New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-04-17
CALIFORNIA EARTHQUAKES.
PERSONAL OBSERVATIONS OF A NEw-YoRK

PERSONAL OBSERVATIONS OF A NEWCOMER.
A private letter from Mr.. Charles Nordhoff
gives particulars Of his personal experiences In the
late California earthquakes, which, although intended
solely for the eyes Of the gentleman TO whom the ieer
was addressed will prove OF interest toa WIDER AUDIENCE
A few purely personal details are omitted.
had nay first earthquake at 2;1o this morning, and
will set down for you my impressions while they are
st fresh as know you will be curious to know how
seems We got this place yesterday afternoon, and
having my blankets chose TO sleep out or DOORS Two
of us went to sleep the verandah OF the agents house
about 10 go 1t was most brilliant moonlight hgh''
and was not much inclined for sleep; when did sleep
1t was think, very heavily. was awakened Dy the
violent rafting Of the windows and by noise whch
did not at the tune distinguish but which proved TO DO
the rolling of pieces of the chimney down the long roo
My first impression, half awoke, was that was
being jolted extremely rough road, In stage
The noise was Just that Of Broadway stage as II rates
over the rough pavement was not thinking OF surs'
but only drowsily grumbng at the rough road ana the
noise when my fellow-traveler jumped out OF MS
blankets and heard him Its time to get out OF
This woke me- and my second thought was one OF ln'
terest and pleasure I thought, "Why here Is real
earthquake" got out Of my blankets as quickly as
could climbed the railing OF the verandah on 10 inc
ground and stood there for an APPRECIATE length OF
time wobbled about all the time by the motion, before
the rafting of the windows ceased only then thought
Of my watch, and that ought 70 nave unoo lho eh'
looked, and it was 2:1O.
Meantime all the people had out Of the house; and
while we were still talking the shocks recommenoed'
but mildly that presently all went into the mousse
TO sit by the fire. II little cool We left the door
open and put glassful Of water on tho table, which
very plainly showed the oscillations. AT 26o and again
at $685. and again at SO the shocks were so violent that
we all ran out OF the house, and the continued success
sion small shocks produced presently an uncomfortable
sensation, because 1t still night, and no one could
tell where the thing would end. Al 324 there was
another severe shock-a these. however were shorter
and rough than the frstand at $780, after some In
terval Of quiet another. Alta thought the thing had
ceased to amusing and got into my blankets again on
the veranda but twice startled out OF my browsing
by shocks. We sleptwe outsders-untl then the rat
Ting Of the windows awoke me- the women ran out OF
the house and got up was told there had been I'VE
shocks in the two hours while slept. Milder motions
continued during the whole forenoon, while we sat
at breakfast, and little before 2 p M, while was sit
ting with several people in the house, shock came
which made the house groan all over, and which was
different from all the rest and like what had imagined
an earthquake to be- 1t was notion lasting but sec
ond or two though light wave or roller had passed
under the house. This, by the testimony OF ALL was en-
tirely different from all its predecessors The house. an
adobe, was cracked in half dozen. places heavily
the plaster or clay OF the walls and chin
ney crumbed of, outside and In pieceshone OF much
weight falling either the roof or on the floor and the
ground outside The general consent made the shock
the first and most severclast about threequarters Of
minute 1t seemed very much longer to all OF us; a
minute and half the first guess; but we reckoned
I'D about how long would have taken to do what
each did and thus arrived at threeQuarters OF minute
Two persons the house who happened to be awake
and up when the shock came assert that preceded
by rumbling ofthunder. the noise rapidly approach
ing the listeners and apparently from the North This
IS confirmed since by others. did not hear it and woke
teIov he about.
have been streetcar when it ran of the track and
was dragged the oObbes you may easily know the
sensations not quite rough, but very nearly 80
and it actually shook about in my blankets. lamp
| In the house was thrown over. The Indians
rushed ont OF their adobes and sat around
their out door fires the rest OF tho night
have given you all the times and events from my note
book which kept In my hand; so that you have tho
material for your imagination TO make picture o.
wish you had been here II had been in the house Or.
worse yet upstairs In hotel If it had been DARK
think should have been uncomfortable, for 1t wss
weird and unwholesome thing 1t But tho inter
est OF 1t filed my who'll mind and while thnf J, rs
well as the rest, look serious-for the cart igh
crack open and swallov % al up, You X i - %
engaged in trying TO 'ose NO. single Al
OF wat was passing, that had q real
delight mitigated-but dsturbed-by occasional
Of the severe shocks. the moon hidden b! cord
and we ran out into goOm-and 1t was 10. pleasant
There you have my earthquake.
Tule Rirer Indian Recreation, 7.lore County, Cal,
March &c, lS72