"The remarkable feature of this earthquake, aside from its intensity,
was its rotary motion. As seen from the print, the sum total of all
displacements represents a very regular ellipse, and some of the
lines representing the earth's motion can be traced along the whole
circumference. The result of observation indicates that our heaviest
shocks are in the direction south-southeast to north-northwest. In that
respect the records of the three heaviest earthquakes agree entirely.
But they have several other features in common. One of these is
that while the displacements are very large the vibration period is
comparatively slow, amounting to about one second in the last two big
earthquakes."

If we seek to discover the actual damage done by the earthquake, the
fact stands out that the fire followed so close upon it that the traces
of its ravages were in many cases obliterated. So many buildings in the
territory of the severest shock fell a prey to the flames or to dynamite
that the actual work of the earth forces was made difficult and in
many places impossible to discover. This fact is likely to lead to
considerable dispute and delay when the question of insurance adjustment
comes up, many of the insurance companies confining their risk to fire
damage and claiming exemption from liability in the case of damage due
to earthquake.

Among the chief victims of the earth-shake was the costly and showy City
Hall, with its picturesque dome standing loftily above the structure.
This dome was left still erect, but only as a skeleton might stand, with
its flesh gone and its bare ribs exposed to the searching air. Its roof,
its smaller towers came tumbling down in frightful disarray, and the
once proud edifice is to-day a miserable wreck, fire having aided