Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1890-04-10
EPLEEINC FROM DOOM.
'Ioxollyy flxlrls LEAVE A CIT 10
EClpg A COMING ElRfaQUAKB.
- lnaabstants or section OF CALI
6brn1A IN Pitiabie Plieht--They Arc
Mnde Crasy ny Religious Crsnks.

Al exodus from Oakland, city contain
linz population of GO,OOO, across tne psy
lt0m San Franclsco, II In progresa the re-
0alt Of several months, agitation by sensa-
o1oual rellgionists. Mrs Woodworm
foyivalisls, 10 responsible for the condition
a affsira She came 70 Oakland last sum.
Uler with . large tent, In which she held
Z fejirjous meesings until about Christmast
and with remarkable power ehe worked
upon the feelings Of her hearers until the
brains Of many were turned. They w9nio ,.
MI unconscious TO the floor, or rave ike
manlacs, with the result, rs the court re-
cords show, that ten or dozen people were
driven to the insane asylum, aud many
thrown Into severe nervous prostrntion.
When she left town her followers TOOK
mp her line OF sensational argument anu
one man named Erickson particularly dis-
tnRujahed himself by declaring that IN
one Of his frances heaven had been opened
before him, and he had been appointed 10
warn people that on April IA an earthquake
would occur, followed by tidal wave,
which, on account OF their wicHeaness'
would destroy San Francisco, Oakland,
Alameda, Chicago and Milwaukee,.
Taking this a. his cue, another fanatic
we'll known scross the bay mounted bi-
cycle each evening and fled through the
streets, crying Flee TO the mountains and
be saved; fly from blood"
These crar,ks, with others, have pur-
suaded several hundred people that tho
day Of doom Is at hand. Many have actu.
alIy sold their houses and real estate and
shipred their goods out Of Oakland and are
leaving BY train. Santa Rosa and 81.
Helena, towns in protected valleys, each
report the arrival OF more than ffiy doom
sealcrs, rs the timid ones are styled. Many
have gone to Sacramento, and others have
packed their things into wagons and with
their families have gone to the bills back
OF Berkeley. where at noon on Tuesday
nineteen tents were pitched.
Swedes, negroes, and people ofthe lower
classes constitute the bulk ofthe enigrants-
Several authentic instances where servants
have left their places to escape the prophe-
sjed calamity are at hand, and there IL no
doubt that the ranks of ths doom sealers
will be swelled TO large numbers before
April IA arrives.
There was big meeting of negro DOOM
ee1lers at the railway station at Oakland,
Cal, on Wednesday afternoon, and I'M
believers In the dire prophecies that have
been uttered as to the coming destruction
Of the town by a tidal wave were warned
I In doggerel to flee from the wrath TO come: /:
Fee away to de mountain top.
Cause somethin hyar am goIne to drop:
30 nee away, an don you stop.
Dose dat stay behind am los,
Lake buds In spring am NIP by fros'.
And on de Hood waves deyll be toss"
Hallelujahi Hallelujah
These verses were shouted vociferously
by the doom sealers. They did not seem
particularly worried at the impending ca.
lamity, but tt,nd and beat time with their
grip-sacks and umbrellas In true revival
0yie. They left for st. Helena on the 4:40
train. This train carried sway to ~ 70 v
many white believers also. Their faith az
fected them differently from what 1t did
foreigners, and their pale faces told how
much they were impressed by the awful
ness Of the things that are to happen on the
1lth. There were traces of tears on the
iaces Of the women among them.
According to the original prophecy none
Of these persons should have been leaving
Oakland. II was foretold that afler the 7th
insf. no trains could leave and escape would
BE- impossible. They appeared to consider
the holding of of the event as mark Of
Divine favor and were humbly thankful
that they were given additional time to
escape. Probably thirty people took the
train for the Sierras on Wednesday and
many others hed to the hills back OF
Berkeley.
rs The example set by the more fervent
Woodworthites had stirred up big rush
for tho mountains. Tuesday aud the day
before the departures took more tho form
Of m organized exodus than ever before.
Those who len earlier quietly went aboard
the trains separately, one, or possibly two,
families TO q party. A great many went
In this way, and 1t was estimated on We'd
nesday that fully three hundred people had
left their homes. Not single person who
was prominent at the meetings where tho
prophecy was first announced was To be
5 found in Oakland. All have He'd 10 the
mountains. A reporter intervied several
departing cranks and elected the same
answer In every case:
1--WE are leaving because God has plainly
revealed the approaching catastrophe and
we dare not neglect his warming"
The weather on Wednesday was unusu-
ally warm, and this, taken In connection
with the lunar rainbow a few nights ago,
10 regarded as ominOus Of the approaching
upheaval.