The Placer herald., 1865-10-14
Severe Earthquake at San Francisco.


"At precisely fifteen minutes to one p. M.
the heaviest earthquake shock which was
ever felt in San Francisco, occurred The
motion was undulatory, from north east and
south west. Women tainted and men
screamed. Church congregations piled over
each other in the excitement to escape, and
many people jumped from second story win
dows, in some cases receiving severe injuries.
The whole town is now in such an excite
ment that it is impossible to learn the extent
of the damage or number of accidents.
hear OF only one man, Chinaman, in Stout's
alley, killed outright. Subsequent accounts
say the Chinaman was not killed, although
badly bruised. The chimney falling from
the Lick House into the area Of the building
crushed the kitchen and injured three SER
wants, none Of them fatally. Three men
were injured by falling bricks. At Crowell's
warehouse one man jumped from window
through skylight into the Metropolitan
Market, and was badly injured; and many
similar incidents occurred all over town. The
congregation in the Catholic church on Val-
lejo street carried away the doors entirely in
reaching the street, and several women and
chi dren were injured, none fatally. The
fire wall of the New Orleans Warehouse, on
Davis and California streets. six feet high
and one hundred and ,hrty-seven feet long,
came down in body. A large section of
The coinice and fre,wal of The Exchange
building opposite the Custom House, fell. A
new brick building on Third and Mission
streets will have to he pulled down entirely.
The rear wall of the store No. lis Caifor-
MIA street, next door to George F. Bragg d
Co., fell out. The front of the brick build
ing on the northwest corner OF Sacramento
aud Battery streets fell out. A one story
Pine streets was entirely destroyed. The
Cily Hall walls were cracked throughout
and the pIas'ering thrown down. The
whole structure ought to come down for
safety. The City Hall fire bell rang from
the shock. As it now appears, S25o,0oo
would not repair the damages. Ever, body
is congralulaing his neiehbors on their es.
cape from death. In the present condition
OF walls. another shock of equal violence
would prostra,e at least one,hl,d of the
brick buildings in the city. From nearly
every s.ole in the lower part of the city
people are sweeping out broken glass and
fallen pas,ering. There is lively talk of
the repeal of the fire ordinance.
The Occidental, Cosmopolitan, Russ and
Lick Uouses, being on natural ground, suf
f-red far less than the buildings north and
east of this poin. and on the fats south OF
Market street. The fle'wall for the whole
length of Gr4y's building, on Sacramento
street, between Montgomery and Kearny,
also fell, and sections of similar walls over
town, came down on the sidewalks, rendering
it almost incredible that so few accidents
occurred. How the people on the sidewalks
escaped so generally is past comprehension.
III the vicinity of Folsom, Mission. Beae and
Fremont streets The made ground is disturb
ed in some places two feet. throwing walls
out Of line and moving buildings bodily four
inches. StodGards warehouse settled eight
cen inches, and water is now oozng in upon
The main floor. Mission wharf is reported
damaged by the sliding of the mud on The
bottom, in which piles are driven, and three
frame buildings On Beale street, between
Howard and Mission, fell in. The gas works
are considerably damaged.
The s. +. Examiner, in describing some
OF the incidents on the occasion Of The earth
quake, says: AT the Unitarian Church, on
Grary street, the final hymn was being sung,
and the deep tones of the organ resounded
through the building. Suddenly the music
ceased, one OF the organ pipes fell out with
a crash. and the church began to sway back
and forth. The congregation rose to their
feet at the first shock and when the second
came they rushed peII nell toward The door,
each person being acluated by wild desire
to get out into the street, for it seemed that
the church was topping on them. The
scrambng WAS fearful, and the scene beyond
description.
At ST. Mary's Cathedral similar scene
was enacted. The congregation were knee|-
ing when The first shock came, and it brought
every body to their feet. But when it died
away they resumed their kneelng posture,
and kept it until the second vibration came.
Then a panic seized upon all Of the vast con
g. egalion, and they poured into the street in
wild disorder. AT several other churches,
too, there was great excitement and terror
among the audiences.
There were also many amusing incidents
connected with the earthquake. Halfshaven
men came rushing out of barber shops, car
ing nothing about their personal appearance,
artuated only by fierce desire to git" two
men were seen to emerge from bath house
with the speed Of antel"pes, while not ves'
tige of clothing was on either of them. They
soon saw the righteousness of their positions
and returned to their bath house as quickly
AS they came out. A huge policeman was
changing his clothing in the City Hall when
The vibrations began, and. Without waiting
to finish his toilet, darled forth into the
street, creating almost as much sensation as
the earthquake itself Numbers of women
tainted with terror when the earth began to
rock; horses stopped still in the Streets and
trembled with fear at the invisible monster