Evening star., 1898-03-31
California MetrotbotS Visited BY
Heavy Earthquake Shock.
WORST SEISMIC fREhoR IN YEARS
Considerable Damage to Buildings,
But No L6ss of Life. +.
LASTED FORTY SECONDS

SAN FRANCISCO, Cal, March 31.-This
city and a portion of the state were shaken
at 11:4S last night by the most severe
earthquake experienced mere since 1863,
| when several persons were killed. This
time, however. no fatalities have been re-
ported.
Five families narrowly escaped being
buried in wreckage by the collapse of the
tenement at 445 Clementina street, which
followed the rocking tremors. Propped
up on the frailest Of supports. with prac-
tically no foundation, the hfmsy structure
sank three feet below the sidewalk in
shifting sand and now stands q misshapen
mass, ready to tumble like pack of cards
at the first disturbance. The occupants,
most Of them awakened from Sleep were
caught as in trap Doors warped out
Of shape would not open and windows were
jammed. While the widest excitement
prevailed within neighbors, attracted by
the crash and the screams of women and
children. were doing their best to Hbera.e
the unfortunate prisoners.
Doors Burst Open.
The doors were finally burst open and
the women, many Of them scarcely able
to walk, were conveyed across the way and
cared for by friends. All were luckily
taken out without injury, except W. F.
Howe, who was badly jammed by falling
timbers.
Mrs. J. N. Davis an old lady of seventy
five years, and Mrs. Herman Kaiser, the
latter an invalid. had to be carried from
their wrecked homes.
Another house at 5th and Tehama streets
was thrown down, and the great crane
at CARROTS foundry was sent crashing
to the ground.
Along the water front and among the
shipping in the harbor the shock was very
severe. Windows were broken, glasses
and crockery were shattered in the Sa-
looms and residences. and exciting personal
experiences were related by many. Out
on the bay violent tidal wave lifted small
boats high upon its crest and threatened
death to their occupants.
In the Strathmore House, on Larkin and
Fulton streets, the plaster was shaken of
the walls by the severity of the shock.
Supreme Court building Shaken.
The old supreme court building, on the
corner of McAllister and Larkin Streets
was shaken up considerably, the visible
signs Of the seismic visitation being one
chimney tilted at an angle of Is degrees
from the perpendicular, and another turned
almost completely around from its original
position. 9lts
In the Merchants Exchange a quantity
OF plaster was shaken down, but no great
damage was done. u ?;
The nineteen-story Claus Sprackles build
ing was not injured in the least, though it
sUayed like a great tree in a storm. At
least 100 stores south of Market street suf
fered severely, chiefly by the breaking Of
frail articles. 81 sH
At the store of H. Van Costelbeck, on
Market street, several hundred dollars
worth of interior decorations were in
jured u 80
The drug store of E. Happensburger, on
the northwest corner OF Mission and 9th
| streets, was damaged severely. The ''rear
room was mass of broken bottles, the
mixed contents Of which almost flooded the
store.
The entire electric light system on all the
floors Of the White House, on Kearney
street. was thrown on by the vibration.
ard the building was brilliantly iliuni-
Eated.
Telegraph and telephone wires were bad
ly crossed, and for a short time communi-
cation was interrupted.
In the Winchester House, A Sd street.
the windows broke, walls and ceilings
cracked, scattering broken glass and plas-
ter. A coal Oil lamp was upset by the VI
! bration of Mrs. Hayes house. 173 Mime
scta street. The Oil ignited, but was soon
extinguished.
Scvcrest In North Part of State.
The shock was apparently confined to
northern California, the southern part Of
the state reporting this morning that no
shock was felt there.
Vallejo and Mare Island suffered much
damage, the loss at the navy yard being
estimated at not less than $25 600. The ma
val hospital was wrecked and the govern
ment sawmill blown down. In the town OF
Vallejo, just across the channel, the loss