Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-05-20
EARTH-WAVES.
NATURE SETS HER ROCKING.
CRADLE IN MOTION.
An Early Morning Shake-up In
This City and Vicinity-No
Damage Reported.


o'clock yesterday morning this vicinity was
visited by the sharpest shock of earthquake
that had been experienced in many years.
Most persons declared that it eoualed in
severity, or nearly SO, that of 1872. Mem
bers of the REcoRD-UNIoN staff, who had
not yet retired when the shock came, had
an excellent opportunity to note its dura-
lion and chief features. simultaneously
with the first indication of the shock was
heard low rumbling sound, not unlike
that made by a heavily loaded truck rolling
over pavement, but this noise was soon
forgotten or overshadowed by that made
by the creaking timbers of the houses.
Frame dwellings strained and creaked like
q vessel laboTing in a chopping sea, and
rocked and shook very much in the same
manner. Chandeliers swayed to and fro
(from north to south), and clocks facing
north or south were stopped, while those
facing east or west-the movement of
whose pendulums was from north to south
were not affected.
The writer. who was reading at the time,
felt three shocks, but they followed so
closely upon the heels of the other as to
really constitute one prolonged shake, with
varying degrees of severity. The wave
seemed to come from little west of north
and continued for several seconds. Many
persons slept quietly through it all, while
others were awakened in the midst of the
shock, and rushed TO the street in their
fright. No damage resulted from the shake
up, so far as can be learned, beyond the
cracking of plastering ia some buildings.
WHAT BARwICK SAYS ABOUT IT.
According to Signal Service Officer Bar
wick s report, the shock began at ten min
utes and thirty seconds past three o'clock,
there being two shocks, following each
other in rapid succession. The movement
was from north northeast to south south
west, and caused the pendulum of the Sig
nal Office clock to strike against both the
back and front of the clock. The distance
between the two portions of the clock de-
scribed no doubt prevented the stoppage of
the clock, because the oscillations were not
as long that way as the original motion of
the pendulum. Quite number of clocks
in town were stopped, whose positions were
such as to cause their pendulums to take
contrary motion to that of their own.
Those that stopped had considerable more
space from front to back of the clocks than
has the Signal Service regulator.
The last earthquake occurred last year on
the 28th of April, about S:45 P. NJ. The one
of yesterday makes ten that have occurred
here since July, 1877, distributed as fol-
lows:
SHOCKS OF OTHER DAYS.
July s, 1877. II P. M.-Oscillations east to
west.
May s. 1878, s;25 P. M.-Oscillations north
to south, and clocks stopped.
October 81, 1878, $40 P. M.-Oscillations
north to south.
Nome in 1874 or $50
April 10, 1881, A. M-Oscillations west
to east.
None in 1882, 1888 or 1884.
January 80, 1885, 93S P. M.-Oscillations
northeast to southwest.
April 3, 1885, ::7:15 A. M.-Oscillations
east to west.
April IL, 1885, sos P. Installations
west to east.
June 8, 1887, $50 A. M.-Oscillations
west to east. This one rang the hotel bells
April 2S, 1888, S:45 P. M.-Oscillations
west to east.
May 10, 1889, $40 A. M.-Oscillations
north and south That of yesterday stopped
clocks and gave two quite severe shocks,
especially to those parties residing in three
story buildings.
THE EARTHQUAKE SEASON.
The above record shows that often years
intervene between shocks in this city, and
but upon one occasion in the twelve years
past have there been two within a few days
of each other. These were April Sd and
IL, 1885. April appears to be the month
in which these shocks mostly occur,
as the above records for that month show
there were four; two in May, one in June,
one in July, none in August or September,
one in October, none in November or De-
cember and one in January. They also
appear more often at the end of the rainy
season, or during that time, for of the ten
IN the past twelve years, seven happened
from January to May, and generally fol-
lowed seasons whose precipitation was
over thirteen inches.
YESTERDAYS WEATHER.
The highest and lowest Signal Service
temperature yesterday was $50 and 500
with a few cirrus and cirror-stratus clouds
floating in the air. which was quite sultry,
close AID oppressive, considering the fact
that northerly wind prevailed, and old
40 ers would say: " Look out boys; this
is regular earthquake weather"
The barometer fell considerably yester-
day. The wind was from one TO twelve
miles per hour, and from the north.
The highest and lowest temperature for
the same date last year was 69o and SOC.
Yesterday, therefore, was Ice warmer dur
ing the day, and the night was 90 warmer
than one year ago.