The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1868-11-28
[Prom the Morning Call. October 74th.l
THE EARTHQUAKES.
SOME INTERESTING FACTS AND INCL
DENTS IN CONNECTION WITH 1T.


The great earthquake Of 1868 will long
he remembered by the residents OF San
Francisco, and referred to AS an event IN
our history. Ii cclipsed the great sEake
of 1865, aud has made that event appear
AZ M Insignificant affair. Then We hal
three shocks, the first and scverest lasting
about Elk or eight seconds. while two
others followed at intervals of few sec
onds. This time the shaking began and
continued without intcrmisslon Tor nearly
minute. Ii seemed that the trembling
was never going 90 stop, for under such
circumstances second appears very
long time indeed. The shock Of 1868 oc-
CURED little after noon on Sunday, DC
tuber Sth, that Of 1868 at eight o'clock
| ia the morning. an hoHr at which our
people nre generally 1T their homes. Had
the earthquake of "Wednesday last occur.
red au hour later, the luss OF life could
not bu: have been very great. The
schools would have been in session-the
carpenters at work upon the buiIdiDgs-
the machine shops filed with wOrkmen.
and the streets with people. The chill
dren, pan.c.strickcn, would have tnmbled
pcll.me down stairs and out of doors,
and it is frightful to contemplate the
number of little ones that would have
been crushed aud mangled. The work
men would have fed in terror, and many
would doubtless have been killed by the
falling fire-walls while OF ihoSe who
were N the streets, many would hare
been crushed BY the same means. There
| fore, We cannot but think that IT the op-
portunity had been given US to name tho
hour, more appropriate ones could not
have been selec.ed.
/ SINGULAR PHENOMENA.
There wcrcsome remarkable phenom-
ena observed by persons on various parts
of the peninsula. 4 gentleman who was
on the beach, near the Cliff House, in
forms us that the breakers were coming
in great force previous to the shaking,
and that during the trembling of the
earth the surface of the ocean became
perfectly quiet and remained so for some.
thing near five minutes after the OsciIia-
ton of the earth ceased. Another gen.
tleman, who was in Santa Clara county ut
the time, states that he was in the tunnel
of mine, some twenty feet from tho sur
face of the earth. The ground appeared
to be heaving up. rs if striving to burst
its she'll. lie scrambled out and observ.
cd the trees in the vicinity swaying back
ward and forward with great rapidity,
and whipping the air until it whistled
like as it docs when there is heavy
storm. A number of springs have made
their appearance in that neighborhood
since the earthquake, and in one place,
upon plain. where water has never be.
fore been found. A gentleman residing
upon the opposite side of tho Bay states
that he was in his barn yard, looking af-
ter his cattle and horses, and that few
minutes before the trembling of the earth
began, he thought he observed n remark
able closeness of the atmosphere the an
imals showed sensitivencss to this by
uttering cries of distress aud running
wildly about-even tho fowls manifested
their fears and appeared greatly ngitated !;
then he heard slow, distant rumbling
sound. like muffied thunder, and immedi-
ately felt tho earth trembling, and was
compelled to spread his legs apart t,
keep himself from falling.
THE SHOCK OF FRIDAY MoREING.
During the day on Wednesday, quite
a number of shocks were distinctly felt,
and on Thursday three or four shocks
we're experienced. The constant rccur.
trence of these oscillations had so unstrung
the nerves of our people that they were
prepared to be panic.stricken by the
shock that visited us at two o'clock yes
terday morning. The shaking, although
severe, was nothing like what had occur
red on Wednesday, yet hundreds rushed
from their beds and sought safety in the
streets. Those living in the vicinity Of
1.-The plazas rushed into them, and so great
was the terror of those who surrounded
Portsmouth Square, that Captain Doug,
lass was compelled to pick the locks, in
order to admit them upon the grounds
Many persons were afraid to return to
their houses, and remained in the open
air all night Some persons took advan.
tage of the fears of the people, aud car
ried mattresses and bedding upon the
plaza, and offered to rent beds at two dol,