Los Angeles herald., 1892-02-25
CALIFORNIA AND HER TEMBLoRs.

The earthquake Tuesday night quite
naturally interests great many of the
easterners in our midst. The strangers
within our gates do not know the seismic
history of California, and they suppose
that this section is abnormally subject
to such influences.
Now, as matter OF fact, California,
during the last ten years, has not suf-
Tered anything like as much from earth
quake as the states east of the Rocky
mountains. This will, of course, be news
to our eastern visitors. When we add
that California, during all the period of
its recorded history, has not suffered,
either in life or property, one hundredth
part as much as the single seismic visi-
tation at Charleston, South Carolina,
inflicted upon the people of the Atlantic
coast, our comparative immunity from
disasters arising from earthquake will
be realized. To this general statement
there is one exception, to which we will
advert in its proper place.
The last great earthquake in Cali
fornia occurred in the spring of 1872.
1t was not in any sense disastrous. Up
in Inyo county. it cut up its heaviest
''shines." In independence, in that
county, the shocks were violent
and incessant, and lasted throughout
the greater part OF twenty-four hours.
They tell in that region the story of
rancher who had started out to catch
horse, and who sa it suddenly disap-
pear, it is claimed, through great
chasm, which had opened in the earth,
and which closed as quickly as it had
opened. Such statements should, of
course, be taken with a grain of salt.
That the shocks were numerous and
violent is an unquestionable fact.
Four years before, in 1868, there was
a lively seismic excitement in San
Francisco. The shocks were violent
and continued for quite while. If
they had lasted much longer, there would
have been some damage, with loss of
life, for the guests at the several hotels
were clustering about the windows,
ready to precipitate themselves into the
streets. Fortunately the temblor sub
sided and common sense ruled. A few
buildings were Jared and some fire.
walls were shaken down. The imagina-
tion of the people was the theater in
which most damage was done. There
had been number of earthquakes be-
fore 1868. but the actual disaster was
confined to the mind's-eye of the inhab-
itants of the Golden state.
There has been only one serious
casualty in Southern California arising
from an earthquake, and that was
largely accidental. Away back in 1872
the people of San Juan Capistrano, in
Orange county, on the borders of San
Diego county, were gathered in the old
Mission church at worship. The proba-
bility is extreme that this edifce was
loosely constructed, and that it lacked
the elements of durability that modern
architects would have impaired to it.
However this may be, it was Sunday.
and high mass was being celebrated
when the central portion Of the building
fell on the assembled worshipers, and
number of deaths was the result.
Here we have the only really tragic
element of any seismic shock in Califor-
mia since the opening quarter of the
present century. If the people, instead
OF being gathered in the church, had
been at home, or had been going about
their usual vocations, there would have
been no tragedy to report.
It is curious fact that, during the
past ten years, there have been more
earthquake shocks on the Atlantic than
ON the Pacific coast of the United States.
The Charleston disaster was of the
gravest kind. Years ago. near Marble
head, Massachusetts, a temblor of great
violence was experienced. The people
OF California were about to conclude
that the seat of these disturbances had
been permanently removed to the east.
The little shake Of the other day comes
in time to remind us that we are still in
the prism of seismic agitation.
Four years ago there was lively
shake-up in Los Angeles, which did no
harm outside Of alarming few timid
people. About ten years ago we had
quake that turned the good Angelefos
into the streets for the greater portion
Of the night. There was mixture Of |
the grave and gay, Of the ludicrous and |
khe traoic. in this last. The DANES de !