Evening star., 1886-09-01
although souce recalled the fact that they had
been Jared little during the night.

been Jared a little during the night.
SECRETARY LAMAR ESCAPES.
The occupants of the Portland fats were con-
siderably alarmed. Secretary Lamar, who has
apartments in one of the upper stories, felt the
snock to such an extent that he hurried from
MS room To the lower floor without waiting Tn
oress himself with his usual care.
THOUGHT IT WAS A BURGLAR.
widow employed in the Treasury depart
ment, living in South Washington, was sitting
In her room counting her money and making
up her monthly account. Suddenly she saw
her money move, and thought there was a
burglar in the house, and, going to the window
she called murder and "roiice," and i'm few
the house but no policeman put in an appear
ance. Finally some of the citizens discovered
that an earthquake had taken place, and the
widow came to the conclusion that she had
made mistake.
INCIDENTS ABOUT TOWN.
The colored brickmakers were in session at
the hall, Az street and Pennsylvania avenue,
and the building commencing to shake a stam-
pede took place. They had no idea of an earth
Quake. out attributed the ''shake" to the inse-
curity OF the building.
Mrs. Henry Brock, proprietor of the Congress.
sionai hotel, on Capitol hill was thrown from a
sitting on the banister at the time, and he was
thrown heels over head down the area-way.
On street, near I'd, the shocks were very per.
ceptibly felt. In the residence or samuel Bied-
ler the bells We're rung violently. The families
of Mr.. M. u. Emery aud others were so shaken
that they took 10 the street. Mr.. James S. Ed.
thought, from the motion, that IA burglar was
under it and was trying to get out. Mr.. Leon
Tobriner. residing on street, near 9th, says his
bed rocked from the right 10 tile left, and his
neishbOrs generally were frightened.
Mr.. Henry A. Willard, in talking with some
friends to-day, said that last night he was sud
denly awakened by shock as If some one was
under the bed and had tipped it over. He
sprang out OF ted, and was further startled by
seeing door that had been standing open vio.
lently closed. He thought at first that burglars
were in the house.
THE ANIMALS HOWLED.
gentleman residing on 30th street, West
Washington, said TO STAR reporter that when
the shock came some captive guinea pigs be-
longing to his boy squealed very piteously. He
then opened his window, and found that all of
The same gentleman observed while coming 10
this city from Baltimore yesterday that there
was peculiar haZy condition OF the atmos-
phere, the sun shining brightly through the
haze. Such conditions, he said, are regarded
in south America as a sign OF coming earth
quake.
THE NEIGHBoRING TOWN.
Reports from the towns lying about Washing
ton indicate that the "quake" was felt as dis
tinctIy as in this city. A dispatch TO THE STAR
from Hyattsville says: "The shock was lelt very
distinctly in HyaLtsville, and those vino were
up and lelt il say it must bave lasted two min
uteS. houses were Sudkcn rs III Dy gigantic
hands; doors ratified and banged; lamps swayed
and rocked; ladies grew seasick and tainted;
the hagman in his shanty says That his lanterns
and things hanging on the walls ratified as
though u train was passing; one gentle
sitting in a rocker, was swayed backward and
forward without any will OF his own, and gen.
eral CONSERVATION prevailed in households,
though there was no commotion in the streets.
The great topic this morning Is earthquakes"
The Washington Monument.
THE EARrHQUAKE ALARM NOT IN WORKING
ORDER-THE SrRUCTURE NOT AFFECTED.
A seismOscOpe was placed in the monument
some time ago for the purpose of noting the
presence of an earthquake, but the movement
of the shaft in the wind was enough to make II
go off, SO delicately was it constructed, and IL
was locked when this shock occurred. This
instrument is intended merely to give notice
when an earthquake occurs, and consists of an
iron plate securely fastened to the wall, from an
arm Of whicl, is suspended a weighted needle
which moves from the least tremor of the wall,
striking a small wire which breaks an electric
current and gives the alarm. No examination
has been made OF the monument, but Mr..
Green, who is now acting in Col. Casey's all
sence, says 1t cannot have oeen affected in any
way beyond the mere vibration.
Examinations made this afternoon have not
discovered that any injury was done to the
monument.