The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1902-08-06
SEVERE SHOCKS
Of Earthquake Almost Completely
Wipes Out a Town.
VALLEYS TOSSED AND ROLLED
Like the Surface Of the Ocean
The People Terrorizcd by the
Destruction Wrought,
and Flee,
and Flee.


and Flee.
A strip of country Is miles long by
four miles wide. rent with gaping !lS-
sures and dotted with hills and knobs
that sprung up during the night as II
by magic, village in ruins and hun.
dredS Of people fleeing for their lives,
are the results Of Wednesday nights
seismic disturbance in the valley OF
Los Alamos, in the northern part OF
Santa Barbara county Cal.
During the last four day S
that section OF the country has
been shaken by 3 series CT
earthquakes that is not precedent
in the history Of tradition OF the
|, Pacific coast. and the continuance of
the disturbances and the increasing
severity Of the SHOCKS have SO terro-
rized the inhabitants that they are
leaving for other parts as rapidly as
possible, and even now the village Is
almost entirely deserted.
The disturbances began Sunday eve-
ming with a shock which caused sew
eral thousand dollars damage to prop
erty in the village and the sugar coun-
try, being more severe and more dlsaS-
trous in the vicinity OF Western Union
Oil company's oil wells on Carriage
ranch. The shock was followed by a
number of disturbances less severe
and less disastrous, continuing through
the remainder Of Sunday night and
Monday.
On Tuesday night, beginning at II
O'Clock, there was another series OF
seven shocks. all Of which were light.
In action these disturbances reseH Hbled
the waves on pond of water. The
most severe shock Of the entire series
occurred at l1.30 o'clock Wednesday
morning. Hills were shaken and
twisted to their foundations and the
valleys trembled and rolled like sur
face Of the ocean. Great assures were
run deep in the earth; hills and knobs
appeared in level valleys; springs Of
water appeared in places that had
been dry and the general topography
of the valley was greatly changed in
many respects. The disturbance had
no general direction, but was what is
known as ''twiSter." 1t was pre-
ceded by rumbllng like that of dis
tant thunder, which increased until
the earth began to rise and twist and
the hills began to tremble.
With the first warning sound of the
approaching disaster the terror strick-
en- people rushed into the streets and
sought places Of safety in vacant lots
and roads, while many fed towards the
neighboring hills, The first virbra-
tions were similar to the preceding
disturbance in direction and effect,
but they were Immediately followed
by the most terrific shock ever ex-
perienced in this section Of the State.
The earth trembled, rolled and
twisted until it was impossible for peo-
pie to stand erect, and terror strickn
inhabitants crouched together in the
darkness fearful that the earth be-
meath them might open and swallow
them. The terror inspired by the rumb-
ling and trembling Of the earth was
increased 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 passed and the rumbling
sounds had died away the people gath
cred in groups about the ruins Of their
homes and places of business and when
they saw the extent Of the damage of
them, fearful of a repetition of this
experience, Immediately started on
foot or by any conveyance that could
be had for places where the previous
shocks had been less severe.
In the darkness Of the night it was
impossible to determine the full ex-
tent of damage wrought, but with
the dawn of day the stricken village
had the appearance of the ruins OF a
city long deserted. A church had been
lowered to the ground and not one
brick of The building was left standing.
ChimneyS toppled over, frame build
ings had been wrenched apart and
thrown from their foundations, tele-
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
buildings that were totally destroyed
the, merchandise was thrown from
shelves and everything breakable was
destroyed; not a pane of glass was left
in any window in town and in those
frame cottages and dwellings that
we're left standing stoves were over
turned and crockery and glassware
were destroyed.
A conservative estimate OF the loss
to property in the village is $50, ,OOO
and this amount probably will greatly
be increased by the damage In the
surrounding country. The extent OF
the most severe portion OF the dis
turbance is II miles long by four miles
wide, but the shock was felt through
out Santa Barbara and San Luis Obs,
90 counties. At the Western Union
oil wells on the Carriage ranch, two
tanks were wrecked and much other
damage done
The disturbance continued through
out the day at intervals Of TWO hours
but none Of the shocks was severe
The people have deserted the village
every conveyance has been taken ant
the passenger and freight trains have
left here since the severe shock O
last night have been loaded with peo
pie fleeing for safety. Since the hrs
disturbance on Sunday night there
have been more than 20 diStlnc
shocks and those who have been keep