .bout to share the fate
of Jeddo. The howiinu of d ,es, sod fearful b xieg of
cattle in the subu.be, produced a fitting eccatipaelment to
the scene. Even the pens broke from their pens and ran
away gruavor with (rigk•. The horses tied in nil!. fairly
shreked w.th terror, and tried ,o break their balers. in-
deed, everything anisette and inanimate was more er less
affected by the *heck. We bear of some very remarkable
incidents of bird. seeking refuge wreathe impendierdanner
by fl ght throuun open window.. From night watchmen
and other., a duties kips them from sleep, we learn
that there worn sect MI el ght shocks protium t t tie heavy
shock.

The last shock w.s preceded by a sound as of • heavy
gust of wind pa.•u.g through the c. Wage of
and the motion .4 es acco•apamed by a rumbling
coke like that which is proauc ;d by • heavily
freighted with ell pawing rapidly over • wood's

bridge. The shock interred at twrntl-four 'Litotes last
o'clock, apparently ramping from south-west to north east.
end lasted about fifteen tem& The motion W 4.5 hod.
aortal and usdulating. Some persons describe the motion
as of a whirling nature; but this could not have been the
cue with-nit occasioning much greater data:urge to the
masonry of the br ck a d atone buildings. It is evident
that the v &once of the shock was differently experienced in
various par s of the city. In some localities to the suberbe
it, d.gree of vi,letce was much greater than in others. In
seri ril instate s the vibrations wrrc so great as to overturn
heavy pi.cso of furniture. Again, tha motion is compared
to that produced on • hipboard when the side of the teasel is
struck by a la,avy IC rudders shock without vibration.
Very few pert° :s escaped being aroused by the shock, hat
some there are of win m it is said that they slept on undia-
torbed thrlugh the whole.
Some estimate may be formed of the violence of the shock
when it is sta'ed that a man aleep,ng en the third &or of
the Custom-bou:e building was thrown from his bed to the
fi war. The walls of this building are comprised of masonry
capable of resisting a broairide from a ship of the line.
Notwithstanding its immense bulk and strength, the build-
ing was tooted like a feather on the wave.

There was a scene of unusual terror and excitement in
Montgomery Bloc 4, the large and substan.ial ruilchog on
Montgomery-street, between Merchant and Washington-
streets. As soon u the first movement in the building oe-
corred, the inmates of tie various rooms were awakened
and leaped to their doors in tie greatest imaginable baste.

The different balls in the successive etcries of the build-
ing were soon filled with the terror-stricken occupant., each
running hither and thither in their steeping habiliments to-
wards the var:ous stairways which lead .ewn into the street.
Some of ttose who occupied apartments in the fourth or
highest story rus►ed from their rooms regardlese of their
nudity, and came jumping, leaping, and tumbling down the
first and wood flights of stairs, clearing them in a bound
or two at the most, and, with white lips and chattering
teeth, held their way until they reached the ground, where
they stood in amesement and doubt until the cold air end
the absence of terrestrial commotion calmed their fears and
reminded them that the apartments which they had vacated
were more comfortable than thou into which they had so
suddenly precipitated themselves. The building was cer-
tainly jelled with great violence by the quake, but it moved
as though it stood upon elastic springs. Not the slightest
cracking or evidence et • coaspse was heard or seen in any
per: of it.
The consternation among the inmates of the liege hotels
occasioned scenes which may be better imagined then
described. The pc p alation of the Bassett. House rushed,
tumbled, or precipitated itself down the stairwsys and into
the street; and such en array of beauty unadorned was
never before witnessed in San Francisco. This edifice, it
is said, shows no marks of injury by the shock. The manes
at Wilson's Exchange. St. Nicto'as Hotel and Interne-
towl Hotel, wire equary remarksb:e. The ounpants of
Wilson's Exchange took refuge in the Tehama House,
which is a frame, and con►equently in lets danger than the

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other. Many of the inmates of the International loud
their way en mane to the Plaza, where, Lee the'r com-
panions in !Emery, they shared each with the, other such
articles of apparel u had been caught up in the hurry of
flight.
Hundreds of the readouts of the central p Minn of the
city rushed to tte Pleas, naturally thiokieg that the open
space would Lifer i them greater refuge than the roof of a
topplieg buiiding. When the shock was over, the rush for
pantaloote sad pettic ',to was quite RA great.
. .

