The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1904-02-11
vng gARyHouAkE THAT swAl.
LOWED aGlsg WALKER.

AGfVVA1 WV gNsts W 49,
from ssr Lac oeispo 10 5,s Bsossdin
Ccusiy. there lice . pecsiisr tfeteh Q
ditch. . long nsfh Of bressn sround. .
II some siso, he'd sersieted the e'rs'
With . sharp ssisk, Il uisbt psss Tor q
old canal or irsi. sIccp. tbs, u extend
over valley snd mountain alike, nofsl
sesi BY southwest 10 reality II 10 sb
ps,h Of sn rrihqa,ks the esrttqast, o
Jsnusry. 1857
Although the moun,'ios danced spd To-
hills bowed together. no one sss liiles
10 the, great sh.kias. Jet there v" on
msn : 90 usdIi,o s,ys -vho stood 10 tb'
ps.h Of ths earthquake sud felt its poser
Tbm man vss Mise Wslke'. hunter TOT
,bs s,sse station u old Fort T,,,o. For
Tin Icy 10 . green valley q The oossl
II suse, forty miles sou,h Of the present
CITY OF B,kenHsld. California. End there
each dsy the overland stage from tbs
Mi.oou River 10 Ban Diego end thence
sloes the coast 10 6.n Francisco dres
40 ior food and rest and fresh horses
I, ~ss the daty Of Walker TO keep the
station supplied sish fresh meat. 20 very
ard uous t.sk 10 those days. for tie moan
tsins sbounded 10 gene.
Ca this dsy, bo ssveT. search % be
would. be could 6nd neither deer nor
bear. stillpess seemed 10 smother :be
earth. snd under iis spell oil spimsts %
.ors became sppFsbeusivs. Rabbits snd
birds shifted about unessiiy. and The Wild
cst,Ie footed along their trails on the steep
bill. ides in sbsolu.s eilepce.
Five miles from the slsii)n Walker hal,
ID under 90 osk snd g's,d ous over she
little vsiley. A hush. such % comes oar
Ios 90 ,clipse Of the son or before some
mighty storm, came upon him. The hop
ter wss sirsid. Yet OF whsti
There vas . sudden bump uader the
soles OF his feet. end hs heard The osk
Ie.yss begin TO rustic sbove him. Again
here came bnmping st bis fses, accom-
o.pied by . subterrsnesu rumb ing deep
md ominous
A third time, and the romblins deepen
ID into 9 rosr. Above him the broad
,sk.,ree Iurchsd sbsrply to the right, sod
hen back TO the left. Stones began 10 rot
,ls down the hilisides. and clouds Of dust
.o,e from their isll ., the foot OF q neigh
boring cliff The Ground besved beneath
lin once more. and With bound be
vas 10 the open. For the first time be
esIiz ID that be wss in 90 earthquake.
Ys. oil this vas bot preliminary to the
hooks 10 come. As be gsEsd about him
q . nsmeless terror. the esrth seemed to
Ise 10 waves and sweep towsrd him like
he breakers Of the see.
B.r.rumpi The earth heaved bsnessh
,is ise,l and he fell TO the ground.
li,zy spd sick. A deadly nausea seized
i'm.
To bis strained eyes the whole valley
100 emsd swsying 10 huge wsves. At esco
l,p the great oaks bent over end brushed
he around, while above the roar end
a mbls Of the earthquake csms the crssh
i falling trees and the crunch OF rolling
,oulders. s.rspsest OF oil. down the steep
,il,s,de above him. sculiiins and tremb
ine, csme flying numbers OF wild cattle.
o.ksu from their narrow trails. and shot
,.vIiue down the mountsinslde BY the
mighty subterranesu blows Of the earth
luske.
All the world seemed wrecked ruiped.
opsy-,urvy, and Nelse Walker sp'svled
~ the ground and closed bis eyes. When
be solid ground swsys beneath msn, be
8 helpless beyond compare.
Il hss often been observed Of earth
Iustes thst they come 10 waves and 10
.ries OF waves. Dslicste Instruments
,sye been oout,ivsd which register these
oscillations and mark their direction and
Intensity. Before esch great shocs there
re 1 series OF smsller checks; before esob
,,est series there are often number Of
shocks
Sharp % hsd been the OSCILLATIONS
vbicb tbrev Wslkef TO the ground and
uubled the frightened cattle down the
ooun.sinside, the earthquake Of 1859 bad
ot yet sttsined iss msximum intensity.
,s victims we're not 10 escape 90 soon.
'oe erindiog and rocking pssssd into
,ere trembling, and Walker rose 70 his
%. With . great sense Of relief Bat
.rdly hsd be picked up bis gun when
be earth beesn oncs more to sway snd
ump. There vas 9 rosr 10 the cir like
10 uder. md dosn the valley be ssv com
70 buee waves, before which the tsees
10 ped suddenly end The stsupedius osi
e dropped ss II shot.
The next moment there sss . bomp
hich threw him into the cir, end . reod
n crash which made bis heart stand
al Tnen sish . wrench the solid essih
srted, snd . mighty draft Of cir sock
/ him like Q lesi into ibe black sbyss,
Ia 9 moment Of greet terror one scss 10
purely ius,inc,ive wsy. As drovoiog
Isn clutches 81 straw, 30 Nelse Wslker
..p. into the bosom OF the Earth BY %
mos, incor ceiv.ble estsstfopbe, dropped
10 ON sud cln,ched oot wildly.
HI. hsnfs etc lpnlered . tsnsls Of roots
perhsps the roots of tbt eme bsosd
IL beneath which. bot few mometn
efore. be bsi est st bis ease. At the
,ocb be srspplsd with them desperately.
bile tbs sspd-lsden Sind swept psst bin
ito the bowels Of the earth.
10 .pits o, the falling dirt snd The tor
ado OF siud sbich best down upon him,
p.lter clons 10 his bold sith the insscs
treus,h Of . usu sho isees sudden
ssfh.