New-York tribune., 1899-03-26

HOW 'sAlRs CHARLES" WOUNDED HEART
LEARNED THAT THERE WAS BALM IN
GurAD-ApvICE To 'TENDERFEET"
The connection between the recent muggy weather
and the III. beyond may have been the cause OF
the gloomy discussion that took place AT recent
Tenten afternoon" i'm this city one woman was
in n storytelling mood, and she entertained her
listeners with the following episode.
..In tho spring Of 1892 "a woman % strong ndivid-
ualItv and singular power held am immense though
brief SWAY over the minds Of some of the r"hS-
iouslv inclined of san Francisco and Vicinity Her
name WAS Woodward. Al the time she was h"lAlhs
a protractcd revival meeting in an enormous teh'
at Oakland This city. one of the loveHrst on 'he
coast Is refuge as a residence for those VINO
wish 10 escape the high winds OF tha' CITY ""'"
is built like Rome. on hills
..This woman was evidently shrewdly familiar
with Western characteristics. She knew It's grim
humor and cyncism. and that tradition IN the
West did not have much weight but that pare
present facts dd. Sne predicted The coming Of the
end OF the world IN the near future. and IL would
be a great tidal wave and earthquake These com,
bined were to swallow up the whole continent ana
wicked san Francisco In particular The latter
sure TO go, she said on account OF l.S '"l =
raphy. The logical deduction was apparent. ~
behooved each one to pHt niInsen Ih'| n,o .a, of
ceptive condition 10 experience me chahse ,e 0l
heart that would insure admission into the me
'The date for the disastrous event set. II
to be on April li AZ ?. m. -
accepted by thousands indicated their dissatisfac.
tion with themselves and the existing state or
things Il also expressed their Willingness 10 sur
render the battle Of life almost any terms
Times were particularly hard in the West In l&l
The result OF the prophecy eliminated IN some
curious incidents that in the calm. sober thought
Of reaction must have been regretted. valuable
property was given away business thrown up
and worldly interests Of every KIND abandoned.
Vast crowds Of people fed with precipitation 10 the
mountains the appointed hour approached Tor
they intended 10 keep high and dry as long as pos
sible Towns became almost deserted. The i'm
pressiona bic negro element became fanatical 10 an
ties 10 suppress the woman. but popular feeling
ran too high. As the last day OF grace arrived
the excitement became n frenzy. Some. sad TO re-
late became insane Even the level-headed ones
OF the various communities about San Francisco,
who had been al first amused at this periodical
renewal Of the idea Of wOrd-endng. were little
curious as the fateful hour approached. Possibly
they were q little relieved as u passed by hHo
Gently enough. .
But who shall say that the woman was wholly
an impostor or f-deceiVed? Scientists may some
time attest she possessed undevcloped sense
OF high order, for. remarkable TO relate. on the
oath day OF the same month a most disastrous
Dixon was partially destroyed. and smaller one
almost obliterated. In Sacramento public build
ings were rent and made Insecure. and san Fran
cisco itself sustained three successive shocks
These were Of such severity that terrified people
were driven out Of their beds into the streets for
appalling results would have been had nature con-
spired with Mrs. Woodward and timed this out
break with her prediction Of ten days earlier
MANY would have died from fright. Her fame as q
second Daniel would have been assured. ana her
following would have been without parallel"