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Scientific Intelligence. 



Jan. 13, 6|-p.'m. — A smart shock occurred at San Benito and San 

 Miguel, and was felt also, though light, at San Luis Obispo. 



Jan. 24, 10 p. m. — A heavy shock of an earthquake was felt at Dow- 

 nieville, continuing seven or eight seconds. This shock was felt severely 

 at Gibsonville on the north, at Forest City, Minesota, Orleans Flat, Eure- 

 ka, Georgetown, and Nashville, on the Cosumnes, south, and at the Key- 

 stone Ranch (Yuba Co.) on the west. The entire distance in a north 

 and south direction affected, was ninety-four miles, and in a westerly line 

 thirty miles. It was preceded by a profound rumbling, accompanied by 

 a rushing sound like the approach of a strong wind in the distance. 

 This shock shook buildings severely. A large pinnacle of rock, about 

 100 feet in height, was precipitated from the top of the Downieville Butte 

 down to the south fork of the Yuba at its base. 



Feb. 5, 10 a. m. — A light shock was felt at Wolf Creek and the north- 

 east part of Nevada county. 



April 7, 6 p. m. — A light shock was felt at Gibb's Ferry, Trinity county, 

 and was experienced as far north as Callahan's Ranch, at the head of 

 Scott's Valley, Siskiyou county. 



June 25, 2 p. m. — A smart shock was felt at Santa Barbara, and ex- 

 tended northward as far as the valley of Santa Maria. This shock was 

 cotemporaneous with one that occurred in Switzerland. 



July 10, 9-J a. m. — A light shock was felt in Georgetown, El Dorado 

 county, which lasted about four seconds. On the same day a very severe 

 shock was felt in the city of Los Angeles, which did considerable damage. 

 There were four distinct shocks during the earthquake, with a period of 

 about two or three seconds elapsing between each vibration. During 

 their continuance, the ground opened in several places, in fissures of one 

 or two inches, the marks of which remained for several days afterwards. 

 There were some twenty-six buildings in the city more or less injured, 

 which I personally examined, and among them the church, the west 

 wall of which was split from top to bottom in two places, the fissures 

 being from one to two and a half inches in breadth, running entirely 

 through. The east wall was split at a slight angle from the perpendic- 

 ular, and had but one fissure. The walls of the Star Hotel were split in 

 several places, and on the west side there appears to have been a decided 

 horizontal motion, as the wall was displaced on that side horizontally to 

 the depth of about one inch, and some eight or nine feet in length. The 

 amount of displacement decreased from the west end of the building to- 

 wards the centre. It is a fact worthy of note, that none of the thin 

 adobe walls of the buildings suffered injury, while most of the thick 

 walled buildings were injured to a greater or less extent. 



During the earthquake, many articles were thrown down, those that 

 were standing on shelves against the east end of the buildings were 

 thrown westward on to the floor, and those on the opposite end of the 

 buildings were- thrown back in an inclined position against the walls. 

 These features were noticed in the drug stores of Doctors Winston and 

 Hope, situated on the main street, and a short distance west of the church. 



The meteorological condition of the atmosphere was rather unusual, 

 and is described as follows : — The day was unusually warm and sultry, 

 attended with little thunder and some rain, (the latter very unusual) and 



