Democratic enquirer. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1867-1873, 1872-04-17
[From tho Sacramento Union, March Hth.l
THE SHAKE AT SACRA-
MENTO.


1857 .-S4ss- il
The Scverest Earthquake
Ever Felt Ehere-Inci-
| dents of the Shock.
It is generally conceded that
the shock which took place at
|2:21 a. m. and lasted a little
lover a minute, was one of the
most severe eYerfelt in the city;
still, it was SO even and regular
that property was not damag-
ed as it wouldshaye been if the
undulations otlthe ground had
been more shAry and frequent.
The first shock created great
copsternation among newspa--
fp@men and others who hap
pened to be up, and made a
hasty rush for the street, and
their example wa Is followed as
speedily as possible by hun
dreds of Others who had been
in bed. In a brief period the
streets in the lower portion Of
the city were filed with peo-
pie desirous of ascertaining
whether any dams sge had been
done, and especially anxious to
hear from San Francisco, which
town it was feared d had been
almost ruined.
1t was generally conceded
that the theory of Earthquake
weather" had exploded, as the
sky during the previous night
had been unusually clear, while
the full moon shone as bright
ly as it had ever b been known
to.
A slight quake was expert.
enced yesterday afternoon at
about two o'clock, but was
probably not erceptible be-
low the second story floors.
At Turner Hall, when the
earthquake put in an appear.
ancp, the Purim calico party
was in progress, and every one
present was reveling in enjoy.
ment. Suddenly, while danc>
ing. the ladies looked in an as
tonished manner at the gentle
men, and the gentlemen at the
ladies, each apparently having
a suspicion that the other had
been indulging too frequently
in exhilarating beverage
Then followed a more severe
shock, and the word "earth-
quake" passed from mouth to
mouth. The dance suddenly
many of the ladies
tainted, while others of the oc.
cupants of the ballroom, male
and female, clung to one anoth.
er in terror, not knowing what
to do. One young lady, who
had started to descend the
stairs leading from the gallery
to the main hall, was precipitat,
ed from top to bottom, but es-
capped uninjured. A score or
two started to rush out the
front entrance but were check.
ed.
At the county Jail the pris-
oners begged, and some pray
ed, with tears in their eyes, to
the jailer in charge to let them
out, which proposition he was
unable to concur in. Their
fear was not altogether ground
less, as the building shook and
worked in such a manner as to
give forth a sound similar to
that which would be made by
carriages driven through it.
Joe Harris, who has a room
in the Railroad Exchange
building, Third and X streets,
was awakened from a sound
sleep by the shock, and sprang
from his bed, shouting "Mur.
der |" under the impression that
there was some one under his
bed shaking it. He ran out of
the room, clothed with a brief
linen garment and his right.
eousness, shot down the stairs
to the street, like a bob tailed
comet, and was only brought
to a stop by the voice Of a
friend who suggested, Uoe, it
amt murder--only an earth
quake" !.
The compositors employed
in the Union Office consider
that they can vacate a three