Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1856-03-18
Froa, lie SAN Franci.eo Herald, Rei+ %.
EARTHQUAKE IN SAN FRAN
CISCO.


From the San Francisco Herald, Rei, %.
EARTHQUAKE N san e FRAN
CISCO.
The sevefest shock of an earthquake ever cx-
ferieiced In this vicinity since the settlement OF
California by Americans, occurred on Friday
morning at just p minutes past55 o'clock In
fhis city and vicinity every building shook to
It's 5a,irsdation, and IN some quarters the houses
were swayed and rolled as vessels ina heavy sea.
The inmates of every dwelling were awakened,
and some were even thrown from their beds, so
violent was the shock. Many persons rushed into
tiic and but that the circumstances OF ?
their sudden appearance was Of q character to y
produce sensations of terror, rather than mcTri-
HeHt the scenes would have been most ludl-Ss
erous The large hotels were depopulated In
Stanter and in the general rush articles of fur
nitlire were thrown down, occasfoning noises
which added considerably to the clatter and
confusion caused by the earthquake
In the upper stories of the large brick build
inss the violent motion produced general COM
motion among the crockery ware. Vessels con-
tanning liquids were turned over, either by the
shock or il, the hurry of the inmates to escape.
Every disturbance was credited TO the earth
quake however, aud it appeared to be an almost
unanimous opinion that San francisco was a.
bout to share the fate ofJeddo. The bowling OF
dogs and fearful believing of cattle in the sub
hrbs. produceda fitting accompaniment to the
pens and ran away gruntiRg with fright. The
horses tied in their stalls fairly shrieked with
terror, and tried to break their halters. Indeed,
everything animate and inanimatc was more or
less affectc / by the shock. We heae Of some
yery remarkable incidents of birds seeking re
fuge from the impending danger by flight thro'
open windows. From night-watchmen and 9TH
ers, whose duties kept thcIn from sleep, VIC
learn that there were several slight shocks pre-
VioiS to the heavy shock.
The last shock was preceded by sound rs
ola heavy gust of wind passing through the corr
dage of a vessel, and the motion was accompani-
ed by a rambling noise like that which is produ-
ced by heavily freighted vehicle passing rapid
" over a wooden bridge. The shock occurred
at twenty-five minutes past five o'clock, appar-
emily ranging from southwest to northeast, and
lasted about fifteen seconds. The motion was
horizontal and undnlating. Some persons des-
cribe the motion as of whirling nature but this
could not have been the case without OCCASION
ing much greater damage to the masonry ofthe
brick and Stone buildings. It is evident that the
violence of the shock wasditferently experienced
insyariolis parts of the city In some localities
in the suburbs its degree of violence was much
greater than in others. In several instances the
vibrations were so great as to overturn heavy
pieccsof furniture. Again, the motion Is COM
pared to that on ShpbOard when the side Of the
vessel is struck by heavy sea-a sudden shock
without vibration Very few persons escaped
being aroused by the shock, but some there arc
of whom il is said that they slept on undisturbed
through the whole.
VIOLENCE or THE SHOCK.
There was scene of unusual terror and cX-
citcncnt in Montgomery Block, the large and
substantial building on Montgomery street, be-
tween Merchant and Washington streets AS
soon as the first movements in the building oc-.
cured the inmates of the various rooms were
awakened and lcaped to their doors in the great
est imaginable haste.
The different halls in the successive stories Of
the building were soon filed with the terror.
stricken occupants-cach running hithcr and
thther in their sleeping habilimcntS towardsthe
various Stairways leading down into the street.
Some of those who occupied apartments in the
fourth. or highest story, rushed from their rooms
regardless of their nudity, and came jumping,
lcaping, and tlmbiing down the first and second
fight Of stairs, clearing them in bound or two
at the most, and with white lips and chattcring
teeth, held their way until they reached the
ground-whcrc they stood i'll Amusement and
doubt until the cold air and the absence of ter
restrial cOmmOtiOn Gained their fears and re-
minded them that the apartments which they
had vacated were more comfortable than those
into which they had 50 suddenly preciPitated
themselves. The building was certainly jostlcd
with violence by the shock, hut it moved as tho
it stood upon elastic springs Not the slightest
cracking or evidence Of collapse was heard in
any part of it.
SCENES At THE HOTELS.
The CONSERVATION among the inmates of the
large hotels occasioned scenes which may be bet
ter imagined than described. The population of
the RaSsettc House rushed, tumbleC or precipi-
tatcd itself down the stairwayS and out into the
street, aud such an array of beauty unadorncd
was never before witnessed in San Francisco
This eiificc, it is said, shows marks OF injury
The scene, Mt Wilson'S Exchange. St Nicholas
II,tf.l atiD1NSl Hotel
markable. The occupants of Wilson's Ex-
change took refuge in the Tehana House which
is a franc, and consequently in less danger than
the other Tho inmates of the International
found their way to the plaza, where, like their
companions in misery, they shared such articles
Of apparel as had been caught up in the hurry
of retreat.
TIE RUSH To THE PLAZA.
Hundreds of the residents of the central por-
ton Of the city rushed to the plaza, naturally
that the open space would afford them greater
refuge than the roof ola toPpling building Many
were almost in a state of nudity-and others
whose overpOwcring sense ofmodesty suggested
the propricty of u lite clothing, even in this en-
Urgency, might have been seen making their has
ty toilet under the shadow of the Plaza fence
with as, much haste as their trembling limbs
would allow. The scene would have been cx
treme.y ludicrous under other circumstances
When the shock was over the rush for pantaloons
and petticoats was quite great
BUILDINGS INJGRED.
The fire wall of the north side of the brick
building at the corner of Oregon and From streets
occupied BY, Goodwin & Co., fell over into tho
streets. The wall was but eight inches in thick
ness, and badly put up at that.
Tho front wall OF Wilson's Exchange Building,
on SAMSON street, near the south end, is cracked
from, the foundation to the roof III its present
condition, the southern portion of the building
The walls of the building No. 20 Front street,
occupied as stove store by Britain s. Co., are
: mi.