Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1872-05-01
The California Earthquake.


California newspapers contain vol.
luminous dispatches relating 10 the
earthquake of Tuesday, March Goth.
1t extended from Red Bluff, in the
northern part Of the State, as far south
as Visalia. 1t seemed to have incrcas.
cd in violence as il moved southwark,
and to have reached up the Sierra to
an elevation of three or four thousand
feet, 80 that the wholo of the three
valleys of Sacramento, San Joaquin
and Tularc were in commotion, and
Nm area OF the State about 500 miles
long and 100 broad. The lire of the
shock followed to the trend of the
Sierra, proceeding from southeast to
northwest, and the centre OF the great.
est violence was, as far as we have
learned yet, near Visalia, In the Tulare
Valley, which is the bed of former
lake. at
A Visalia dispatch says that up to
Wednesday morning, March 27, fully
1000 distinct shocks were felt. At
Tibbet's Ranch, Is miles above Indc.
pcndcncc, 40 acres Of ground sank
about seven feet below the surface of
the surrounding country. Big Owens
Lake has risen four feet since the first
shock. Ovens River run over its
bank, depositing shoals of fish on the
shore; aiterward it reccded. For n
distance of three or four miles through
Lone Pine the earth is cracked. One
side remained stationary, while the
other sank seven or eight feet, leaving
wall of earth, extending over three
miles in length, where formerly was
level plain. Innumerable cracks were
made throughout the valley. Kern
and Owens rivers turned and ran up
stream for several minutes, leaving
their beds dry; finally they returned
with largely increased volumes of wa.
ter. Some Of the shocks werc preced
cd By deafoning report, as though
the mountains were being rent in two,
while others were accompanied by a
low, continuous rumble, as of train
of cars running underground. None
of the sufferers ever experienced any
thing so frightful in all thoir earth
quake experience The most correct
estimates place the number of killed
at less than 80, while the wounded
will probably foot up 100.
The Visalia De, ,ifd OF March 2S says
At about 2 2 o'clock on Tusday
morning our people were frightened
out Of bed and propriety by the occur
rencc Of one Of the most extraordinary
earthquakes we have ever experienced
or read of, at least in some OF its par
tculars. Its duration was its most
remarkable feature. The waves of
trouble seemed to come from the south
west, and they were so near together
and followcdieach other so unrcmit-
tingly that one gentleman assures us
that the first shock lasted Is or 20
minutes And he is by no means
alone in this estimate. He says he
counted 32 distinct shocks before 1
o'clock. The motion was unlike that
OF any other we have felt. The great
shakes of 1856 and 1868, as they visi-
ted San Francisco, consisted of sort
Of rotory motion, as If things under
the surface were being ground togeth-
er as oy the revolution Of mill wheels;
but this seemed more as if some solid
body was being projected against the
house, the effect being like series OF
bumps. IL was accompanied by a
great deal of noise, resembling the
roar of distant cannonading, and this
preceded tho shocks as the fash of
cannon precedes the sound Of its dis.
charge, indeed, sometimes the roar
and rumbling would be heard and not
DO followed by any shock. Several
palpable quivers were noticed through,
out Tuesday and Tuesday night as if
tho internal commotion had been too
severe to admit Of perfect restoration
at once. Many places in the bed of
the Pottersville Slough were changed
from dry sand to wet, boggy soil in
several instances columns of water
were lifted in the air, and sufficient
raised to cover tho bed of the slough,
and make quite & stream. Large
bodies of black soil aud dead wood
were thrown to the surface from con
siderable depths, and in the hard road
seams were opened fora hundred yards
or so.
The gentleman who left California
tho morning of the disaster says the
house at which hc had been staying,
was crumbled in an instant into n con.
fused mass of broken furniture, bricks,
pieces of board, &C., and il was by the
greatest miracle that lie escaped I'M
hurt. In the house were two inmates
beside himself, farmer and his daugh-
ter. After the shock he saw the lat
ter lying insensiblc upon the ground
at distance Of some twenty fect from
the site OF tho dwelling. Tho father
was terribly bruised, and blood was
pouring from wound on bis forehead
where a falling brick had struck him
Wiping Il away, the two began rub
bing the hands and chatting the tenn
pies of the scnselcss girl, but 1t was all
TO no purpose. Sho had evidently
been killed instantly, having fallen on
hcr back. The groans Of the unhappy
parent as the realization burst upon
him, and he bent over and rained tears
upon the fair, upturncd face Of his
child, were agonizing even TO hear.
At that instant, as ho says, q number
of mon rushed by. Seeing the two
standing there they dragged them
with thcm, listening to no remon.
stranccs, and saying that they needed
all the help they could got to rescue a
lot OF miners who were in the bowels
OF the earth at the disaster, II could
think of nothing" he said. "The
noise, aud rumbling, and confusion
seemed to perfectly bewilder mo. We
hurried along, leaving tho poor dead
girl where she lay, and tho father with
us, moving mechanically, as II he were
not in his right mind. We soon reach.
cd the minc, and to our relief found
that the entrance as least had not bcen
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