Rocky Ford enterprise. (Rocky Ford, Colo.) 1887-1950, 1902-08-08
EARTHQUAKE SHOCKS
RUIN Los ALAmos. CALIFORNIA.

-Four Days Of Recurring Shocks and
Constant Tsrror-euiidInss Twist
ed and Thrown Down-ooods Fell
From Shelves and Every Pane Of
Glass eroken-Awfui Hours Of
Darkness and Danger.
San Luis obispo, Cal. July 3i.-A
strip of country fifteen miles long by
four miles wide. rent with gaping iis-
sures and dotted with hills and knobs
that sprung up durin. the night as II
by magic. a village In ruins and hun
are the results OF last nights seismic
disturbance In III. prosperous and
fruitful valley OF Los Alamos, In the
northern part OF Santa barbara county.
During III. last four days this section
OF th. county has been shaken by sc-
rIes OF earthquakes that II without pre-
-ce,lent In the history or traditions OF
the Pacific coast, AMI the continuance
of the disturbances and the increasing
severity OF the shocks have 80 terror
lied the Inhabitants that they are lenv.
ing for other parts ns rapidly ns possi'
BILE. and even now III. village Is almost
entirely deserted.
The disturbances began Sunday even.
Ing with shock which caused several
thousand dollars worth OF damage 10
property In the village and the sur.
rounding country, being most severe
aud disastrous In the vicinity OF the
Western Union on Company's oil
wells on the Carrcagn ranch. This
shock was followed by u number OF
disturbances less severe. and less dis
nstrous. continuing throughout the re-
maindcr OF Sunday night and Monday
forenoon.
Tuesday night. beginning at 1910
o'clock. there was another series OF
seven shocks. all OF which We're light.
The general direction Of these disturb
nnccs wns east nnd west. nnd In action
they rc-cmbicd the waves 0i n pool
of water. The most severe shock OF
the entire series occurred ut 30 o'clock
3, this morning. The hills We're shaken
and twisted to their foundations and
the valleys trcmblcd and rolled like the
unstable surface OF the ocean.
Great assures Were run deep In the
earth. hills and knobs appeared In Level
valleys, springs OF water opened up In
places that had been dry. and tho gen.
crai topography Of the valley was
greatly changed In many RESPECTS. The
disturbance had no general direction,
but was what II known ns n "twlsicr.
II was preceded by rumbllnE like
that OF distant thunder. which In
creased until the earth began TO rock
and twis, and the hills began to trcin'
BILE.
With the first warming sound Of the
approaching disaster the icrror.strick.
en- people rushed Into the streets and
sought places OF safety In vacant lots
and fields. while many fed toward tho
ncichborlng hills.
The first vibrations were similar to
She preceding disturbances In direction
and effect. but they were Immediately
followed by the most terrific shock
ever experienced In this section of the
state. the earth trcmbied and rolled and
twisted until II was impossible to stand
erect and the tcrror-strlckcn people
crouchcd together In the darkness,
fearful that the earth beneath them
might open and swallow them up.
The terror inspired by the rumblinG
and trembling OF the earth was in.
creased by the sound OF falling build.
ings. which gave some idea OF the ter.
rible destruction that was being
wrought.
When the most serious shocks had
died away In the distant hills. the peo-
pie gathered In groups about the ruins
of their homes and places OF business.
and when they saw the extent OF the
damage done many OF them, fearful of
n repetition OF this terrible experience,
Immediately started on foot or by any
conveyance which could bc had for
places where the previous shocks had
been less severe.
In the darkness of the night 1t was
impossible to determine the full ex-
tent OF the destruction wrought, but
with tho dawn of day the stricken vii
lagc presented the appearance OF the
ruins of city long deserted. A church
had been leveled to the ground and not
one brick building was left standing.
Chimncys had toppled over, frame
buildings had been wrenchcd apart and
thrown from their foundations. telc-
graph and telephone wires had been
broken. and there was not building
in town that had not been damaged
more or less seriously. In store build
ings that We're not totally destroyed the
merchandise was thrown from shelves
and everything breakable was de-
stroyed.
Not pane of glass was left In any
window of any house In town. and in
the frame cOttaEeS ana dwelling houses
that were left standing stoves were
overturned and crockery and glassware
were destroyed.
A conservative estimate of the loss to
property in the village is $4,000, and
this amount will probably be greatly
increased by the damage done prop
erty In surrounding country. Each
merchant in town has lost at least $500
in stock, and the damage to buildings
has been very great.
The extent of the most severe portion
of the disturbance is fifteen miles long
by four wide. but the shock was felt
throughout Santa Barbara and San
Luis Obispo counties. At the West.
ern Union oil wells. on the Carreaga
ranch. two tanks were wrecked and
thrown over. and much other danage
was done.
Los Alamos is n town of about COO
inhabitants in Santa Barbara county,
and is the center of large oil pro-
ducing territory. 1t is situted in the
Los Alamos valley. one of the most
productive valleys in the state, wheat,
olives and citrus fruits being pro-
duced In abundance.
Fifty New Passenger Cars.