Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1872-03-30
NV FIRST Earthquake.

A month after l landed in Sacramento
| enjoyed my first earthquake. 1t was
one which was long called the great
earthquake, and it is doubtless SO dis
tinguished till this day. 1t was just
after noon on bright October day.
was coming down Third street. The
only objects in motion anywhere in sight
in that thick-built and populous quarter
were man in a 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
great rattle jar, and it occurred to me
that here was an iteml-no doubt fight
in that house. Before could turn and
seek the door, there came a really ter
rife shock; the ground seemed to roll un-
der me in waves, interrupted by violent
Juggling up and down, and there was a
heavy grinding noise of brick houses,
rubbing together. fell up against the
frame house and hurt my elbow. knew
what i was now and from mere reporto-
rial instinct, nothing else, took out my
watch and noted the time of day; at
that moment third and still severer
shock came, and as | reeled about on the
pavement, trying to keep my footing, |
saw a sight The entire front of C tall
four-story brick building on Third street
sprank out like door and fell sprawl
ing across the street, raising a dust like
great volume of smoke. And here
came the buggy-overboard went the
man, and in less than l can tell it the
vehicle was distributed in small frag-
ments along three hundred yards of
street. One could have fancied that
somebody had fred charge of chair
rounds and rags down the thoroughfare.
The street.car had stopped, the horses
were rearing and plunging, and passen-
gers were pouring out at both ends, and
one man had crashed halfway through
a glass window on one side Of the car,
got weiEedi fast, and was squirm-
ing and screaming like an impaled mad
man. Every door of every house, as far
as the eye could reach, was vomiting a
stream Of human beings; and almost be-
fore any one could execute a wink and
begin another, there was massed null
titude 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 the great
earthquake" these were all that came
under my eye; but the tricks it did
elsewhere, and far and wide over the
town, made toothsome gossip for nine
days. The destruction OF property was
trihing-the injury TO it was widespread
and somewhat serious. The "curiosi-
ties of the earthquake were simply
endless. Gentlemen and ladies who
we're sick, or we're taking siesta, OF had
dissipated till late hour and were ma
king up lost sleep, thronged the public
streets IN all sorts of queer apparel, and
some without any at all One woman
who had been washing a naked child,
ran down the street holding it by the
ankles as II it we're q dressed turkey.
Prominent citizens, who were supposed
to keep the Sabbath strictly, rushed out
of saloons in their shirt3sleeves, with
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 other still bearing hairy stub
BILE. Horses broke from stables, and
frightened dog rushed up a short attic
ladder and out on to a root, and when
a;s scare was over had not the nerve to
20 down again the same way he had
gone up. A prominent editor few down
stairs, in the principal hotel, With moth
ing on bnt one brief undergarment-met