American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1872-04-13
The Earthquake in California.
Interesting and Exciting Incidents.

Interesting and Exciting Incidents.
The California papers are coming
ing in with details of the earthquake
on the Goth March. The San Fran
cisco Bulletin says:
Three years ago last October the
severest earthquake experienced
since the American occupation of
California occurred, creating tenn
pOrarily much alarm in San Fran
cisco, and on the Alameda side OF
the bay, the seat of it's greatest en-
ergy. Since then there has been
one shock in this vicinity which was
generally telt-abOut two years ago.
Last night, about II o'clock, Il shock
occurred which was light in this
city, comparatively speaking, but
one of the most severe on record in
other places, rs we'll as one of the
most widely diffused.
Our dispatches show that it ex-
tended at least from Red Bluff i'll
the northern to VisaIia on the
southern part of the State, and it
is probable that it really extended
from SisiyOu to Los Angelos-in-
Guiding near the entire length of
the State. 1t seems to have increas-
ed in energy as it moved south
ward, and to have reached mp the
Sierra to all elevation of 5000 to 1000
feet. Thus the whole Sacramento,
San joaquin and Tulare valleys
were disturbed, and the eastern
slope of the Sierra to the height
named, making All area of disturb
ance equal to at least five hundred
miles long by sixty to one hundred
miles wide. The shock was severest
in the valleys, where the deep allu-
vium would propagate the waves of
disturbance more vigorously than
they could be prOpagated On the iso-
lated and rocky peninsula upon
which San Francisco is built. To
this circumstance the city owes its
comparative exemption from the
shock, and the general sol,citude
felt for the metropolis will be re-
lieved on learning this fact.
The line of the shock followed the
trend of the Sierra, apparently pro-
ceeding sOutheasterly by northwest
ly. So far as our reports are rO-
ceived, they tend to fix the centre
of greatest energy near Visalia, in
the Tulare Valley, which is the bed
of former lake. The alluvium
was profoundly. and frequently
agitated, the shocks were long-con-
tinued and frequent, and in the ad-
jacent valley trees and rocks were
dislodged. Altogether the phe-
nomena recorded are remarkable.
The Sacramento Union has many
details of the shocks there, and the
strange scenes presented.
The shock which took place at
2:21 A. NJ. and lasted a little over a
minute, was one of the most severe
ever felt in the city still. it was SO
even and regular that property was
not damaged as it wOnld have been
if the undulatiOns of the ground
had been more sharp and frequent.
AS near as we can arrive at it, the
motion was, in the commencement,
from north to south, but changed
aud finally was from east to west
Two or three light shocks were felt
between 2:21 and COCA. NJ, at which
latter time another heavy shock,
bnt not by any means equal to the
first, occurred. The first shock Gre
ated great CONSERVATION among
newspaper men and others who hap
pened to be up, and made a hasty
rush for the street, and their exam
pie was followed as speedily as pos
sible by hundreds of others who had
been in their beds. In brief peri
cd the streets in the lower portion
Of the city were filed with people
deslruus of ascertainingw whether any
damage had been done, aud especial
ly anxious to hear from San Fran
cisco, which town it was feared had
been almost ruined. They present
ed a queer sight, as they marched
through the centre of the street, in
the bright moonlight, stunning the
sidewalks altogether. The telegraph
offices were speedily thronged, but
San Francisco could dot be heard
from one. One man, in his anxiety.
fearing that the place had sunk, de-
sired a telegraph operator to inquire
OF the Oakland operator whether
any lights could be seen in the To-
cality where San Francisco should
be seen!
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
brightly as it ever had been known
to.
At Turner Hall. when the earth
quake put in appearance, the Purlm
calico party was in progress, and
every one present was reveling in
enjoyment. Suddenly, while dane
ing, the ladies looked in an aston
ished manner at the gentlemen, and
the gentlemen at the ladies', each
apparently having a suspicion that
the other had been intlulging too
frequently in exhilirating beverages.
Then followed a more severe shock,
and the word Earthquake" passed
from mouth to mouth. The dance
suddenly stopped many OF the la
dies tainted, while others of the Oc-
cupants of the ball room, male and