The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-06-16
UNCLE&1M'S NEW TEnRIT0ff.
The Possession Gained by an Earthquake
Comes ns q Surprise.

Uncle Sam acquired some new territory
I'm the Pacific a few weeks ago III mover
manner. says the New Journal II was
not acquired by conquest. annexation or
n,,rchase but was a gift from nature
herself. who pushed IT up from the dep'hs
of the Pacific ocean and gave IL unasheu'
New Jersey Is gradually losing territory
along the coast while IN other regions
new land is being added to the area OF
the United states. But the usual pro-
cess is slow.
once i'm while a new island Is nfted
suddenly out Of the sea by volcanic ac-
ton. and this, practically is what oc-
Cured off the coast OF California, when
about Sc 900 square yards OF rock was adc-
ed 10 one of the Santa Barbara ISLANDS
with a suddenness that surprised the
people living on the island.
The Santa Barbara group OF ISLANDS
lies about sixty miles off the coast OF
California. in about the latitude or Los
Angeles The island Of san Miguel, 10
which the new island has been ADDED Is
one Of the smaller islands. and is owned
by Captain w. G. Waters. who has big
sheep ranch on A. The only people liv-
ing on the island are Captain Waters and
his sheep herders and laborers.
Captain Waters was on the island when
the earthquack, eruption. or whatever II
was, occurred. He took the Information
TO the mainland. and the San Francisco
Examiner sent correspondent to san
Miguel. TO get all the facts and some pic
lures Of the new territory of the United
States.
on the night vfen the disturbance oc-
CURED he was sitting In his house reading.
He felt the earth SILVER. but as earth
fl4.r. COL.
he took little notice of the occurrence.
The next morning he started out around
the beach toward his boathouse to look
for his sloop. which was due from the
mainland When he neaTed the harbor
and the place where the boathouse should
have been he had TO stop and rub his eyes
because of the remarkable appearance OF
the surroundings.
The beach had disappeared. and where
a bay Of placid water had been. rose
huge mass OF broken cliffs. lie climbed
no on the high ground overlooking the
bay. and there, on the plateau. forty fee;
or more above the water line and 800 feet
inland, were the boathouse and sheep
corral which the previous evening had
been right on the waters edge
on reaching the boathouse he found
another surprise. The building stood as
firm as ever. but whereas II had original
Is faced seward. 1t was now turned al
most completely around and faced al
most directly away from the bay.
lie walked out on the top OF the newly
formed cliifs toward the water and found
the great mass OF rock still trembling
and swaying. There was sound OF
grinding and churning, and every now
and then chunk OF rock. would settle
"a little The mass was evidently still
a la -
The buoy TO which his sloop was moor
ed when I'm harbor was formerly 400 feet
from the sandy beach Now II was about
100 feet from the abrupt face OF the new
cliffs.
The new land thrust up from the sea
is a mass of rock 1000 feet long by 800
feet wide. Its appearance and the deduc-
tions drawn from soundings and other
observations seem TO show that the mass
was wrenched from the basis OF the Is
land and pushed upward and shoreward.
While the land has been elevated the
sea bottom was being greatly depressed.
and in some places where formerly there
was only six fathoms Of water no bot
tom could be found with the lines avail
able on the exploring boat.
The new land presents n singular ap-
rearance. Long, streamers Of seaweed
hang from the face of the cliffs. and
shollhsh Of all kinds are clustered about
II. The surface of the rocks is covered
with marine growths. including Holsters,
mussels. crabs large and small fish OF
various species weeds. and flowers and
all the odd things usually hidden from
the sight of man on the sea bottom, or
seen only I'm an aquarium.
While Captain Waters had gained a
considerable slice OF real estate without
| cost there is a feeling on the island that
| the curious caper Of nature is more COM
| fortably interesting in scientific folk Nv
ing at a distance than 10 residents on
| San Miguel