Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1872-04-16
Mark Twain's First Earthquake.

A month after landed in Sacra,
mento | enjoyed my first earthquake.
1t was one which was long called
the great earthquake, and it is doubt
less so distinguished till this day
1t was just afternoon on q bright
October day. | was coming down
Third street. The only object in
motion anywhere in sight in that
thickly-built and populous quarter
were a man in buggy behind me,
and street car vending slowly up
the cross street. Otherwise, all was
solitude and Sabbath stiffness. AS
turned the corner, around frame
house, there was rattle jar, and it
occurred to me that there was an
item mo doubt fight in that house
Before | could turn and seek the
door, there came really terrific
shock the ground seemed to roll
under me in waves, interruptedby a
violent juggling up and down, and
there was heavy grinding noise as
of brick houses rubbing together.
fell up against q frame house and
hurt my elbow. | knew what it
was now, and from mere reportorial
instinct, nothing else, took out my
watch and noted the time of day
at that moment third and still Sc
verer shock came, and | reeled about
on the pavement, trying to keep my
footing. l saw sight! The entire
front of tall four story brick build
ing in Third street sprang out like a
door and fell sprawling across the
street, raising dust like o great
volume of smoke. And here came
thesbuggy-overboard went the man,
and in less than | can tell it the
whole vehicle was distributed in
small fragments along 800 yards
of street. One could have fancled
that somebody bad fired a charge of
chair-rounds and rags down the
thoroughfare. The street car had
stopped, the horses were rearing and
plungiug, and passengers were pour.
ing out at both ends, and one man
had crashed half way throufih glass
window on one side of the car, aud
got wedged fast, and was squirming
and screaming like an impaled mad.
man. Every door of every house, as
far rs the eye could reach, was vom-
iting stream of human beings and
almost before one could execute q
wink and begin another, there was
massed multitude of people stretching
in endless procession down every
street my position commanded
Never was solemn solitude turned
into teeming life quicker. Of the
wonders wrought by 1.-The great
earthquake" these were all that
came under my eye but the tricks
it did elsewhere. and far and wide
over tho town, made toothsome Cos
sip for nine days. The destruction
of property was trifing-tbe injury
to it was widespread and somewhat
serious. The "curiosities" of the
earthquake were simply endless
Gentlemen and ladies who were
sick, or were taking a sicsta, or had
dissipated till late hour and were
making up lost sleep, thronged into
the public streets in all sorts of queer
apparel, and some without any at
all. Ono woman who had been
washing a naked child, ran down the
street holding it by the ankles as if
t were dressed turkey. Promi-
nent citizens, who were supposed to
keep the Sabbath strictly, rushed
out Of saloons in their shirt-sleeves
with bilIiard-cues in their hands
Dozens of men, with necks swathed
in napkins, rushed from BARRIERS
shops, lathered to the eyes, or with
one cheek clean shaved and the 9TH
er still bearing hairy stubble.-
Horses broke from stables and
frightened dog rushed up a short at
tic ladder and out on to roof, and
when his scare was over had not the
nerve to go down again the same
way he had gone up. A prominent
editor flew down stairs, in the princi-
pal hotel, with nothing on but one
brief undergarment-met chamber
maid, and exclaimed-"Oh what
shall do Where shall | go ?" She
responded with native serenIty--"If
you have no choice, you might try
clothing store l"-Ihe InnOcentS at
Home"