8:25 Wednesday morning
There was one , however , a few rods away , who scarcely noticed the shock . Kern Watson , at last released from duty , sat on the ground , with his face buried in the neck of his dead child . He did not raise his head , and trembled only as the quivering earth agitated his form . The earthquake which occurred at 8:25 Wednesday morning had a disastrous effect , although it was not so severe as to injure materially the buildings already so shattered . It nipped hope and growing confidence in the bud . Multitudes had left the square for their homes , a large proportion with the immediate purpose of obtaining more clothing . Many would have been comparatively naked were it not for enveloping blankets and the loan of articles of apparel from the more fortunate .