The San Francisco call., 1906-05-06
Parting Of Earth Is Said to Be
800 Feet Wide.
Ground Breaks Under Cow
and She Meets Death.

~
OF unique sort appear TO have attend
ed the earthquake shock at Bolinas
Bay, reports from that section re-
eeived by John K. Orr, a wealthy land
owner In that vicinity whose home is
at 1740 Walnut street, Berkeley, IN
dicating that the force and freakish-
ness Of the temblor were greater there
than at any other point in the State.
Mr.. Orr returned last night from a
personal inspection of the territory
about Bolinas Bay. He waited upon
President Benjamin Ide Wheeler OF
the State University today. suggesting
that scientists associated with the
university might discover at Bolinas
Bay phenomena most worthy OF study,
because more extraordinary than any
reported 10 have occurred elsewhere.
So terrible is the sight in that
region" said Mr.. Orr today, that
the details of the destruction wrought,
in conformity with a promise I made
my cousin. P ]. Shafter, and also be-
cause l believe the truth told about
the damage there would unduly alarm
people and would help to give black
eye TO the State"
Before making a personal inspection
of the country Mr. Orr was in receipt
Of letter from e. B. Nelson of the
Nelson Hotel Company at Olema, Civ
ing some details of the havoc wrought
by the earthquake. This letter refers
TO an extraordinary chasm in the
earth created by the earthquake. the
fssure extending from Tomales to
Bolinas Bay, q distance along the
ocean shore Of about twenty miles.
In some places the chasm is said to
be 800 feet deep.
On the ranch owned by P. ]. Shat
ter, where thousands of acres are CIV
en- over to dairy purposes. the ranch
men were milking the cows when the
quake came. The chasm created by
the temblor narrowly missed taking
in a big ranchhouse and did swallow
up a COW in the yard where the milk
ing was being done. Mr.. Orr saw the
vertebrae of the COW, the dirt having
been scraped from the surface by
coyotes. The fssure at that point
was about eight feet deep.
The letter TO Mr.. Orr, written by
Mr. Nelson, IS said by the former
to be no exaggeration, but rather an
understatement Of the facts. Portions
of the communication are as follows:
Mud and sand in the bay were
thrown up into ridges by the upheaval
Of earth until they are now visible
even at high tide. Sections Of the
towns OF Bolinas and Marshalls on
the railroad are now lying in the bay
and the town of Tomales is almost
wiped ont of existence. Three people
in this place lost their lives.
The ground in some places sank to
depth Of from two to ten feet and q
great seam opened that just missed
house. 1t passed through P. ]. Shat
ter's corral and engulfed a cow, clos
ing UP again and burying the animal
This enormous fissure extends from
Tomales to Bolinas on the ocear
shore. At one place it Is alleged tc
be 300 feet deep. At Point Reyes sta
ton an engine and three cars were
thrown from the tracks by the TEN
blor and are still lying at the side ot
the tracks.
The little brook stream. In which
the water was as clear as crystal, l:
now the color of mud and unfit fol
use. The shock here seems to have
been a great deal heavier than in Sar
Francisco judging from the appear
ance OF the earth. The garden il
front of SINNERS house, which con
tanned half a dozen immense gun
trees, was moved several feet pas
the house without materially chang
Il