EARTHQUAKE IN CALIFORNIA.

Westport Times, Volume VI, Issue 978, 11 June 1872, Page 3

EARTHQUAKE IN CALIFORNIA.

The American telegrams received by last San Francisco mail reported the occurrence of an earthquake at Lone Pine. The following particulars are gived in the American papers : On the 26th instant, about 2 30 a.m. the inhabitants of Lone Pine were awakened by a loud explosion, followed by a terrific upheaval and shaking of the earth from south to north. In an instant the whole town was in ruins, not a building being left standing. The scene which ensued beggars description. Screams and groans rent the air in all directions. Nearly the whole populace of the town was buried beneath the ruins ; cries for help and screams of pain from the wounded filled the air, while from the ruins those who escaped were calling for help to »escue fathers, brothers, wives, and children, in a manner agonising to hoar. The first shock was followed in quick succession by three others. Over three hundred distinct shocks were felt between half-past two and aunrise ; in fact, the earth was in a constant shake and tremble for over three hours. A chasm was opened extending thirtyfive miles down the valley, ranging from three inches to forty feet in width. Rocks were torn from their places and rolled dowD into the valley. Everywhere through the valley are seen evidences of the terrible convulsion of nature. Cerro Gordo was damaged, many buildings cracked, some few thrown down ; no persons badly injured. Swansea was also totally destroyed ; buildings all down to the ground, and furnaces all thrown down. Colonel Tregalles, of the Swansea works, was killed. No other casualty reported as yet. The Superintendent of the Swansea Company sent 20 men to Lone Pine, and and 16 were sent from Cerro Gordo to assist in extracting the bodies from the ruins. All accounts agree in placing Lone Pine over the centre of commotion. Before each shock could be heard an explosion, which sounded immediately beneath their feet. Over six hundred distinct shocks were felt within fifty-eight hours after the first. There is much destitution among the inhabitants of Lono Pine and vicinity, many having lost all but life. Several distinct shocks were felt in this city last night, and were still coming from the south-east. Persons anticipate finding of immense chasms in the moutains east of us as soon as the snow disappears enough to admit of investigation. In the vicinity of Mount Whitney, residents describe the explosion as of a park of heavy artilley fired beneath their foet, which ran along the mountain range, north and south, until lost in the distance. Rumors of a volcano in active operation, having been seen from the summit of Greeuwood Mountain, sixty miles south-east of hero, are in circulation. The Indians in that vicinity have all loft, fearing the recurrence of a general convulsion of nature, which, accordingt'i trad it on, occurred there some hundreds of years ago. and

created what is now known as Owen's River Valley, but what was before a chain of mountains. At Independence one man wan killed, and many persons more or less injured. The buildings were all badly strained and cracked ; chimneys and walls thrown down; goods " were pitched from the shelves in the stores, and everything breakable dashed to pieces. Some few buildings were prostrr.ted.—At Fort .Independence a child was killed and several persons wounded. Walls and chimneys were thrown down. It is estimated that over" two hundred buildings were thrown down in all. Not an adobe or brick budding is supposed to have escaped destruction throughout the whole county of Inyo.—Up to Wednesday morning fully one thousand distinct shocks wore felt. At Tibbetts' ranch, fifteen miles above Independence, about forty acres of ground sunk about seven feet below the surface of the surrounding country—Big Owens Lake has raised four feet since the first shock. Owens river ran over its banks, depositing shoals of fish on sh»re after it receded.—For a distance of three or four miles through Long Pine the earth cracked, one side remained stationary, while the other sank seven or eight feet, leaving a wall of earth extending over three miles in length, where formerly was a level slain. Innumerable clicks were made throughout the valley. Kern and Owens rivers turned and ran up stream for several minutes, leaving their beds dry, ard finally returned with largelyincreased volumes of water.