The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-04-20

l,shed n record which It is hoped never
viii he surpassed In this country.
The Pacific. coast has been so re
oIcntly. visited by earthquakes that It was
deemed unwise. untll1n few years ago
to erect tall buildings In San @Francisco
It was only with the advent OF. noaeri
steel construction, which was bclieVedste
render tall buildings safe from the earth
tremors, that skyscrapers made their mp
Dearance on the coast. In the past 1i1t5
years more than $50 earthquake shocks
have been recorded In San francisco
The most severe were in 1868 and 1898. Ii
1865 much damage was done TO the city
and many lives were losl.#- ;,
The disturbance OF 1893 did not rcsnl,
in loss OF life, but caused much damage
to property. The shock occurred at II: =;
#P. NJ, March 81, and houses all over the
city We're shaken to their foundations
There was intense excitement and many
miraculous escapes were recorded. The
damage was particularly severe along the
water front, for a tidal wave rolled In
from the bay and wrecked small boats
and docks.
San Francisco's Earlier Shocks.
The city was cut off from telegraphic
communication with the coast for several
hours. The Mare Island navy yard was
damaged TO the extent of $4,000, and
since then no buildings more than two
stories have been constructed on the
government reservation.
p This shock OF 1895 was confined to Cen
trail and Northern California, and severe
damage was reported from interior state
points. Fires broke out IN several small
towns from overturned lamps and stoves
and the fumes destroyed more property
than did the earthquake itself. The 1888
trcmor was declared to have been the
most severe ever recorded at San Fran
CISCO and It was remarkable that no. loss
Of lifc resulted.
IT has been noticed before that nearly
every seismic disturbance on the Pacific
coast has been preceded by more or loss
violent disturbances or volcanic eruptions
in tho South Seas or near Japan or AUS
trnlia. and the shocks of yesterday would
seem to have as their precursors the re-
cent disturbances mt Formosa. 5
The Most Recent Tremors.
A man named erickson once prophesied
TINT San Francisco, Oakland, Chicago
and New York would ~ destroyed by
oartl0uake on April H. 1880. The approach
of this date caused u wild panic OF fear
in san Francisco, and early In April real
estate values actually suffered serious
depreciation as n result and many tlmid
people left the city. Inc l4th OF Aprll
came, however, and nothing happened,
Tho most recent tremors We're recorded
at San Francisco May 10, 1882; August
Z, 1890; April q, 1890, and April Fl, 1892,
The last earthquake In San Francisco
was about tho middle of January, 1000,
Several distinct shocks wnra felt early
in the morning. causing Arbitration of
buildings all over the city. The chief
building affected was the st, Nicholas
Hotel, which was severely shaken, The
walls collapsed III certain parts OF the
structure, patrons were thrown out of
their beds and furniture was destroyed.
In 1904 there was n severe seismic dis
turbnnce In Los Angeles, which was felt
throughout the city ana for q radius of
several miles around No actual damage
was done. but this was the most severe
shock ever felt In Southern California.