The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1871-02-25
THE PACIFIC
Commercial a0Ofrtiser.
SATURDAY. FEBRUARY2 Is.
An Earthquake.

An earthquake.
In bygone years, Honolulu has at rare inter-
walls been treated to slight shocks of earthquake,
generally 50 light that one half of the community,
failing to notice or feel the tremors, has been
inclined to think the other half Imagination. But
on Sunday evening last there was no suspicion
Of imaginative. for all We're ready to acknowledge.
and many with fear and trembling, that we hada
genuine earthquake. one which it would be levity
to designate as " no great shakes;'' it was in
fact the most severe ever experienced here. By
comparing the different times noted by a great
many observers, who claim to have had the pres
ence of mind to consult their watches on the in
slant, we conclude that the first shock was
between six and eight minutes past ten O'Clock
that the duration of the shocks was thirty sec
onds ; that the oscillation of the earth continued
quite perceptibly for several minutes after the
violent motion ceased and that the general di-
rection of the earthquake was from south of
east to north of west. Of course, when the
number of observers constitutes the entire COM
munity, but few are found whose opinions OF the
particulars of such startling phenomena exactly
agree, but the above will be found the result of
the general average. r
The latter half of Sunday had been cold and
clustering, the wind blowing in gusts from the
northeast, but occasionally lulling and dying
away for a few moments into a perfect calm, only
to be renewed again with a strong blast. 1t was
during one of these short lulls that the Fremont
tory rumbling noise Of the coming earthquake
was heard, and many supposed at first that it was
the roar of the wind through the trees, while
others wondered at the circumstance of drays
rushing down street at that hour on Sunday
night. But Immediately after the %rumbling noise
followed the shock, at first an up and down
movement, short and quick. To this succeeded a
series of horizontal jerks, sufficiently powerful to
cause a perfectly sober person to stagger in at
tempting locomotion. This continued SO long
that the strongest minded people began to ask
themselves apprehensiyely-how much longer is
this to continue? And the naturally nervous and
timid ones became terribly frightened. some
tainted outright, Others went into mysteries, and
one or two instances are reported of people falling
upon their knees and praying fervently. Let
none smile at this, for when one finds the terra
irma apparently slipping.-or rather jumping,
away from under them, the thoughts are apt to
come ruther lively. The duration of the severe
shocks, as we have said, was about thirty seconds,
and then, as the rafting of windows and doors
ceased, the swinging movement of the earth sue
ceeded. This with many produced a feeling of
nausea, and some were affected to the extent of
vomiting with all the symptoms of sea-sickness.
During the remainder of the night, the nervous
ness Of many who then had their first experience
of an earthquake, precluded sleep. approximations
were expressed that there would follow a tidal
wave from the ocean, and some rushed down to
the wharves. but learned nothing unusual, beyond
the fact that the crews on board the shipping had
experienced a sensation as though the vessels had
suddenly grounded on the reef. While the
motion of the earth continued, the thousands of
dogs with which Honolulu abounds, were silent
as the grave, but when it was over, they sent up
a clamor of astonished yelps and howls from all
directions.
The Damage
Done to buildings was, contrary to expectation,
quite small. The walls of a number of stone
structures were c-rackcd-among others, the
Queens Hospital, the Kawaiahao Church, the
store of t. g. Heuck, the Court House, and one
or two others. In the neighborbood of Kukui
street, and on the fiat beyond Smiths bridge, the
shocks appear to have been most violent, a good
deal of crockery and glassware having been
thrown Town and broken in private residences.
About every clock in town was stopped, though
we have heard of one or two that were not, but
on enquiry learned that the peudulums of such
swung east and west, which fact would eorrobo-
rate our theory of the course of the earthquake
wave.
Incidents.
Capt. McGregor, who keeps the light on the
reef, received the impression that q vessel had
run foul of the tower, the shock was 80 severe.
He says the crunching and grinding of the piles
on which the structure stands, and the swaying
about of the heavy lantern, were quite fearful.
He also anticipated a tidal wave, and shut fast
his door to keep it out. ~
A ledger in a room at the International Hotel
(which is of stone, and was considerably cracked)
got up to run out of the building, but found
himself a prisoner, the swaying of the wall having
fastened the door so that 1T had to be burst open.
A party in a Chinese restaurant on Nuuanu
street, up stairs, found their cofFee-cups dancing
over the table in a most extraordinary style, and
broke for the stairs. These being crooked, became
still more so by the motion of the shock, and
getting bopelessly tangled up they did not get
into the street until the quake was over.
The Kaonaites, of whom there are quite a
number living in and abou. the city, came to the
conclusion that the predictions of their prophet
were about to be fulfilled, and that the end of the
world was right at hand. So in order to let the
angels know that they were ON hand and waiting,
they commenced footing horns, which they kept
up during the night at intervals.
Anxious fathers and mothers, obeyIng the nat
ural instinct, seized unconscious babies and hur-
ried them out of doors for fear of falling rafters I;
in some instances. in the beWiIdermenk. both
getting hold of the same baby, and pulling the
poor inE1sent in opposite directions.
Several observers who were out of doors at the
time, assert that just before the shock was felt,
the sky was quite light, as if the moon was about
rising.
0th.- roa5 thst 49, x-...- :; d:,Lu~