-
As an avidrecs of the alarm which had wised moat of the
residents about the Pun, for equates distant they were
found a' the New l'i rk Bakery, scar t` corner cf Clay
and Kearney streets, clamouring kr cafe, as • sedative
fir tit, it ►lmost palsied . The same scene ok place
st other restaurants in the vicinity of the various markets,
which ere usually cleated at an early hour, in order tO
accommodate the butchers and stall-keepers of various
kinds. The proprietors dealt out the soothing became
naapsringly, u if equ‘lly rejoiced at being este to relieve
the each, meat of tie r patrons, and the consciousness that
mutual danger hid passed away.

The fire wall of the nrrth side of the be'ck building et
the corner of Oregon and Frost streets, occupied by God-
leis and Co., fs 1 over into the street. The wall was bat
eight Inches is thicknear, and badly put up at that.
The front wall of Wilson's Exchange Building, on San-
ioate.etreet, tear the south end, is cracked from the foun-
dation to the roof. In its present condition, the a uthera
portion of the building is quits unsafe.
The walls of the building No. 7G, Frout-e'rer t, occupied
as %stove store by Bri•ten and Co., are cracked in a num►et
of places. The building will pr ibably have to be taken
down.

The southern wall of tho City Bail Building, on the lies
of stairway ascending to the spoor stories, is cracked from
the foundation ti the roof. The wall photer has fallen off
in a number of plec.e. A number of brick It ai.diogs in the
lower portion of the city ors slightly racked, but in most
fasteners the damages may he easily repaired.
The shocks were particularly see_ re in that pottioa of the
city known as Bt. Ann's Valley, being the continuation of
Market-street from its intereect:on with Dupont-west to
the • enity of Yerbs Buena Cemetery, and lona between
the low range ef taud-h:lis through which P.ot and
I Bevy streets are cstended on the other. From 5

o•clack op to the toranaructersett of the earthquake the w•'
tire cosine popel•tioa of the vslley (which unluckily hap-
pear to be only ten •naerou for the c orlon and peen of
th. ct,,.: claws of inhabitaats) were up and busy with
their threats. It is • li tie siapuhir that with the ootarsenee-
nest of the usisarth y rasbti•p (which eousded like the
pouf( c. a • itus•trais or hoary litTery waggons) the
claetoo• u• . • ' •re to a eowirlete eft Incas, only broke* by
the snl••• ,r,,41 •Ss relerr.•d to, and the creaking
an 4 wraricir of !be cairns habitation of w cod which most
abo and is this wow ty.
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One .1 the sweetie concreted with this office, who bad
pose borne dn,4 r end. avourieur to comprehead tb•
eo7vat of the lady, calani.y, of which news had been to-
_
n.se • teenier. ondd•• ly w. In to the eOniciolitalle
A in th
ILIA a teed •hle MLitt Tithe ( with • yow• r nod ond:hation
that put et on`l. -lip. tape and spiritual Email. 'tattoos he dm
biub) woe yr. Kam g the J gooses* visitation with • degree
a troth fa:ons • y @twee kr acing than wale omfortebk.
Throve 4 ost tt • • Ley pictorou sod at non Were jarred from
their fLiees Oa tee IPA p alt•riog crocked, and is some
Matances—in otorea—u o,'e oho.ves of battles ttrnen on the
doer. The tit, it 1: 1.1 for saw tee coda, and occurred and
re:wed with • ev hemeore lb •0 • Ineatened no "let op'.
velwenr. AT y person who has bad the doohtfial pleasure
of a stsre rode over tin heavy 00640 in the Waimea States
dinar ate •rird, end temente n the peculiar j soling CC-
dhf th p note, of oho v. a'c'e user rustic tridges or
siduebs 'anted w.. 11 Toted ysle4 or orto Cell form a very
truthful don of the enot.es imp aced in the room upturn.
It did not mem to come from east t • we.t, or from north or
south, but woe a general rotary ny-heaving. On the Sam
dyiody away of iho trernaolyue and vibtedory motion of
the earth, one :wilt and shrieking howl, prolonged some
swab, by Peat I...relied dor, gave the sige4 for • gerliral
opening. as 4 envy " mon. rel appy, whelp, and bond,
with ewe of low degree," w.t, ia the unsure circainfinetiee of
the valley, gm vent to • M.. 0 of the moat di..bcl c d and
hand. haellyngs tad yelp:ago lb 4 home' ears ever listened
I*, mod thus terminated the bigot and the adventure in tbi•

