Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1892-12-14
An Experience In the Charleston
Earthquake.

After few hours of pleasant con-
versation, one of my friends said it
was time to leave. Taking out his
watch he continued, six minutes of
ten, and-aohat is utat?" A low, deep,
rumbling noise as of thunder, only be-
meath instead of above us, coming from
afar and approaching us nearer and
nearer, muttering and groanlng, and
ever increasing in volume-it was up
on us in an instant.
The massive brick house we were in
began to sway from side to side
gently at first with rhythmicai mo-
tion. then gradually increasing in
force, until, sRringing TO our feet, we
seized one another by the hand and
gazed with blanched and awe-struck
faces at the tottering walls around us.
We felt the floor beneath our feet
heaving like the deck of storm-tossed
vessel, and heard the crashing of the
falling masonry and ruins on every
side. With almost stilled hearts we
realized that we were in the power OF
an earthquake. The motion of the
house, never ceasing, became now ver-
tical. Up and down it went as though
some monstrous giant had taken it in
his hands as play thing, and were
tossing it like ball for his amuse-
ment. Recalling our dazed senses,
and staggering to our feet as best we
could, with one accord we rushed down
the steps leading to the front door.
and, graspng the handle, turned it.
In vain-the door was jammed, and
we were compelled to wait like rats in
a trap until the shock had passed!
Concentrating it's energies into one
final, convulsive effort, the huge earth
wave passed, and left the earth palpi-
tating and heaving like tired ami
NAL. There came crashing down into
our garden-plot the chimneys from the
house in front of ours. Fortunately
the falling bricks injured none of US.
Making another trial, we succeeded in
opening the door and rushed into the
street.
Now there came upon us an over
powering, suffocatng odor of sulphur
and birthstone, which filled the whole
atmosphere We were surrounded by
a crowd of neighbors--men, women,
and children en-who had rushed out of
their houses, as we had done, and who
/ SlOOu Win uo III VIC lilouiC VI phO
street. awaiting they knew not what
Suddenly there came again to our
ears the now dreaded rumbling sound.
Like some fierce animal growing and
seeking its victim, it approached, and
we all prepared ourselves for the
worst. The shock came, and far a
moment the crowd was awed into 81
lence Fortunately this shock was not
nearly so severe as the first. The
earth became still once more, and the
roaring died away in the distance.
How the people Stunned their
houses, and spent that and succeeding
nights in the streets, private gardens,
and on public squares, is well known
from the many accounts given in the
daily and illustrated papers at the
time.
So perfectly still and calm was the
air during the night, that lamI
which was taken out in the open all
burnt as steadily as though protected
in a room, and no tlickering revealed
the presence of breath of wind.
Again. some strong and powerful
buildings in certain portions of thu
city were wrecked completely, Will,
others older and undoubtedly weake
passed through the shock unharmed
A house on one corner was perfectl,
shattered, while, just few hundred
feet away. the house on the opposit
corner was not damaged in the slight
est except that little plastering wa
shaken down.-EDing Gibson, IN 81
Nicholas.