The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1894-05-13


Henry Tregsllss. the manager, lived
with his wife in an adobe house near
the mill. At the first shake the house
went down in ruins. All ths other
buildings save the mill, which lie a very
strong frame structure. went down at
the fret crash. The terrified people
who escaped from the buildings quickly
got together, and it was found that none
were missing but Mr.. Tregellas aud his
wife. Among all the others few we're
hurt, none seriously, and none killed.
The men quickly went in search OF the
missing people; when found in the
ruins Mr.. Tregallss was dead, his arms
about his wife, who was badly hurt ana
nearly unconscious. The woman was
cared for as well as possible, and fully
recovered in course of time. The body
of her husband was taken charge Of and
buried by the mem bers of the Masonic
lodge at Independence.
At the town of Independence, which is
the county SCAT, and 16 miles north from
Lone Pine. the wreck of buildings was
general. But more timber had been
used here than at Lone Pine. and parti-
tions and ioists protected the people In
the buildings from falling walls; as g
consequence no lives were lost, nor was
any person very seriously hurt.
The court house was two-etory brick
building. The county clerk aud under
sheriff were sleeping on the ground floor.
At the fret shock the whole of the up
per story went crashing to the south and
fell beyond the lower part of the build
ing. The walls of the lower story were
left standing. but badly cracked to the
ground. The tive officers escaped from
the ruins with but slight injury.
p. A. Chalfant, who was then editor
of ths Inyo Independent, gives the fol-
lowing account of his experience:
He was awakened from sound sleep,
and it was some time before he became
conscious of the cries of his terrified
wifs and of the awful commissions of the
earth. With feeling OF indescribable
terror he reached the floor. Keeling and
staggering like a drunken man for
time-measaFed by the sensations it
seemed an sge-he vainly sought to
grasp from it's crib q sleeping child. 1t
was impossible, fer rs he staggered for
ward the crib rolled away, and then re-
ing against the bed. By some means he
finally got the child in mis- arms and
started out Of the room.
the printing Office directly overhead,
where stood two printing presses, weigh.
ing over 1000 pounds, which seemed to
be breaking through the floor. Unlock
ing the outer door he threw the child to
the heaving ground, and returned to
meet his wife as she staggered out with
q babe in her arms. Amid the falling
plastering and crashing pottery all es-
capped without a scratch. The whole
time thus occupied probably did not
exceed 90 seconds.
Similar experiences were had in every
house In the town.
A well-known attorney, who is now
in practice at Independence and is q
man of quick apprehension, appeared to
understand the situation instantly.
When the first shock occurred and the
walls OF his house were tumbling down,
he leaped from bed and shouted to his
wife: Get up, Betty, get up; hell's
broke loose" The couple escaped with
out scratch; but the impression then
made upon the mind of that attorney
was such that there is reasonable ground
to hope he may in the end escape the
bourne 80 many of his profession appear
to be destined for.
The wreck and destruction of property
was general at Independence but no
lives we're lost and, as already stated,
NO one was seriously hurt.
Two miles north from Indedendence
is q fac settlement called Camp Inde-
pendence. At the time of the earth
quake all of the buildings were OF
adobe, and all were partially destroyed
Only one life was lost. A farmer named
Jacob VOgt, his wife and one child
lived in an adobe house. At the first
crash the building went down in ruin,
and before Mr.. Vogt could extricate his
wife and child the latter was suffocated.
Mrs. Vogt and few others were in
jured. but none seriously.
At Fish spring. 81 miles north OF In
dependence, buildings were wrecked
and the inmates buried in the ruins.
But, strange to say, no one was killed
and only one person, and aged woman,
was seriously hurt This woman was
the mother of Henry O. Paine, we'll
known in Los Angeles. She recovered
from her injuries and lived until two or
three years ago, when she died at the
home of married daughter and at the
place where che had been hurt By the
earthquake.
At the town OF Bishop, AZ miles north
from Independence, the shake was also
severe. and stone and adobe buildings
went down in ruins. Along with other
members of their family, two young la
dies, daughters OF J.. P. Fancy, were
that night at a ball in the town. A
heavy stone chimney at their home fell,
went crashing through the roof and
down upon the bed where these girls
would have been lying had they not
been at the dance. If in bed at that
moment, both would certainly have
been killed. This incident is not found
in Sunday school etory books. 1t may
afford a good argument to girls who
want to go to dance when the old folks
object.
The earthquake extended along the
Sierra Nevada mountains far to the
100 miles or more from Owens valley
buildings were badly injured or totally
wrecked, but no loss of life, or even So
rious injury to persons, Was reported
from that direction.
The center of the CONFUSION WAS at or
near Lone Pine, and radiating from that
in all directions, this earth NOV ment
diminished.
At Little lake, so miles south from
Lone Pine, the first shock was severe
On that night stage and several large
teams were at the station. A stage
driver named H. w. Robinson was
sleeping in a room there. At the frat
shock his impression was that his team
were running away with the stage, and
he jumped up, grabbed fer the lines and
ahOutad "Whoaf Whoa fV Ia tr,r,