The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-04-12

ing over three miles in length where formerly
WAS a level plain. Innumerahle cracks were
made throughout the valley. Kern and
Owens rivers turned and ran up stream for
several minutes. leaving their beds dry. and
finally returned with largely increased vol
ume> of water.
Account OF Another Eyewitness.
Mr.. Augustus c. Diegins, of this city, was
at Independence at the time of the earth
quake. lie says that on the day preceding
the earthquake very high winds prevailed at
Independence and over the whole of the val
ley. but ut night it subsidized. and the air be-
came perfectly calm. The first tremor
awakened him. but before he could spring
from his bed it WAS demolished and fell TO
the floor, tue centrc-tablc tiImbled over, and
The house pitched and rocked like Il roW-hoat
in rough sea. The building was Il Stron"
frame one, and was, consequently, not thrown
down. He describes the noise which ACCOM-
panied the shock as appalling. 1t seemed as
if the mighty mountains Skirting the valley
were breaking up and rolling into plains be-
low. The sound was in the air and under
their feet, and its rCvcrhcrations through the
tumhling mountains were H. terrific us the
noise itself. lie says the first shock was Il
compound one, OscilIatnry and vertical lie
ran into the street. and in the clear moon
light saw that every adobe and brick house
in the town was in ruins. The ground heayed
and yibratcd, and then. rs the awful sound
died in its far-oil echoes, those who had cs-
capped from their reminding dwellings, a-hast,
and almost speeches. with terror. hoped the
catastrophe wa; over. But almost instantly.
| away 10 tie south. down the narrow valley
| rI I a s1,.,rt, nd
| laundering explosion ms Of a thousand CO.
lumbiads fired at once. The people blaced
| themselves for the shock. Nearcrand nearer
came the appalling noise, and as the shock
advanced thousands upon thousands Of huge
rocks tumhlcd from the cr1l@s on either hand
and crashed with d"Iirniug din into the "a
vines and upon the edges OF the valley below.
Then came the noise under their feet. and
with It the awful. sickenin", and terrifying
upliit and swing of the earth. The people
ran TO and fro; some screamed, some prayed
others stood still and watched the course OF
things with Stocal Indifference. They soon
learned that but one or two persons had been
killed there, and yet none knew what the end
might be. for the earth vihratcd constantly,
At short intervals would be heard away of
in the direction of Lone Pine and the lake
that terrible boom bang as if the very
mountains themselves were splitting III twain
| Not only did tens Of thousands OF rocks and
! bouldcrs rolling down the nI0untains add to
| the confusion of the scene. but in the Sierra,
| on one side Of the valley, avalanche attcrava.
lanche of snow was sent laundering. boom,
| ing, almost screaming, down from the r.
gions of eternal frost and ice TO the CULTS be.
| low.
| VOLCANIC PIIENONEXA,
People living near Independence, at points
where they could see plainly the sides of the
mountains OH either hand, told him that ut
every succeeding shock they could plainly
see in hundred places at once, bursting
from the riitcd rocks, great sheets OF ilamcap-
parcntIy thirty or fifty feet in length, and
which would coil and lap about Il moment
and then disappear. lie says these flames
could not have been caused by friction OF
rocks and boulders coming down the noun.
taius, for in his own nci-hborhood there Were
plenty of these, but no fire visible. In ono
| place he saw III immense ledge or driit OF
whtencd and broken rocks forced out of the
mountains and fall like III immense dump
from some mining tunnel down its side.
| When daylight came the entire valley south
of Independence and towards Lone Pine
was filled with smoke and dust, and i'll
places, people said, the fumes OF sulphur
were almost sutIocltin-. The clouds ol
smoke extended from Fish Springs south a.
far rs the eye could reach.
Numerous springs were dried up in>taiiily
and others broke out in OTHER places, while
| the flow of water from all WAS greatly IN
creased. In one little stream three or foin
inches deep the water was thrown upward
to the height of two or three feet over foot.
bridges. a man had several RATS moorcd
in the river near Independence ladcn wit!
lumber, and each was thrown high and dry
Mr.. Digeins saw springs of water forced out
of the mountains, where before the rocks
had been as dry as a powdrr-holisc. From
the time of the first Shcck till daylight Tho
noises and shocks were inrc$Sant.
LEAVING TIE CouETRT.
| AT tlaybreak several parties and himscl
took tho stage and started from the place fol
Aurora. Still the shocks continued-somc
were so heavy that they were felt in the stage
by the passengers, and the underground
noises were constantly heard. The vale!
was literally torn in pieces along the road
In every direction there We're assures, which
however, had been filled in again by Tho
loose soil. Some, however, were long ant
decp, Often they were obliged to stop, gel
out of the coach, and hunt for safe route
where before it had been as smooth as barn
floor. At one place large section of th'
valley had subsidized about ten feet, leaving
all abrupt perpendicular bank at the sides
In many places the ground was thrown int
ridges and mounds five or six feet high, ant
in every direction were signs of the destrlc
tive agencies that had been at work-all
however. decreasing in number and extern
as they travelled north. Cattle and horse
were thrown PROSTATE during the heavies
shocks, and their believing and nelghin;
were pitiful to henr.
At Blind Springs, where brick building
We're hurled down, men ut work 200 and 30
feet under ground fe': no shock. The sam
fact was reported to him at Aurora, wher
the shock was quite severe.
At Black Rocks and Fish Springs the nj
mosphcre was strongly impresnalea .s VIII,
slHsalur, For, seYenty-iye miles north G