Year: 1870

Earth la a Constant TremOr for Nine
Hours-A Night Of Alarms.


From the Virginia Enterprise, Dec. 2s]


Night before last was night OF terror the peope
OF tins city and all the neghboring towns and Vii.
lagos, owing to the heavy and aarmingly frequent
ear, hquake SHOCKS experienced thr0uuhout the
country. Many persons rema ned in the streets ali
night fearing to re main in doors, while those who
remained IN their dwellings were unable TO sleep,
aud were dressed and prepared FOR rush In case OF
heavy shock coming


THE FIRST SHOCK


occurred about SIX O'Clock In the evening and was
avery heavy one. IL lasted ten or fifteen seconds
and thoroughly alarmed and aroused the whole city,
us coming was SO sudden and unexpected tnat peo
pie were for a minute or TWO completely stunned
and bewildercd. Everybody rushed pell neil into
the streets, and u was devil and the earthquake
the h1ndm0St The snock was preceded by sort OF
rumbng sound OF very short duranon when down
came the main quaker in full force, when after
shaking Us up for a few seconds 1t went rumbling
away. itappeared to come from the southwest and
pass away towards the northeast This shock took
bite OF about forty feet In length out Of the fire
wall OF the street front OF the old Taylor
building, corner OF TAYLOR ana streets, occu-
pied as hardware store by Smith Wagner.
A gentleman who saw the fire wall fall says
that the whole building appeared TO be pushed
some two ieet to the westward. then was sud
behind and fell to the pavement In unbroIen
moss Luckily no one was passing ct the nome mt.
Bricks were thrown from the rear wall Of Ppers
building, corner OF and Union streets. and quite
break was made In the frewal Of the old Earring
ton building North b street. Some Of the bricks
struck upon an awning, and bounded thence through
The window into the interior OF the house. At DIR. c.
q. Green's Office South street, q heavy bookcase
was thrown into the middle OF the floor and ali
along down the street bottles and lars dropped by
dozens from the shelves Of stores and saloons. The
streets were everywhere crowded with men, women
and Children all In momentary expectation OF Sec
ond shock and AFRAID to venture Dack into their
houses and places OF business. Some even cast
glances toward the summit OF Old Mount Davidson,
nalf expecting to see tue peak break of and roll
down upon the city. Gradually, however, the
majority got over their fright and went indoors to
talk over the big shock or rather series OF shocks
as 1t might be divided into three distinct throbs


ANOTHER STAMPEDE.


At about ten minutes to ten O'Clock lust when
some mad succeeded in chasing the pallor from their
cheeks and were saying that they rather liked earth
quakes, rumble, rumble, rattle, rattle, bang came
another shock, and there was another grand stam-
pede Tor the streets. This shock was neither so
heavy nor did it last so long as the first, yet no
one knew what It would turn out TO be and no one
cared to wait to see. Again the streets were filed
with people. pale and trembling their eyes cast up
ward towards the tops Of the houses and their
ears open 70 catch the smallest rumble. This shock
seemed to come more directly from the west than
the first. Between these main shocks there were
numerous tremors, scarcely amounting to distinct
shockA In fact from six O'Clock Sunday evening
until three O'Clock Monday morning the earth was at
rest scarcely ten minutes at u tlne-sO say close
servers ana persons delicately constituted.


MORE DIG JOITs.


AT about fifteen minutes to two O'Clock on Monday
morning there occurred very heavy Shock or series
OF Shocks causing most OF those who had retired to
arise dress ana seek the open air-ths partIcu-
lngs This shock or earthquake wave appeared to
come from about the same quarter as the others and
HdS lOuk uedfJ lcIlOW


BIG SHORTER.


About twenty minutes past three O'Clock came
what most persons agree was the heaviest shock OF
all. 1t was perhaps no heavier at any time than the
first one was for second or two but It lasted much
longer and it's vibrations were much more eccentric.
IL snook up and down, sideways ana every Otner
way, and caused great falling OF plaster smashing
OF bottles and other brittle ware, out did serious
damage. Altar TINS there were q few thrills and
tfrObs and all ca1ned down for time though 1t Ia
said that there were two slight shocks yesterday
forenoon, one about six and the other about ten
O'clock


FEW INCIDENTS.


A great many ladies were 80 badly frightened that
they tainted; children cried and clung to the gar
ments Of their parents; dogs howled and the horses
and mules IN the stables broke their matters, and
crowdlng together raised terrible hubbub. In one
hotel up three ladies' tainted at one time; one
made afeash to Jump out Of a window, while
another, M slippers and night clothes made break
out INTO the street, with her husband In full chase.
In the big hotel down town the ladies got into the
parlor and held grand pow w-wow, which was about
half prayer meeting and nalf lunatlc asylum. The
as they well might be, Tor the jail is on the frst
moor OF the Court House, very tall building
man-haif indian and naIf neero-xnown as Rel
Creole. This woman was almost frantic at
umes and was IN herself whole camp meet
occasionally got or the track ana outswors s.our
army In Flanders" At the Wasnos Exchange bill.
lizard saloon man was seen to rush out the back
way into passage leading up to b street. where ne
dropped upon his knees and was Just getting
warmed TO his work when another shook came and





more service to him just tnen than ali the prayers at
his commando SO he took up one foot after the other
and Immediately became an absent man. In the
station house the prisoners were much a armed and
begged TO be let out OF their cells In order that they
mixht nave chance to run In case Mount Davidson
shouid begin rolling down. Chinaman, who was
In i0r fifteen days unless he could raise thirty dol
lars, was 30 terribly frightened at the first shock
that he became about wntest Celestial ever seen
ana ne began to talk about going down to Chinatown
70 get tne coin TO pay his line. Finally his
on ana ne concluded to stick 1t out whore he was.
n QYttt rnirutv tvUht tNh
ne vas ieannR, and by springing the noor up and
down 80 startled the poor devil tnat he cried out
Justify Tor an 0fncer to go with him and get the mo-
ney. "Me no lKee stay here; me wantee be China
town" An ro oIicer went with him and he at once
pungled Inis u perhaps the first instance on
recoru OF q fine beng shook out OF q Chinaman,s
pocket by an earthquake.


NElGHBORING TOWNS.


At DAYTON the shocks were very severe shaking
bottles and crockery from the shelves and creatlna