The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1883-11-01
EARTHQUAK (. ECHOES.
From the Argonaut.
"What's that?"

EARTHQUAKE ECHOES.
From the Argonaut.
"What's that?" "-
II don't know It looks as if the roof
we're falling in" .
Thus said my companion and myself
We were driving in buggy down Broad
way, Oakland, and were looking at a
building then called the "Wilcox Build
ing" 1t was the morning of October 81,
1868. ~ 49,
AS I said, we were looking at this
building. A new story had just been
added to il, and we were specializing as
to the safety of making snch additions to
buildings whose walls were only desig-
mated for structures of lesser height. 1t
was five minutes to eight o'clock. We
had pulled up, and were looking curl.
onsly at the new story when my com.
panion made the remark:
whats that?"
It did indeed look as if the roof were
falling in. The walls budged out, the
roof seemed to sink, the building moved
slightly, and then recovered its perpen-
dicular. We were both so amazed that
we could only stare in open-mouthed
| wonder.
| At this moment I noticed that the
horse was acting queer]y. He did not
! look as if he were going to run away,
bnt simply as if something extraordinary
were puzzling his equine brain. l fan
cied there might be something wrong
with the harness, and giving the lines
70 my companion, jumped out to see.
AS my feet struck the ground thought
for moment that l must be mad. The
earth rocked beneath me; it rocked
with such violence that could hardly
stand. [ seized the shaft, partly to
steady myself, and partly to get to the
! horses head, for bic was giving such
signs ofagitation that J. feared he might
runaway.
AS / got to the horses head, there
was a dull, rumbling roar, and cloud
of dust lose up and down the street.
Then there was a crashing. jingllng
sound, and saw many window-fronts
upon Broadway falling into the street.
Following them came an avalanche of
bricks and mortar from! falling chimneys
and fire walls. And last Of all came a
dense mass of people from the SD ops
and houses. Your human does not move
as quickly as inanimate objects during
an earthquake. When he does, he
sometimes regrets it. for ifhe arrives at
the same time as the falling bricks and
mortar, he wishes he hadn't-unless, OF
course, he be good Christian, whose
salvation is all fixed and his good deeds
chalked up, in which case, Of course, a
Nous joy should pervade his breast.
| All that I have related took but a
few seconds. And in about a minute after
the shock began Broadway was filled
with runaway teams of every descrlp-
| ton.
There was at that time an open square,
or vacant lot, on Broadway, containing
nothing but trees. remember MOTTO
| then, at their absurd appearance. zone
| thinks quickly during an earthquake }
AS the waves of the earth-spasm rolled
along, the trees rose. and fell, incllning
first to one side, then to the other, bob
bling and bowling in ludicrous fashion.
! Those who were ON this side OF the
bay that morning may think this de-
scription Of the shock exaggerated. But
| when they consider that the local cen
! tire of the earthquake of '68 was evident
! " at San Ltandro, they will see that
they are mistaken. Over there some
buildings were entirely demolished,
others twisted upon their foundations.
and assures and cracks opened In the
earth many rods in length. Scarcely a
chimney was outstanding in Oakland or
| Alameda.
4 curious phase Of the earthquake
| was the belief on the part O. the Oak
landers that San Francisco was destroyed
! A thick haze hung over the bay. 1t
was impossible to see any Of the spires
and towers of Sen Francisco. The tele-
graph wires were down; the draw
bridge over San Antonio Creek was
thrown ont of gear Nv the shock; the
! train (there was but one then) was
| penned up on the other side Of the es'
tuary The only way of reaching the
city was by freight boat which they ran
on the creek. To this repaired the
| anxious Oaklanders and we still more
anxious San Franciscans.
On the little pier at the foot of Broad :
way was crowd of several hundred
men. 1t was divided into
little groups, in the centre of each
of which was an excited man, telling
where he was and what he did at the
| time of the shock. He was perpetually
being interrupted by other excited men,
who wanted to tell what they did and
where they WERE Every man in every
group was engaged in moving his arms
wind mill-wise, to illustrate how the
earth had quivered. In moments ofex-
element the Anglo-Saxon race becomes
as gesticulative as the Latin.
One man in particular | remember
He was one Of those small men with i'm.
mense fustian voices-one who could
l oil INV yTIrf n
his superior lung power had succeeded
in telling his personal exp srience over
any number of times. AS soon as he
had finished it, he began again.
It may be necessary to remark here
that all through the morning Of the 2lst
there were continuous shocks. People
had their nerves completely unhinged
by the first shock, and the gentle yet
ominous oscillations of mother earth
kept them. permanently so. will further
remark apparently without Conference
that there was an immense heap of coa]
piled up on the edge of the pier.
The little man with the big voice was
still talking. His Grafton ran thus:
"You see, we had jist got up from
breakfast when that there first shock
come. Ny wife she started to run.
SAYS to her, Now, Jemima,' says !
whatever is the use of runnin." But
she wouldn't listen to nuthip', so jis1
grabbed her and held her till it was
over And what do you think?-when
that shock come to an end. Jemima she
tainted and was list as cool as I an
now"
"Drip-drip-drip-
The coal was falling into the water
over the edge of the pier. Every one
turned-the slightest noise was ominous
"Drip-drin-drin- Plash! Dash
SpalshP'
The pier was rocking to and fro-6rs
gently, then with vigor, then with {
vicious thump which meant mischief
There was a sudden disqualification tt
dry land. The crowd resolved itsel
into an Immense and swiftly moving
fan, the apex pointing toward the shore
The apex was our friend, the little mar
with the big voice.
At this point many of the Oakland err
lost their interest in San Francisco
They could not be again induced to g
upon the pier. They contented them
selves with vaguely remarking that they
"would wait and see," and with whoop
ing up others who seemed disinclinet
to 60.
At last the boat made her appearance
think it was the old ferry-boat Louise
long since disappeared from these wa
ters-under that name, at least. 1t was
not very large crowd that boarded her
There was good deal oftalk about tlda
waves and things, and the people looked
upon us very much, L fancy, as the