The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1868-11-20
The San Francisco Earthquakes
Special correspondence of the World.
SAN Francisco, Cal, Oct. %, Is

SAN FRANCIsco, CAL, Oct %, 1868.
During the rebellion, scares and panics
were common in invaded and beleaguered
cities of the Atlantic states, but the worst
of these scares was light compared with the
panic from which the citizens of San Franz
cisco suffered yesterday by the visitation of
an earthquake. The first shock occurred
about ffye minutes of eight o'clock in the
morning. The weather was dull and foggy,
and the atmosphere threatened rain In
fact, it was not such weather at all as we
usually find accompanying earthquakes
Hot, oppressive weather, without breath
of air, with an unnatural stiffness generally
over the face of nature, are generally its ac-
compartments. The shocks were continu-
ous, and increased in strength for nearly
minute. The last was the worst. The earth
was plainly seen to undulste by those who.
were in the open air.
l was sitting at breakfast with my wife,
| children, and mother-n-law, when the first
occurred My wife nervously asked me,
whats that = l replied that it was
| heavy wagon passing but glance showed
me that no vehicle was near | had hardly
spoken when the second and heavier shock
came, and my wife, with the most intense
| fear pictured on her face, shreked that ii
was an earthquake. Then came the third
shock, and they all shrieked in fear and
mental agony My wife cried that the wall
was opening. She had seen crack in the
plaster seperate for over an inch. For about
"A second or two was completely unnerved
and helpless but then partially regained
| my composure, and. putting my arms round
the women, / shouted that there was no
danger at all-let the earthquake he as bad
as 1t might, as we were in frame house -
My wife said that there was, as she thought
the earth was opening. replied that it was
impossible, as | knew we were upon good
ground and not upon one of the many
swamps of the city which have been covered
over. While was quieting and directing
their attention to heaven and its preserving
care, each seconds shock became stronger
than its predecessor, and with each the
shrieks of the women and children worse
These, and the fear of the dreadful phenome-
non which was upon u.s. actually made my
flesh creep. 1t was such look in my wife's
} face that first uunerved me- Finally, in
! much less time than it has taken to tell this,
the last and strangest undulation occurred
When the shocks ceased, all of the company
, but myself were SO weak that they could moi
Q stand, and indeed was weak enough my
9. self, though it was necessary for me to show
; a calmness which did not feel. We fOunC
, that everybody had rushed to the streets
the place of greatest danger. My family
t would have hurried ont of the house also
had | not restrained them. There were fou
persons killed, all of whom lost their live
d by running out of doors. gal
e OF all the terrible experiences which hu
d man nature can undergo, by far the mos
{" dreadful is an earthquake. 1t suggests tn
coming of the last day, with all the terribl
h convulsions of nature, which are prophesie
q will accompany it. In fire. storms, or whirl
T winds--no matter how dreadful they may b
= IMAM can do something and still feels hi
X power but in earthquake he has no power
IS he can do nothing whatever, except stand
run. petrifed with fear, feeling, indeed, as
he would actually melt with terror. Here !
Dr. San Francico fear sprang not 30 much frol
< the damage done by the earthquake, as th
A. recollection of what it had done in oths
Or places and our utter want of knowledge
where ours might stop.