The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1873-07-02
My First !:arlhQnakC.

Mi Fllhl Eui tHn HHhV'
A month after landed in Sacramcn
TO | enjaycd my first earthquake. It
was one which was long callvd the
great earthquake, and it i, loubtles,
70 distinguished till this day. 1t was
just afternoon on a bright October
day. l WAS coming down Third
street. The only objcc's in motion
anywhere in sight in that thickly
built and populouS quarter were a
man in buggy behind me-, and a
street, car vending slowly up the
cress Street. Otherwise. all was soil.
tudc and Sabbath stiffness. as
turned the corner, around Il frame
house, there was grras rattle jr,
2 nd it occurred to me that here was
an itcm-no doubt fght in that
house. Before I could turn aud seek
the door, there came really terrific
ehock, the gro,,nd seemed t. roll
under me in waves, Interrupted by Il
violent juggling up aud down, and
there wa, q heavy grind s noisc rs
Of brick houses rubbing together. |
fell against the frame house and hu.t
MY elbow. knew what it was now,
and frcm mere icroto!."l instinct,
nothing else, took out my watcE and
noted the tilnc of day: ut tAat II -
iucnt ii thiId and still sc>e:cr shock
camc, and as rccic | about on the
rrvomcnt, trying to keep my
footing, | SAW a sight! The
entire front Of Il tHi' four story brick
building in Third street sprang ont
like a door ana fell spra wliu@ aero > TIE
street raising G",t lili" = great volume
OF smoke. Aud here Lame the buggy
--ovcrboard wen, :hc man, and II,
less tine than can tell it, the vchi-
elo was distributed in small fragments
along 500 yards Of street. One could
have fancicd that somebody had fred
q charge Of chair rounds and rags
down the thoroughfarc. Tho street
car had stopped, the horses were rear"
Ing and plungiuG, and the passengers
were running out at both ends, and
one man had crashed half through y
glass window, Oh one side OF the car,
got wcdged fast, and was squirming
aud screaming like an impaled mad
man. Every door of every hou.e, as
far as the eye could reach, was vomit-
ing stream of human beings, and al
most before one could execute wink
and begin another, there was masscd
multitude Of people stretching in end
less procession down every street my
position commanded Never was
solemn solitude turned into tccming
life qnickcr. Of the wonders wrought
by "tbo great earthquake" these
wcro all that came under my eye
but the ticks it did olscvhcro, and
far and wide over tho town, made
tootbsome gossip for nine days. The
destruction Of property was trihiug :;
the injury to it was widespread aud
some hat serious. The "curio3ities"
OF the earthquake were simply endless.
Gentlemen and ladies who were taking
IL sicsta, or who had dissipatcd till 4
late hour and were making up lost
sleep; throngod into the public streets
in all sorts of daccr apparel, and some
without any Vt all. Ono woman, WHO
had been washing a naked child, ran
down the street holding it by tho
ankle as If it were dressed turkey
Prominent citizens who were supposed
TO keep the Sabbath strictly ushcd
out OF saloons in their shirt slcc, cs,
with billiard cues in their hands
Dozens Of mc!i with their nccls
swathcd in napkins, rushed from bar.
bcrs' shop, lathcrcd to the eyes, or
with one cheek clean shaved and the
other still bearing hairy stubble.
Horses broke from stables, and a
frightened dog rushed up chort at
tic ladder and out on the roof, and
when his scare was over had not the
nerve to TO down again the same way
no had gone up. ~ prominent editor
flew down stairs in the principal hotel
with nothing OH but one brief under
garment. lfark 1ioain.
LOckjaw and Group.