Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1872-04-04
pENeRAlIzEp PRINTING OFFICE.
Hsw the Great Earthquake Affected
the 0Aec Of tho lsye "~Indopend.
eatn-ihs Whole Rstabiishmeus In
.PI!n- seasatIenal Experience OF
the Editorial Department.

4sS wv
eptv-,he Whslo Rstablishment In
"Piw- seasatIsnal Experience Of
the Editorial Department.
Owing to the recent heavy earth
quake In Inyo county, California, some
325 miles south of here, d~emoralizing
the Office Of the Inyo Independent, that
paper came to us this morning on the
half.shell, or rather half-sheet. 1t Is
filled with a lengthy detailed account
Of the earthquake and damages caused
by It, but nearly or quite all the prin-
cipal points have been anticipated by
the telegraph. We, however, extract
the following account Of its effects
upon the aforesaid printing establish
mens, giving the personal experience
of Chalfant, tho senior, and Parker,
the junior editor Of the paper, giving
a very good idea of the general terror
and CONSERVATION prevailing during
that awful period:
Monday night was calm, clear and
frosty, the moon just past tho full,
lighting mountain and valley with
perfect distinctness as far as the eye
could reach there was nothing unna-
tural or remarkable In the night or
weather. At about % minutes past 2
O'Clock A. n. the great unknown and
unreasonable power beneath began to
rumble and roar. to heave and toss. 1t
had probably continued some time be-
fore the senior Of this paper was awak-
ened from a deep sleep to a sense OF the
cries OF his terrified wife, or to even a
partial conception of the terrible con-
yulsions Of the earth. With a feeling
of indescrlbable terror he reached the
floor. Keeling and staggering like a
drunken man for q time-measured by
the sensations 1t was an age-he yainly
sought to grasp from Its crib a sleeping
child. 1t was an impossible task, for
as he staggered forward the crib rolled
away, and then returned with a shock
that sent him back against the bed. BY
some means to him unknown he finally
got the child In his arms and started
for the kitchen adjoining light frame.
At the moment a crash was heard In
the Office, directly overhead, where
stood a couple Of presses Weighing over
2,OOO pounds, which seemed to be
breaking through the floor above. Un-
locking the outside door he threw the
child to the heaving ground, and re-
turned to meet his wife, rs she stag
gered out with her sleeping babe.
Amid the falling plasterlng and crash
ing crockery all escaped without a
scratch. The whole time thus occupied
probably did not exceed 80 seconds,
and then the worst was over. The
Junior editor, who sleeps upon the
same floor, was awakened by the first
movement, and opened and passed
through two locked doors with the ut
most difficulty, reaching the street In
safety, Just as occurred the crash Of the
falling buildings. In an effort to assist
the others lie ran to a back door but to
find 1t locked, and then sought all en-
trance through the same II by which
he had escaped. By this time the
others were safely out, and no then
consulted his watch. which marked q
minutes passed 2 o'clock. The build
ing, which Is Tor was) a very strong
two.story frame, was greatly damaged
In the adobe lining In the office, and
plasterIng In the rooms on the first
floor. Racks full Of type-cases were
thrown over, and material Of all sorts
and sizes mixed In a heterogeneous
mass. The forms upon the imposing
stones were violently twisted about,
leaving more or less "pi" IN every
column, the whole requiring months of
labor to straighten, while great guam
Titles are rendered worthless.