The San Francisco call., 1899-07-23

terranean and fiery connection under
the sea between the coast and the
islands is a question of grave impor-
tance, but one that is to the lay mind,
of course, unanswerable.
T OS ANGELES, July Clos An
geles was to-day startled by an
earthquake shock that has no
IL equal recorded in years, and old
timers assert that they do not
remember a similar occurrence. The
exact time of the visit of the temblor
is recorded by the big timepieCe in the
local weather observatory in the top
story of the Wilcox building that
stopped the pendulum at y o'clock 81
minutes and 28 seconds this afternoon
The officials of the Weather Bureau say
that three shocks were experienced, but
that they followed in such rapid sue
cession that the entire movement of
the earth's surface seemed as one mo-
ton. The duration was not timed, as
the excitement was too great, but a
comparison of watches by 2, number of
persons agree upon fully ninety sec
onds The shock came from a few de-
grees east of north and extended in
The greatest damage so far reported
was at the city Hall The massive
building shook, trembled and vibrated.
The building is the home of the public
library and all the city departments.
The occupants of these various divi-
sions were thrown into CONSERVATION
and rushed to the corridors.
The excitement was heightened when
bricks, mortar and terra Gotta were
hurled from a height of $50 feet to the
sidewalk The swaying of the build
ing had loosened the fancy work sur
rounding d part of the southern dor
mer window, and it fell to the street.
Judge J. Beardon, who had been stand
ing by the pillars of the entrance of
the building, attempted to rush to
place of safety and stepped upon the
pavement Just as the falling debris hit
the fagstones. At the same moment
the second shock, which seemed the
most intense, came, and it knocked
the Judge down. At the moment it
seemed as if BeardOn had been crushed
by the dismantIed articles. Aside from
being stunned, he was not injured
The hook and ladder apparatus was
called into service to remove the re-
ropes were stretched across the side
walks and around the entrances to pre-
vent danger to pedestrians from any
article that might be Ioosened and fall.
The next greatest damage is found
in the Wilcox building, where the
Weather Bureau is stationed The
walls in the upper story are cracked
for six feet, and all the plateglass win
dows in the railroad offices are cracked.
The same is reported in the HOllen-
beck Hotel and the Bradbury building.
The residence portion of the city did
not escape Damage to minor articles
is reported. while clocks stopped pic
lures fell. and in some cases crockery
and dishes were smashed.
Two more shocks were felt this even
ing-one at 7:22 and the other at $50
o'clock The atmosphere, which has
been very oppressive for several days,
is more congenial tonight, and the nu-
merous temblOrs. which at first fright
ened the more timid are now looked
upon as a matter of course, and a dis
cussion of the sensations experienced is
the topic of the hour. The damage was
confined to the displacement of a few
cornices. numerous cracked walls and
the breakage of some glassware.
In several localities the earthquake
was a benefit to the fruit-groweTs, the
fruit being shaken from the trees, thus
saving the expense of picking.