EARTHQUAKES IN SAN FRANCISCO.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 13, Issue 1012, 9 January 1869, Page 3

EARTHQUAKES IN SAN FRANCISCO.

San Fbancisco, Octobee 21st. — By far tli© most terrible earthquake that ever visited this coast occurred this morning at seven minutes before eight o'clock. The shocks were tremendous, and the vibrations "were, so far as I am able to judge from the report of others, £com northwest to south-east, and were prolonged. It is impossible to estimate the damage at this time, but it has been very great. That portion of the city east of Mont : § ornery street is very much wrecked, ome buildings are down entirely, others are cracked and split from foundation to roof, and hardly one has escaped more or less damage. There has been some loss of life, but how much we are yet unable to determine. After the first heavy shock several others occurred, but of much less violence. i Business is nearly entirely sufipended, j and half the population is in the street. In several parts of the city, \ipon the made ground, the earth has opened, and water has been thrown up from 1 ;he ei'acks to the height of several feet. On some of the streets the buildings have sunk some, inches, and been left in every conceivable | shape. Scarcely a building in t 7 ne eastern section of this city is now plmnb. The principal hotels have suffered , but sustain no very serious damage. Of 'course they, as well as every other house, \rere vacated as soon as possible by their inmates. We hear that at Oakland, San Leandro, San Jose, and other pares of the State, the damage has been very great. They appear to have had the shock as heavy as ourselves. All ihe telegraph wires were , disarranged, and not one was working for • sometime. All the clocks were stopped, at the time given above. To say that the excitement is tremendous does not begiin to describe the condition of affairs. October, 21st, Evening. — Several buildings on Pine Battery, and Sansom streets were thrown down and a considerable number badly damaged. The ground settled which threw buildings out of line. Several severe shocks have followed at intervals since, creating a general alarm among the people. The shock was felt with great severity at San Jose,, where a number of buildings are considerably injured, The principal damage in this city is confined to the lower portion below Montgomery street, and among the old buildings on the made ground. [Numerous houses in that portion of the city have been abandoned and pulled down. The Custom House, a. brick building, built on pile ground, which was badly shattered by the earthquake of October, 186 f, is considered unsafe, and the officials have removed to the revenue buildings. Business in the lower part of the city is sus- ■ pended. . ' The parapet walls and chimneys of a number of buildings have been thrown down, causing loss of life. ' The damage will not exceed a million dollars. At Oakland the ground opened in several places and a strong sulphurous smell was noticed after the shock. The Court House at San Leandro was demolished and one life lost. j From various portions of the country j and in the vicinity of San Francisco Bay the shock is reported as severe, and considerable damage is sustained. In many places the earth opened and the water gushed forth. Twelve shocks were felt during the day. The direction of the shock was from the North to the South, though some descriptions gave a rotatory motion. The [ greatest damage extends in a belt.. several hundred feet wide, and running about north-west and south-east, commencing near the Custom-house and ending at Folsom street wharf, injuring and demolishing about twelve buildings in its course. At the corner of Market and First streets the ground opened several inches wide and about 40ft to 50ft in length. The City Hall may be considered a perfect wreck. The Courts have all adjourned and the prisoners have been taken from the station house to the County G-aol. All the patients in the United States Marine Hospital have beeu removed, the building having been declared unsafe. The chimney of the United States Mint is so badly damaged that the establishment is closed for repairs. Hager's type foundry suffered greatly. The Lincoln school-house is , badly damaged, and a large statue in front of the building completely buried. All business at the General Delivery Post Office is temporarily suspended. Tho San Francisco Gas Works suffered severely, the tall chimney, having been thrown over, fell through the roof. The Mission Woollen Mills is considerably damaged. The large chimney of the sugar refinery on Eighth street is badly cracked. The gable end on the girls' side of the Duaf, Dumb, and Blind Institute fell in, crushing through the ceilings. Many chimneys in the southern part of the city were thrown down, but no one was seriously injured by them. Only four lives have been reported lost, although numbers are seriously injured by the falling debris. The water in the bay was perfectly smooth at the time of the shocks, and no perceptible disturbance took place. The shock was felt aboard the shipping in the harbor as if the vessel had struck upon a rock. Accounts from the interior of the State describe great damages done. Nov. 6. — Slight earthquakes have been of almost daily occuri'enco since Oct. 21st. Last night at nine o'clock thore was a sharp stock, lasting twelve seconds, and creating considerable alarm among the people. No damage was done to property. Tho quake was heavy at San Joso.