As soon as people indoors feel the shock of an earthquake, they rush wildly for the streets, and in so doing they invariably court the danger they seek to avoid. Most of the casualties of Wednesday were thus occasioned. People should remember in any case, even though the worst may happen, they are safer indoors than out. The best place is near the doorway, as usually, the walls there would be the very last to fall. Whenever the walls of a building tumble down, they fall outwardly, and thereby endanger the lives of those who may be in the street, while those inside the walls escape unhurt.
Usually, no more than the walls of the upper story fall. Where the buildings are high, the falling débris reaches the middle of the street. Those in the lower stories of such buildings are as safe as they can be anywhere in a city, in case of an earthquake, and tenfold more safe than they would be if in the street. We know that it is impossible for most people to reflect coolly when a startling calamity overtakes them, but if they would school themselves beforehand they would be able to act in a cool and sensible manner in case of an emergency.
COUNTRY CHIMNEYS.
Our country neighbors, including the good people of Oakland and Clinton, would do well to remember that course, sharp sand, with the addition of a little cement, will make, with the necessary lime, a much better mortar for chimneys than the common sandy loam that is found in some of their gardens, or the fine sea sand that is obtained from the beach.
TROUBLE AMONG OUR CONTEMPORARIES.
The earthquake has had a demoralizing effect upon some of the newspapers. The Examiner finds some difficulty in procuring fresh matter, as their building is so badly cracked that printers hesitate to work in the office. The Independent Dispatch had a sort of local temblor yesterday afternoon, by which its first and fourth pages were pied, and it was consequently compelled to issue but a half sheet. We sympathize with our contems, and can appreciate their troubles, having had a test of them ourselves.
Several greedy individuals yesterday disgusted the sober portion of the community, when the panic was at its height, by circulating so-
Appleton, Montgomery street, has sent us several well executed photographic pictures of buildings partially destroyed by the earthquake of Wednesday last.
Daily Morning Call
Friday, October 23, 1868
Return to the top of the page.