Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-06-02
THE WRECK OF A NOUN TAIN
s,xTRaORDIN RESULT OF CALI
FONNIa.s LAST EARTHQUAKES.
Gigantic PEAK Collapsed and Haired
Millions of Tons of Rock
Into the Valley.
from the San Francisco Call.

from the San Francisco Call
A remarkable natural phenomenon has
followed the recent series OF ear'huuaNeS
trat shook the southern end of California
One of the giant spurs OF san Jaeiiito pean
b,s moved its millions of tons of earth
aud rock into the valley beneath. mere
II lies. eleven miles southeast OF San ia
cirto. tumbling mass of eartn' ooV
acres of trees and rocks. with immense
creyasses and cracks running zigzag in all
directions There are damned peaks OF
sandstone where hills were torn asunder'
there are slanting precipices where the
mountains parted company In other
places are great funnel-shaped hoies wnere
tn, soil was sucked into the interior OF the
earth and spots scarce six feet across run
through with crevassas whose depth the
eye cannot fathcm-
was slow in reaching town. The peak was
visited on Christmas day by Grant L. iaS-
CART. forest supervisor ana formerly oieih
of th,. supreme court of California. To-
rcther with Forest Ranger Rouse Ihelr
horses were tied at an elevation OF 4'"o
feet to a manzanita tree. and Rouse pro.
ceedad TO blaze a trail across TINS ideh,icai
GID acres to be utilized in case OF mountain
fires
The terrific seismic shock that leveied
San Jacinto's brick buildings occurred at
40 on Christmas morning. AT ~ O. CLOCK
these forest officers saw the peak trem-
bling and vibrating constantly with IN
ternal rumbling. but trembiors had peen
constantly recurring since morning the
men were not alarmed They left that par
ticular spur after an hours work MT.
Rouse lives about stwo miles below the
mountain. and although shocks were as
frequent as six each day. he did not re-
member any except one which occurred six
days later at 81 p.m- At that time a
great booming as of blasting came from
the spur above him and every dish in ms
shak
shelves. He is of the opinion that this was
the date of the collapse. for 7clouds or dust
could be seen issuing from the direction
of the mountain. The great Christmas
earthquake must have caused the roof OF
the subterranean cavern te'sDlit and con-
stantly recurring trembldrs caused the
mountain peak to slip into the cavity
Mr.. Rouse did not revisit the spur until a
few DAYS ago and when he sought his man.
zanita tree at the head Of the trail to Tie
his horse to he found that the tree lay up
rooted fifty feet below over the edge OF
wide crevasse, and the gently sioplng
mountain sides lay in iumbled mass OF
roots. rocks and deep assures The south
eastern edge. a half mile away. STOOD IN
tact but long slant of blue shale. smooth
as g.ass at an angle of 10 degrees. showed
Just where the great mass of earth had
moved into the suddenly opened ABYSS 10
the northwest
Only the tremblors occur weekly. and
one occurred last night. on Sunday every
body in this city drove to the foot OF the
spur. and on horseback completed the steep
ascent Of a narrow preciptous bride path
To the 1t is like climbing the Alps:
Once there. however. the view that is OBJ
tanned we'll repays the visitor for his weary
trip What was once a gentle incline
running from ridge % small valley, is
now cavern Separatng the ridge from
tn, valley. There crevices every few
feet in the earth. some as wide as six feet
and over twenty feet deep Bushes ana
small trees have been torn up by the roots
and hurled down many feet. In ore place
L H. f,..aF