EAKTHQUAKES. 



229 



before any other vessel-of-war. Her pres- 

 ence was the means of relieving to a great 

 extent the sufferings of the people. The Uni- 

 ted States ministers and consuls at, or near, the 

 scenes of devastation, gave timely aid. Large 

 sums of money were subsequently raised for 

 the relief of the sick and starving, by voluntary 

 efforts in New York and other American cities. 



The tidal waves originating from the earth- 

 quake of the 13th swept rapidly across the 

 Pacific Ocean to the Sandwich Islands. Ee- 

 ports from those islands state that, on the 

 shores of the entire group, on the 14th of 

 August and for several succeeding days, the 

 water in some places rose from ten to twelve 

 feet above the usual high-water mark, and did 

 considerable damage. The same phenomenon 

 was noticed at San Pedro, on the California 

 coast, on the 15th of August. A series of waves 

 commenced flowing upon the coast, causing 

 the tide to rise three or four feet above its 

 ordinary high-water mark, which were regu- 

 larly followed by a falling of the tide the same 

 distance below its usual low-water mark. This 

 agitation occurred regularly twice every half 

 hour, and continued for several hours. The 

 inhabitants thereabouts became much alarmed, 

 apprehending some sudden convulsion upon 

 land, but nothing of the kind happened. 

 Large ponds were left by the receding waters, 

 and a house was twice surrounded by water in 

 half an hour. 



In California. The most calamitous earth- 

 quake known in the annals of civilization, on 

 the Pacific coast, occurred on the 21st of Oc- 

 tober. The first shock, which was the heaviest 

 at San Francisco, was felt at seven minutes 

 before 8 o'clock A. M., and lasted forty-two 

 seconds. The direction of the undulations was 

 from southeast to northwest; and they in- 

 creased in violence up to the time when they 

 ceased. Ceilings tumbled down ; the walls of 

 houses cracked, and in some instances fell ; tall 

 buildings swayed to and fro ; none but strongly- 

 constructed edifices, in parts of the city least 

 affected, altogether escaped injury. Men, wo- 

 men, and children, many of them just* out of 

 bed, rushed into the streets to seek safety in 

 open places. Five persons were killed by fall- 

 ing walls and chimneys, and many were in- 

 jured. The worst consequences of the shock 

 were experienced on the made ground, and the 

 flats where the foundations of buildings are 

 known to be unstable. Few structures in that 

 portion of the city escaped damage. At the 

 junction of Market and Front Streets, the ground 

 sank for a foot or two, and there was evidence 

 that the tide had risen in the adjoining lot at 

 the same time, for a pond of water collected 

 and remained until low tide. On Pine Street 

 near Battery, the cobbles on the south side of 

 the street sank away from the curb-stone to 

 the depth of one foot in some places, and the 

 asphaltum side-walk on the north side was 

 twisted and torn out of all shape and its con- 

 nection with the curb-stone severed. This pe- 



culiarity was slightly noticeable on Clay Street, 

 opposite the Railroad House. On Mission Street, 

 opposite the Mechanics' Mill, corner of Fremont 

 Street, the north side of the street settled, 

 drawing away the planks of that side from the 

 crown of the street, leaving a fissure of two or 

 three inches in width. Opposite the gas-works, 

 on Howard and Fremont Streets, there was a 

 narrow fissure, caused by sinking, and a barely 

 perceptible crack in the sidewalk. On the 

 southwest corner of Fremont and Mission 

 Streets, the ground opened in many places. It 

 is said that hot air and water issued from these 

 openings. At the corner of Fourth and Har- 

 rison Streets, the cracks settled a couple of 

 inches from the centre space between. Some 

 of the streets, that had been most carefully 

 paved, cracked open in great seams. There 

 was an appearance in some places as if the pave- 

 ment had been blown up with powder; and 

 from some of the openings springs of water 

 gushed forth. Side-walks were split in the 

 same way, especially in places where the build- 

 ings adjoining them had sunk to the depth of 

 several inches. 



Among the principal buildings most badly 

 injured were the City Hall, the Post-Office, 

 and the Custom-House (the two last-named 

 under one roof). The walls of the City Hall 

 were split in every direction. Several stones 

 in the front wall fell out. The prisoners 

 were taken from the station-house to the 

 county jail; and the courts did not consider it 

 safe to meet in the building. Owing to the 

 shattered condition of the Custom-House, the 

 business of the department was removed to 

 the Internal Revenue offices. The chimney-top 

 on the north end of the building fell at the 

 first wave, injuring a lady and gentleman who 

 were passing. The chimney on the west side 

 was twisted round. The earth-walks about 

 the building, generally solid and firm, were so 

 loosened by the vibration, that a stick could 

 be thrust into them several feet without diffi- 

 culty. 



A San Francisco correspondent of the New 

 York Herald, writing on the day of the earth- 

 quake, after a personal inspection of the dam- 

 age done, gives a full list of the buildings in- 

 jured, from which the following instances are 

 taken, showing the various effects of the shock 

 upon different kinds of structures : 



Coffey & Eisdon's building is at the junction of 

 Market and Battery streets. It is built of brick, 

 three stories in height, and is in an unfinished condi- 

 tion. The walls are very slim, and the mortar with 

 which they are built is largely composed of sand. 

 The western half of the building is on the foun- 

 dation of the old blacksmith's shop, the roof of 

 which was raised for that purpose. The walls of 

 this portion of the structure have completely fallen 

 down, burying in their ruins a Mr. Shaw, aged fifty 

 years. W hen he was taken out, two and a half hours 

 afterward, he was still alive, though there were no 

 hopes of his recovery. The rear wall of the building 

 fell over into the office of Benchley & Co.'s hardware 

 store, which is a one-story structure in the rear of 

 their store, of which it forms a part. Those in the 



