The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1883-11-02
EARTHQUAKE ECHOES,

i don't know. 1t looks as if the rool
were falling in."
linus 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 q.
1868.
AS said, we were looking at this
building. A new story had just been
added to II. and we were specuIs,ing as
10 the safety of making such additions to
buildings whose walls were only desig.
mated for structures Of lesser height. 1t
was fire 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:
What's that?'
1t did indeed look as if the roof we're
falling in. The walls budged out, the
roof seemed to sink, the building moved
slightly, and then recovered its perpen-
dicular. We were botn 80 amazed that
we could only stare in open-mouthed
wonder.
AT this moment l noticed that the
horse was acting queeriy. He did not
look as il he were going to run away,
bnt simply as il something gextraordinary
were puzzling his equine brain. l fam
cled there might be- something wrong
with the harness, and giving the lines
40 my companion, jumped out to see.
AS nay feet struck the ground thought
Tor moment tliat 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 he was giving such
signs ofasitation that l fearei he might
runaway.
AS [ got to the horses head, there
was a dull, rumbting roar, and cloud
OF dust rose up snd down the street.
Then there was crashing, jinyling
sound, ard | saw many window-tronts
upon Broadway falling into the street.
Following them came an avalanche of
bricks and mortar from falling climneys
and re-waiis. And last OF al! came a
dense mass ofpeople i1om the shops
and houses. Your human does not move
as quickly as inanimate objects during
an earthquake. When he does, he
sometimes regrets it, for if he arrives at
the same fi,na az the falling bricks and
mortar. he wishes he hadn't-unirss If
course. he be good Christi II, whose
salvation is all fixed and his good deeds
chaiked up, in which case, of course, u
Nous Joy should pervade his breast.
All that l have related took but a
few seconds. And in about minute after
the shock began Broadway was filed
with runaway teams of every descrip-
There was at that time an open square,
or vacant LOT. on Broad dway. containin.
nothing but trees. remember notic-
ing these trees. and being struck, even
then. at their absurd appearance. Zone
thinks Quickly during an eartllouake.)
As the waves of the earth-spasm rolled
along. the trees rose and fell, inclning
first to one side. then to the other. bob
binr and bowinu in a luJicrous fashion.
Those vho we're on this side of the
bay that morning may think this de.
scription of the shock exaggerated. But
when thew consider that the local CEN
ire of the earthouake of '6s was evident.
" at San Leandro, they will see that
thew are mistaken. Over there some
buildings we're entirely demolished,
others twisted upon their foundations.
and fissures and cracks opened in the
earth MANY rods in length. Srarcelv a
chimney was le II standing in Oakland or
Alameda.
A curious phase of the earthouake
was the Relief on the part of the Oak
lanlers that San Francisco was DESTROYED
thick haze hun, over the bav. 1t
was impossible to see anv of the spires
and towers OF San Francisco. The tel..-
granh wires were down. the draw
nrjdce over San Antonio Creek was
thrown ont of gear nv the shock: the
train there was but one them was
nenned up on the other side of the es-
tuorv Tho only wsy of reaching the
,.itv wos nv frei,ht. .boat which tbey ran
on the creek. To this repaired the
snxious Oaklanders and We still more
anxious San Frunciscans.
On the little bier at the foot or Broad
way was a crowd of several hundred
men. 1t was divided into
little crouns. in the centre of each
of which was an excited man, telling
where he was and what he did at the
rime OF the shock. He was perpetualIy
being Interrupted by other & excited men,
where they we're, Every man in eyery
ornnn @ was engaged in moving his arms
Windmill wise. to illustrate how the
anrth had nuivered tn momen,s ofex.
element the Anclo-Saxon race becomes
as pesticnlatiye as the Latin.
One man in particular 1 remember.
He was one of those small men with I'M
mensc fuslian voices-one who could
nntroar any one else. and by virtue OF
his superior lung power had Succeeded
, ~ teiIina h;s nersnnal axmarianro over
an, az .er's r,'nher @ nf fines A. soon as ba
S hna 6n;abed # ba iegan aoa;n ~
nay r. mav r" he necassarv ass 70 Ta,n.rk hara
.hat 80 .,i1 aI t,,ronsh the ~ ,rnina nf tho Dist
tha.a ti'a. a.. uera con,;nnopa shnris Peonla
%ad % 1hair narvas conrlateiv n,h;nnad
~, ,,I No f;rst ahocL nnd ,ha aantia vat
o;n;nona oscillations of notber e.yth
oiuus ,a,tthan ner,manam,luo % m;li f,rthor ean..
rer,ark nep, rh' mnnaren,lv withont % coherancel