In the 'Weiey et South Park the shock Witt particelarly
great. kin yet the dereliiegs were ly shah( n, and
ewe of tli.re partially stripped of the plastering of the
*oilier. At he basso al Captain Riebie a most alfretiag
sad beautiful 111. :dent o marred. It appears that fbe cham-
herm•id is tbu employ of the family arose a few manatee
pit:view tt the Shoals k and sat engaged I. dreaming. The
tf her room wee open. Immediately alter the
tribrat'on et the earth bad reared, the was It. r.led by a
reshirg, eutter,ng roue in the from, and on b.ok Mg round
imbeerr 1 a privy whit.-1•f ed pip on fly in at the window
alai fall appareatly lif oa the floor. She aprraeched it,
pake I it up, act. ameuvered that late was not extinct in the
frightrecd trr I, by the violent palpitation of its heart. Is
a few moseects ft wavered and gave evident symptoms of
relief. The bird was anymestionably frightened by the
quaking of the moth, ass was peekape lucky in falling into
the hands of • kind rattily, who wilt, or ought to, treasure
it sa a memento of .he great stake of February,lBl6.
The old beige, "It is an all wind that blows nobody,
taxi," was lul.y illestrated t.) the bonnier, at the Itasette
bias.. Upon warning to their apartments yesterday
mealier, atter tt e ati ck. a number of them took up their
quarters is other 1.04kel sod, upon returning to their
roome in hour liter, toned that the time of their absence
had been WI !I imprortd by the thieves. Some &sea rooms
were robbed dor og Its. time.

At 31issioa 1) .lores t'.. Ouch was very great. Most of
the tempests of the batlthaps were thrown from tivir
beds, and every snide of furniture in the rooms was dis-
placed. Th • shoran ws Is and portions of the walls of the
other hie-Wings wire rent in v-rloaa p sees.
Ws Itarn th►t the ah• eh was very severe at Sea Jose.
The Cliftt,lo H tel building sway, d like the bough of a tree
in a gale of *WA, sad deeanteis and ereckeryware
dashed in fragments from the shelves. We have a similar
account Isom S .nta

la o t e• caa was felt, preceded by a low whist-
ling or r oann.g soaad.

From ill aCC3III2tI Its Arab is Contra Cott" wee even
run et ‘• rely ti.t. Mut in t iis eity. The destruction of
wia'ow gl.at at Ouland w.. quite fearful, very few houses
"umpire. Aeeeon•' from Ems Animal°, Alameda, and j
Chian are tot .e pimp efUct

The oh. ea of the euthquake (.ass the Son Jannis Re-
pidhcan) •a. sensibly feit by our misses on Friday morn-
ing, about 6.2.5 Tee shtick was of sufficient foree to pro-
duce taus*. of the .tmaaeb in some, end awoke others who
upwieaced it. The vihratios was horizratal sat from
oast to woo.

The Monism &Wulf: of the 16th ssya—f. A bard shock
of eartbqoaar, commit sl psvently frogs the north-ant, was
felt ia Ots t 4 w a at 20 mantes past 6 o'clock pesterday
Rusin "

