The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1902-08-12
TRtMblON At
Los ALAMOS
Residents Driven Out
OF Houses BY
Earthquake.


~ country nftcen miles long by four
miles vide. rent with gaping assures
and dotted with hills and knolls that
sprung up during the night AS 30 by
magic-s village ia ruins and hundreds
Of people fleeing for their lives, are the
results OF last nights seismic disturb
ances In the prosperous and fruitful
valley OF Los Alsmos, In the northern
part of Santa Barbara county.
During the past four days that sec
tion of the county has been shaken by
ssries Of earthquakes that IL posi-
lively without precedent In the history
or tradition of the Pacific Coast, ana
the continuance Of the disturbances and
the increasing severity OF the shocks
have 30 terroriged the inhabitants that
they are leaving for other parts A.
rapidly as possible and even now the
village is almost entirely deserted.
The disturbances began on sunday
evening with shock which caused
several thousand dollars worth of dam
age TO property In the village and the
surrounding country, being more Sc
we're and more disastrous in the vicinity
of the Western OIL Companys oil wells
ON the Carreaga ranch. This shock was
followed by a number of disturbances
less severe and less disastrous. contin-
uing through the remainder Of sunday
night and Monday forenoon. on Tues
day night, beginning at 1910 o'clock,
there was another series of seven
shocks, all of which were light The
general direction of these disturbances
was east and west and In action they
rescmbled the waves on a pool Of wa
ter.
The most severe shock Of the entire
series occurred at 1:20 o'clock this
morning when the hills were shaken
and twisted on their foundations, and
the valleys trembled and rolled like the
unstable surface of the ocean. Great
assures were run in the earth, hills and
knolls appeared in level valleys, springs
of water opened up 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 il
known as a "twister" 1t was preceded
by a rumbling like that OF distant
thunder which increased until the
earth began TO rock and twist and the
hills began to tremble.
With the first warning of the ap-
proaching disaster the terror-stricken
people rushed into the streets. and
sought places of safety in vacant lots
and felds, while many fastened toward
the neighboring hills. The Hrst vibra-
at,, Ia 60 hn ~ O.
turbances in direction and effect. but
they were Immediately followed by the
most terrific shock ever experienced
in this section OF the State. The earth
trembled and rolled and twisted until
it was impossible to stand erect, and
the terror stricken people crouched to-
-Eether 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 increased
by the sound OF falling buildings which
gave some idea of the terrible destruction
mat VA bein. wrought When the most
severe shock had passed and the fumb'ing
sounds had died away in the distant hills
the people gathered in groups about the
ruins OF their homes and places OF Dasi-
ness, and when they saw the extent OF
the damage, many of them, fearful OF
a repetition of this terrible experience.
Immediately started on foot or by such
conveyances as could be had for places
where the previous shocks had been less
severe.
In the darkness of the night il was i'm
possible to determine the fun extent oi
the destruction wrought, but with tn,
dawn of day the stricken village present
ed the appearance of the ruins OF SltS
long deserted, The churches had been
leyeled TO the ground not one brick
building wss left standing, chimneys hao
toppled over, frame buildings had beer
wrenchcd apart and thrown from the''
foundations, telegraph and telephone
wires had been broken. and there was no
a building in the town that had not Ceei
DAMAGED more or less seriously,
In store buildings that were not total
ly destroyed the merchandise was thrown
from shelves and everything breahao''
WAS destroyed. Not pane of glass wa
left in the window in any house in town
ard in The frame cottages and dwelling
houses that were left standing stove
were overturned and crockery and glass
ware were destroyed A conservative q
tiuste Of ihs lcsS to property IN the vi
lse,e is $50, CO., and this amount will prob
ably be greatly increased by the dainas
done property In the surrounding cou'
try. Each merchant in town has lost I
leas, 500 in stock, and the damage 10 III
buildings has been great.
The extent OF the most severe porto
of the disturbance is fifteen miles Ion
by four miles wide but the .'hock Wa
fclt throughout Santa Barbara and 50
Luis Obispo counties.
SANTA MARIA, July 3l.-Athou:h Il
town has been shaken at intervals ~
carly morning. no serious damage has 4
suited. Al the oil wells on the carress
Ranch the loss probably will not exec
Ssps The first shock felt here since SUI
day night occurred at l:l5 this aiofnin
The movement was slow and was accer
panied by roaring noises No damage I
suited although the shock was va
heavy, stopping many clocks, Al nuad
lupe clocks were stopped and IL il :
ported that uemors occurred thee -
hours continuously.
Al Lompoc the Hote, Arthur is ali b
gone. IL is brick building, and the r.
walls are cracked and totterine. Chi
neys, erockefy and glassware are cru
bled and broken.