Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1872-04-18
From the San Francisco Chronicle March 81
THE DESTRUCTION OF LONE PINE
- BY EARTHQUAKE,

VIsALIA, March 30.-By the arrival at
p. NJ, of Colonel Charles Whipple,
by stage, direct from Lone pine, l am
enabled to forward the particulars of
what is undoubtedly the most destruct-
i've earthquake, considering the theater
of the damage, which has ever been eX-
perienced in the United st. es and prob
ably for a great number o years any
where on this continent. The shock
occurred at twenty-five inutes past
two A. NJ. of Tuesday the 18th, and so
far as can learn, Lone r e was pret-
ty near the initial point of the disturb
ance. Judge so at least, from its being
the point where the agitation was most
violent and the greatest damage done.
4 SURVIVORS, EXPERIENCE.
Colonel Whipple is the only person
who has yet arrived here from the Ow-
ems River Valley since it occurred, and
he has been interviewed ever since. He
was sleeping in a two story adobe house,
up stairs, when the earthquake occur
red. He sprang out of bed, caught his
pants, and he had proceeded about ten
| feet into the hall when he was thrown
upon his back, the walls and the roof
coming right down upon him, and he
was knocked mOmentarily insensible.
As he went down with the crash of the
building he says. II thought of my wife
and children, and then this is death. ;"
As soon as he came to and was able to
dig out from the ruins he went down
the street to the centre of the town,
where the most appalling sight awaited
him. Fifty-two houses were thrown
down, and fifty-four persons, OF more
than one sixth of the population of the
town, were buried beneath the ruins.
The cries of those who were crushed in
the fallen buildings were borne out up
Onsthe clear mountain air with terrible
distinctness, and struck terror and dis
may to the hearts of the relatives and
friends who were more fortunate and
had escaped. The most terrible upheav-
ais were still going on, threatening ev-
cry second to destroy the few houses
that where still standing. The citizens
Immediately commenced the work of
removing the shattered and wrecked
structures to liberate those who where
only wounded, and to find the dead.
1t is horrible to have to say that at this
fearful time when. the air was rent with
shrieks of the suffering and dying, there
were some so base as to carry on the
work of robbery and pillage. Yet such
is the ease. A man who was sleeping,
Yoacito, q butcher, escaped with his life,
while his companion was killed at his
side, and he stole all the money and
valuables On his dead friend before he
left him. The effect of the heart-rend-
ing calls of survivors-"0h, where is
my wife?'' "Oh,where is my brother ?"
"Oh, where are my children?" "Help
me to find my children !''-may be bet
ter imagined than described. Every
man who was able to stand worked at
digging them out wherever there were
cries for help until long after daylight.
! fire broke out in Mr.. Loomis' store.
beneath which there was known to be
powder stored, but Mr. Covington, Mr..
Lyman and others, at imminent peril of
their lives worked at the fire until it
was subdued and the danger of an eX-
plosiOn averted. The work of rescue
went on till nine o'clock, at which hour
twenty-three collins were constructed
twenty-three dead bodies were prepared
for their final rest i'm the troubled earth.
Thirty of the wounded had been extri-
Gated and cared for,of whom it is feared,
five may yet die. Colonel Whipple says
that Mr.. Goldman told him about six
4. NJ, that he had counted thirty-six |
separate and distinct shocks. There |
were four distinct kinds of shocks. |
The effect of one he describes as if an
enormous monster shell situated exact
ly beneath town had been exploded and |
came up almost to their feet with n dull |
thud, and as it reached the surface pro-
ri a liz. wi
quick, violent oscillation f the earth |
without any noise or sign ut its mo-
ton; the third was proceed, by sound |
like the long roll which dr. ms beat be-
fore battle. Then the noise died out |
and the chill came on. The fourth was
like a 200-poundcr Parrot, fired from
mountain side, and when this passed |
over terrific trembling commenced.
The profoundest sympathy is felt here
for the sufferers. A netting of our
citizens is now being held at the Graham
House,and about $3.50 have already been
subscribed, and provisions, blankets, &C.,
will be at once forwarded. Everything
in the town was destroyed that was
perishable such as food and all the goods
in the stores. send you list of the
killed and wounded, and also the pro-
ceedings of a meeting held by the citi-
zens of the late town. Exaggerated ac-
counts had preceded Colonel Whipple's
arrival here about an enormousaperturc
being opened in the earth, volcanoes
bursting out, and kindred reports. We
had a story that gulf was opened 200
feet wide; it is not twenty. A crack
is made through the volley some thirty
miles long, northward from Lone Pine,
but 1t is not very extensive. There has
been no volcanic demonstration.
Independence suffered severely, but
no one was killed there. The Inyo In