198 EARTHQUAKES ON THE PACIFIC COAST 



" The loftiest structures seemed to those looking on to have suf- 

 fered most, as their walls fell outwardly, but in the one-story 

 buildings the greatest havoc occurred, for the walls collapsed. 

 Some of the escapes from instant death were exceedingly narrow. 



" The bank of Winters is now deserted. Its walls are full of wide 

 cracks, its front is bulged, and piles of bricks lie on the side- 

 walk. There is not a vestige of glass in the windows, and the 

 stout beams which were placed beneath the doorways a day or 

 two ago to uphold the badly strained building are all awry and 

 look as if a quake of moderate caliber would cause them to snap. 

 The bank will need to be entirely reconstructed, and $5,000 will 

 barely cover the loss." 



1892. April 21; San Jose. 



There was a very slight shock felt in San Jose about 9.43 o'clock 

 yesterdaj^ morning. It was one of only a couple of seconds' 

 duration, and many did not feel it (III?). The shock was a little 

 more pronounced in San Francisco, and severe shocks were felt 

 but no damage done at Grass Valley, Santa Eosa, Newcastle, El- 

 mira, Centerville, Fresno, Fairfield, Yuba, Nicolaus, Stockton, 

 Nevada City, St. Helena, Napa, Antioch, Spanishtown, Benicia, 

 Chico, Oroville, Biggs, Gearytown, Gold Run, Eed Bluff, Sonoma, 

 Auburn, Willows, Placerville, Downieville, Orland, and Maxwell. 

 There was another light shock here at 7.15 last evening. It was 

 hardly perceptible. Shocks were also reported in the evening 

 fron San Rafael, Vacaville, Lodi, Benicia, and other places in the 

 State, and also from as far east as Carson, Nev. The tremors 

 seemed to be very light and no damage was reported. 



1892. April 21; Sacramento. 



There was another severe earthquake shock at 9.45 o'clock this 

 morning, lasting twenty seconds. Buildings got a lively shaking 

 and plastering fell from many ceilings. 



Several old chimneys toppled over and much glassware was broken 

 in the crockery stores. The State capitol building suffered. A 

 large portion of one of the plaster statues over the portico, 150 

 feet from the ground, fell and struck 40 feet from the building. 

 The gigantic building trembled violently and the occupants in 

 the State offices were badly frightened, and there was a general 

 exodus of clerks. 



It was discovered that a crack was made in the ceiling, extending 

 from one end of the building to the other and going through the 

 office of the superintendent of public instruction into the 

 assembly chamber. The beautiful ceiling of the latter, which is 

 formed of stucco work tipped with gold, was rent in places, as 

 were also the Corinthian columns supporting the gallery. Books 

 were thrown from the shelves and general disorder reigned. 



