The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-04-23
THE EARTHQUAKES BOOZE.

Newspapers which are filing their
columns with exaggerated accounts Of the
recent earthquakes are engaged in poor busi-
ness. They could scarcely have said more
or done more in the way of illustration il
the earthquake had been as destructive as
that f Charleston, in 1856, or that of Spain
IN 1851: aud yet up to date the public have
10 learn Of the first life that has been lost
CT the first extensive destruction Of prop
erty. a few frame buildings in two or
three small towns have been partially dam
aged. Here and there a wall or chimney
has been tumbled down; but the total dam
age has not been greater than that which
might have been done By strong gale.
The catalogue of the catastrophes, as
given in an enterprising contemporary, par
takes OF the Iudicr0us rather than tie APP
FALLING. though all the resources of the re-
pOrter's genius were called into play 20
describe the lurid scene. There was "a
report as Of a monster cannon" tb en- down
crashed blocks Of brick and stone" "a
mighty noise" preceded "a fearful SHOCK"
q cement cellar was crushed" "a Chin
ney fell with man on ii. the man
being luckily on top" walls collapsed"
a IMAM who was washing dishes had to run
for dear life into the yard" millner was
knocked down by powders which fell on
her head. but as the latter was nninjured
it was probably the powders which suffered,
q carpenter ''sprained his ankle" in run
ming away. drunk and disorderly begged
to be let cut of the calab0ose fer fear of
accident, and Immediately made himself
scarce" a safe was moved two feet"
some fruit jars were spilled" that's and
shirt boxes were crushed out OF shape
NJ hrO -
windows Of the bank were smashed" Such
desolation as this is not calculated to start
the tear of compassion On its downward
flow. An earthquake so mild in It's fury
might have escaped the vengeance of the
PICTORIAL artist. 1t was not worth while
narrowing our feelings with heartrending
headlines for such very infnitesimal
disaster.
The simple truth is that the temblor Of
Wednesday and Thursday was 10 worse
than the gentle earth waves of which hun
dreds or more are recorded by seismometers
every year. II is very thoughtless to de-
scribe II IN the language which was fitting
to paint the Japan earthquake of last Oeto-
Der. Such accounts do the State no good in
the East and create an uneasy feeling at
home. Winters and Nacayiile owe no thanks
70 the newspapers which represent them as
scenes OF desolauon and ruin, when, in
fact, few carpenters and GLACIERS will eff
face all traces of the catastrophe In a couple
Of weeks. Ia quarters where the ford
Gothic Of the Examiner reporter is read
people would be likely to give both local.
ties a vide berth in the future il believed
which would not be gain, In any sense, for
two. OF the most promising towns in the
State.
Nor is it is wholesome for a newspaper to
place itself on the same plane as the Oak
land crank who lately predicted the end of
the world. and frightened a lot of timid
people out Of their senses. Some earth
quakes are terrible things. They are ap-
paling because they cannot be foreseen,
their cause is unknown and no one can pre-
dict the extent OF their rayage. EARTHQUAKES
have ground cities to powder in FIVE minutes,
and have hurried thousands of people TO a
sudden grave. 1t is natural that they should
be objects OF terror even among persons of
ordinarily resoiute minds. No one can feel
certain, when the solid earth begins to
move. where the motion will stop, or what
VIII remain oil the work of man when il has
stopped. But as such catastrophes can
neither be foreseen nor entirely guarded
against, IL is not wise to fix the mind on
their cOntem plation. nor is it con siderate to
display before the weak and the timtd ex-
aggerated pictures of their violence when.
in fact, they have not been violent, and are
not likely 10 become violent. We are all OF
us in the hands Of Providence and may die
at any moment. But he who feeds the fancy
of the timorous with vision of sudden death
and approaching cataclysm cannot be said
TO be ludiclOuS or right minded.