The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-11-30
THE EARTH QUAKED.
Two Distinct Shocks Disturb
Sunday RepOse.
A PANIC IN THE BIG BUILDINGS.
The Tremor Frightens tho People Into
the Streets-Many Incidents-Fct
Along the Sound.


There is a wide difference OF opinion as to the
direction OF the oscillations, some saying that
they were from south TO north, while others are
equally positive that they were from east to
west, and others again IRON southeast TO north
west
little after 3:15 o'clock yesterday afternoon
stream of people, hatless, eoatiess, some III an
even worse state of dishabille, rushed down the
stairs or 10 the elevators of every one OF the
downtown buildings and onto the streets, their
faces showing every sign of terror. They all
with one consent stood on the sidewalk and
stared in breathless apprehension 81 the walls
o. the building they had just left so hastily.
Then they looked up and down the street, and
the group in front of each building were sur
prised to see similar group staring up at the
walls of the next and the next and so on to the
vanishing point. Then the scared expression
faded from each face and was replaced by one
which is to be ON the counteuance OF u
on whose mind the solution OF deep prob
lem has suddenly dawned, and they ali said
at was an earthquake
That was the explanation. Some had been
reading, some doing on beds couches, some
smoking and chatting or arguing, others at
tending 10 a little business left over from the
previous day, some having "a quiet game,
when the walls rocked 10 and fro, the windows
ratified. chandeliers swung with a CHATTER, and
dizziness struck them all as though they were
reeling 10 the floor in q faint. A slight tremor
came first and then the walls waved to and fro
for several seconds as if tot;ering to their fall
Before the second tremor was fairly over, all
had started up and made a rush for the open
cir, possessed with the one thought: "The
building is falling" The fear of those on the
top stories of high buildings grew as they neared
the ground and met others frightened
themselves. Only when they had reached
the street and saw others like themselves star
ing up at the walls aud that those walls
g. - L. z
they become calm and talk the matter over
among themselves, comparing notes and sensa-
lions.
The earthquake disturbed the quiet Sunday
afternoon for many, but il was a mild affair
after all II just gave the city gentle rock TO
and fro, Knocked n few bits of plaster Oft the
walls, ratified the Crockery and glass and
knocked few articles from insecure places on
shelves, but fve-dcllar bill would probably re-
pair all the damage IL has done. such an earth
quake might come along every morning to
awaken the people and yet be considered
much public convenience as sunlight
The weather seemed TO change in accord with
the earth's trembings. After a morning of
heavy rain ana gusty wind the sky had cleared
and the sun was casting CLEAN of light over
the scene, when with remarkable suddenness
the clouds gathered again, and as the panic
stricken crowds rushed into the open air,
drenehing downpour began. 1t seemed as
There is a radical disagreement among the
various accounts as to the direction of the
shocks, the time being definitely fixed as 3:17I5
after noon. Some say that che oscillation was
from south TO north.
II. ]. Carkeek, who was in his Office on the
sixth door of the Burke building, says that he
felt two shocks from south to north, the first
only slight, and the second so severe that it
ratified the doors and windows, shook his desk,
and caused perceptible swaying of the walls
Colonel s. w. Scott who was on the fifth floor,
makes the same statement as to the direction,
and says that the chandelier swung to and fro
two feet from the perpendicular In the Seattle
& Montana railroad Office, on the same floor, the
electric lights swung to and fro and letter-box
was shaken off the window ledge. The elevator
cage swung violently from south to north in
Its grooves with g rafting sound All the occu-
pants OF the building rushed to the elevator or
the stairs and only felt safe when they reached
the open air.
BY those who witnessed 1t from the street,
the movement of the Bailey building was from
south TO north, the effect being clearly percep-
tible in the movement OF the glass of the
windows opening on Cherry street. Yet Han
cock Neagle, who was in his Office on the third
door, Is positive that the motion came from a
little south of east, the walls swaying so that
he fed along with his fellow tenants to the
street.
In the Occidental building there was a veri-
table panic the public reading rooms on the
fifth floor being quickly emptied, and a terrified
crowd fleeing from the building on all three
sides. Here the motion was said to be from
south to north.
The shock was as distinctly felt on the top
floor Of the Seattle National bank building aud
here il is said 10 have been from southwest TO
northeast
An amusing incident is related as having
happened in the Seattle block. gentleman
nh "a Nf sha
four men in the sdioining room having quiet
zane of draw poker. little conversation was
going on, and they were getting up big pot,
which was the cause of some excitement At
this point the shock came, the walls rocked and
all rushed out without coats or hats, leaving
the pot on the table, and He'd headlong down
stairs together with all the other terrified ten
ants. As they stood the sidewalk one of the
poker party remarked 10 his companions:
"If any OF you fellows want my share of that
pot you can go after II"
In this building Fletcher Coulter says that the
oscillation was from southwest to northeast
In the Washington building, on Front street.
there are two opinions as To tho direction of the
waves, A. Il. Stewart, OF the Stewart * Holmes
Drug Company, stating that they were from
south To north, while at the Nevada saloon they
were said 10 be from east 10 west. In the show
window of stewart & Holmes was a colored
glass globe standing on a bracket which swing
on pivot. II was pointing west and was seen
10 swing around on the pivot 1--WE times. In tho
Nevada there was general disturbance of
glasses and bottles but no breakages were
noticed.
Boyd J, Tallmsu has an Office at the top OF the
Sale Deposit building. aud rs it is seven stories
high he bad an exceptionally fine opportunity
TO experience The effect 81 the seismic wave.
Fortunately he was IN ais Office at the time or
he might have missed one of the most interest.
inc incidents of lifetime lie wss seated in
al easy reading chair. When the first treror
struck the building he arose 10 his feet in aston
ishment aad awaited what was 10 come next
Immediately Riierward his heavy revolving
bookcase swsyed over, pictures dangled several
inches from tae.r places keeping = plumbline
which marked the deviation of the walls from
the perpendicular. plaster cracked and gas tx-
tuges swung. He IS more than ever IMPRESSED
with the susceptibility 81 his location to-seisrni &c
disturbances and Of lts value as al ADVANTAGEOUS
poiut Tor scientific observations.
". ;. Ciarks gas fixtures are loose and swung
violently; pictures on the north wal fell for.
ward. jerking cut the supporting nails. He was
writing ara the pen s.lt across the sheet Mr.
Clark NettictoH. wAO was in the same building.
said IL was his trst ~ per.ence 81 al EARTHQUAKE
such As be had read about. aud he wiil return 10
astudy OF the iau of l'soon, the overthrow OF
PcEapoit and Tie experiences of Charleston with
a Couside-Sbly heightened interest
L. F. Blaine. who was in the Boston block
talking TO G. A. Riddle, remarked that he would
ran down and see " dsi was the matter. he ilG
net wait for his bat or coat
Dr. A. =. kihas was ia the FRYE building in
conversation with lir. Mccullough, and he con
fesses inst he was tAkeR by surprise and exper-
fenced tic peculiar fear. followed by a sensation
Of nausea which usually accom- pSnles and tol-
lows these phenomena
Mr. Frtti Never ~ the Grand hote9 who h-s