THE whole world was startled on Wednesday, the 18th April, with the tidings that there had been, in the early morning, a tremendous earthquake at the city of San Francisco on the west coast of America. The earthquake lasted three minutes; the roads moved up and down like waves; and large, massive buildings toppled over. Most of the inhabitants rushed into the streets in their night apparel, but many were destroyed amid the wreck of the houses. Numerous fires almost immediately broke out, which baffled the efforts of the authorities to check, through want of water, and greatly increased the devastation. The poorer and more commercial sections of the city were the first to suffer, and the part which has best survived the shock is the residential quarter. Upwards of 200,000 persons were rendered homeless and shelterless, and had to cluster together and lie in the parks and open places. Many of the people were completely dazed and stupefied by the terrible and unexpected catastrophe, while some became literally demented. One reporter describes the case of a group of women gathered in the attitude of prayer, with a person who had gone “crazy” standing among them, crying out, “The Lord sent it—the Lord.” It would be good, however, if the madness expressed in these very true words would extend to a greater number of the inhabitants. San Francisco, we understand, was one of the most wicked cities in the civilized world. The earthquake was evidently the visitation of God. Towns within a considerable radius have also suffered seriously from the shock. The United States Government have voted one million dollars towards a relief fund, and there is much talk already about rebuilding the destroyed city. It would be better if there were some signs of a fulfilment of the words of the prophet, “When thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.”
Copies of February number of Magazine.
Copies of February number of Magazine, containing Rev. J. B. Radasi’s very interesting letter, are still to be had.