MIL ANDITAOS.-.-TIIL FIZZ AT

Ttiisovaa.-11, Ao.denois has &ideated a long litter to the
Tows troweling against tee inainnatioes •hica bare been
directed tot/ants h sa in et:inaction wi.h the destrae*ioa of
Corsi glades Tnratre. For all commercial paretic., he
says, the Boy Mara wattle. Opee. "Bs bad at grit ob.
jested so its tallied plats; but oa say repretsatiog to his wh-
aler that I knew of oo otter masa (owing ate heavy
Item I lad great,' atoned) whereby to rails • sem sue.
cleat to pay the bra .e• of the not outateedir g. sad on my
easeating • Nati ariaemeat of the proceeds of the soon-
tautest to Mr. Gyr, ,hat poileata on Wing again ram-
atealeeted with gave his oassar, so the and' rstanding
stated abet. • sad la petformaisee of ley mat of tt 'metres(
Vl@ whole a; te• sem resolved. useantiag to 70W, tad
which heel Lyn Weed fee estety, when the co.ifi titan a
broke out, at oho p Lee stet oa, Bo e-ttreet, by my steretary.
was. on lay written order, bestir! ever to
(310. aad P now as bee pC•Wallell. AA iaceadiary,
study, would hew pltjed ht. cards better thee this." As
to the dogmas tow desisrcd to ham Mee brought spew
the thew,. by bye swops ey, Ili. Aatusoa sake why this
was ant dicatred es we ' Why, Man a moseyed teams
could set be I' ens d, wee the jogyltie sassy so manly se-
ccpted 1 May, eo long mite wee grapnel's' was the jaggier
be-pstiord awl br-temp imested? Mlty.whes fortune for the
mamas frame apes him, is he lo Lel spa @nth, ',west ef
the low, t Whole{ tt. vat. 1 Woo, whew I lett the Lyon
Ts cre, eller at alma aspreeediateely esecessiel am-
pap, d ,gut s• my taking Coast Garden I The Tress
Queered a s d.c dead s-sw. fnr ma; bat I as aowanfaitentu,
end lan mow. a butt (Cr t•qy acrebbl shaft—seemed at
es • Mirry.Aadrew, or dual, b. oastrd as a ew.ai '
Wy patentee era., trassee retail?, a faders. I did my
beet milt it, awl I did sty ben.: afterwards to right myself
hymens, by &tsar, ems by my mach %bused Bt4 Mayas!.
SUMS I did set stairs: ; hat I may be permuted t • ark
my gypsy, my tndeswea, ad my heather semipro a
few questions ? Have ay canes or artisans ate r gem ea
half eater... or fond an empty treasury ea awards, ?
Man I eV r pasettred to arestwoatie vies, by giving Oa-
garments Is the balite. la easbaege It, sebsuiptioas for
stalls sad private boats ? Rave I ever Mowed the rapid
witliap of fashios—hnes I permitted ems my ears frieade
to daga bobbed my eases ? Bays lem 661mm/ea to
repediate et ea evade was jam doused ayes set 1 hem
Caveat Gerdes Open for atm wake, I ham waspd ao mss
if is. firth's', and I hart tilled like a slam to please the
polka. Bet cm the lam eight a my testacy the Mesta),
by ai seeideat, itevitabie and saageOnalable, but With
"bleb I have re man to do than the man is tee woo, he
burst does • sad my reward is ea messation of eoestrae-
tee areas, lila mast ansaaaly &vibratos, sad the foulest
slow ."

—•
DUTB OF MIL 010808 aWIIOOIIOI
with twit the rather sudden death, is Friday mor
N Mr. George Wild, the celebrated oosseellan. and formerly
mecum of the 0 ympic and other Load's Omani. In a
pees'iar welt of low comedy be was not excelled by say
actor me the rage. Ar almost every aetcr of note seems to
Rata some particular suds r who car, as the thesericsl
"take hl. USIMIST• " Namr than say ether,
rite: toe good f. rune of Mr. Wild to flail se the Ista
Leman Red.. a dramatist who mold 'seat', fit him with
a part. 8 ace the de o% of that gentleman h. has aq, we
believe, ►ad at orgioal char cter which be mode sweatier!,
his owe. Me. W.id has been far years a faithful sad Oh-
meat assistant to Mr. E. T. Smith, the lease of Drary.lane
Theatre, In hie eneimrenal duties, tad has saporiatendied
the ploinction of mess auceeeefil pantemutes for him at
that thews*. end it the M irylebone. It is only a few days
Dine. Mr. Sm th noicoesed a po.thimemse piece of poor
Redo's, M we ich there wee a part fe r Wild, with a view of
istredecieg bias Is it, with Mr. Rogers. The esteemed.
whose real aerie was Br Al., ws. bora la 1806, a id needs
his gut apveseasee at toe Queen's 'I heatse in October, 1825.
—Sway TUMOR.

&LILO, AY TRAFFIC —That traffic returns of rail-
ways In the Uatted Kinitdom ^o46rhe(a for the week ean.
fag Hen), 22. am..tented to 376.8121, and for the corn-
snood ieg 'reek r f 1856, to 343,6481., elt..w.ag as increase of
33,1911 'lll. prose rtcelpts of the eight runways having
their ternual be the mg teornlie amounted for the week end-
ing as above to 162 108.1. end f r the ecrevrponding weak of
ISt, pis, to 149.3471, thnienag an increase of 12.7611. The
Int, 1110 ea the Eist•rn COSM"' Retina, &mouton le
1.3412 ; as the Greet Northers to 1,3191 ; oa the Groat
%Vergers to 2,2511 ; on the Lnadon and N- rtr- Western to
1,0561.; on the Losooa, Benet**, a .d 8 teth Oust to
1,6291 ea the L•adon cad &oat-Western 2,2991.; sad
on the South-lavers to 2,9011.; totnl, 12,7821. Bat hem
this asset 9. deethetga 211, the degrease on the Lnados and
Blleawell, barrio,/ the Inagua as above, 12 7611 The re-
oeil te ea the other lines is tt• a Ur 144 Malt.= es ousted
to 214,7342 , and for the corm! o,eling Por3o t of 1666 to
191,3011, ancwins an Increase of 20,4331. In the tecelp's of
tbs..* lines, grim •, aeded to the ire-ease oaths metropolitan
lime, took.' tho total ineresge 33,1911, as oomparog with
the cotrapondlog week of 19,55.

LAW INTELLIGENCE.
THIS DAY.

COURT OF

•mu UR.

IR RN BOYD. -THR ROM RANI OV

This wee the edj tarred easain.t.on sawing in the are
of Mark Boyd, steak and sbaeebroker, f New Beak-
buildings. Tke eus has Wen sem rel times before the mut,
and the accounts have apt a and in the Raw ess in detail.
Mr. Hurls, npresentieg the aviguee (Sir. Wryghts, the
oftkial manager of the It yel Beak of Australia), cud that
the bankrupt ha 1 m•da come amendmeate is his balsam-
sheet sines the last meeting, and proposed tr ale SOUR imp-
plempr t ry 'taiga:eats ; the wpm thereto,. wished for
time toe semis, them, and proptiel to take another ad-
journalist for fin weeks.
Adjourned anordinky.
IN as SKINNER.

Tam btakempt, an taxi 'nee', of Bonefifia-,treet, applied
br his entilli•at-. Tie fa e has been fnqueatly balsa the
erort, and wan much of-plead.
Ilr ilooour said be tnoaebt the baokrupt Fad boos
pluni3Oed tnoagb, and 'mead a third-Clean eat date.

SnOLI ci
IN ae SHAW.—TH■

MN BURIAL AC?.

The b inkrapt,'n licensed victnader, had kept tits Queen's
Atm. at Norwool, and arse elm the levee* of the sew
cemetery in Cnereb lane, Weitechapel, which bests
hie nave. This eras the first meeting lender
the hankraptey. It appeals that cle liabilities an about
2,3.50/., of w►ieh 1,6C01. are veer d. sad there an in-
enzebered assets to the stsoant of 7001. Front t►ese
figures it would appear t►at the bankrupt was nearly lat-
ent. He a.tribeted ►is difficeldes to the closing of hie
esmetery under t• a late act far p ieg intramural
int rain% twenty y. ars of his l.a.s being unexpired;
also to the falling off in his huskier a, a licensed victaaller
since the Crystal P.l ,es C, mpary had aometnenced the
sale of rein oharnesnibs building.

A•egneee .en thArn. and (unlit r mending' wen ad-
*nod until the eztaninateu meting.

THE POLICE COURTS.
THIS DAY.