The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-08-01

GAN LUIS OBISPO, Cal. July S1.-A
strip Of country fifteen miles long
nv four miles wide, rent with gap
,,, assures and dotted with hills ana
tsous that sprung up during the night
III bv magic. a village in ruins and
bB,dreds OF people fleeing for their
,ros are the results OF last nights
ssisrnic disturbance in the prosperous
vsUAr Of Los Alamos. in the northern
mart OF Santa Barbara county.
During the last four days that sec
zion Of the county has been shaken by
= series Of earthquakes that is with
out precedent in the history or traol-
lion Of the Pacific coast, and the con-
FINANCE of the disturbances and in
creasing severity of the shocks have so
terrorized 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 on Sunday
evening with a shock which caused
several hundred thousand dollars of
damage to property in the village and
the surrounding country, being more
severe and more disastrous in the vi
clnity Of the Western Union Oil COM
PAWS oil wells on the Carriga ranch.
This shock was followed by a num-
Der Of disturbances less severe and less
disastrous continuing through the re-
mainder Of Sunday night and Monday
forenoon.
On Tuesday night, beginning at 12:i9
o'clock. there Was another series OF
seven shocks. all of which were light
The general direction of these dis
action resembled the waves on a. pool
Of water. The most severe shock of
the entire series occurred at Lee O'Clock
this morning. when the hills We're
shaken and twisted to their founda-
tons and the valleys trembled and
rolled like the unstable surface of the
ocean.
Great Chasms in Earth.
Great assures were run in the earth,
hills and knolls appeared in level val
leys springs of water opened up in
pisces that had been dry, and the gen
eral topography of the valley was
greatly changed in many respects.
The disturbance had no general direc-
ton. but was what is known as a
tVister' II was preceded by a rum
hins like that of distant thunder
which increased until the earth began
" rock and twist and the hills began
70 remble. With the first warning of
me sound Of the approa ching disaster
me terror-stricken people rushed into
We streets and sought places of safety
N vacant lots and fields. while many
Ass,ehed toward the neighboring hills
Inc nrst vibrations were similar tC
'le preceding disturbances in direction
ana erect, but they were Immediately
followed by the most terrific shock ever
.Aperienced in this section of the state
,ne earth trembled and rolled and
visited until it was impossible to stand
~ ana the terror-stricken people
eOucned together in the darkness
ydIiu that the earth beneath then
might open and swallow them up.
ue terror inspired by the rumbline
euu trembling OF the earth was in
l-ked ny the sound of falling build
Is which gave some idea Of the ter
% destruction that was being
Return to Scene % Disaster.
"nen the more severe shock had
saSSed and the rumblinE sounds haC
IN distant bills. the people gath
IA groups about the ruins of theil
leS ana places of business. auC
- IheE saw the extent of damage
,1e many Of them. fearful of a repe-
lon or this terrible experience. i'm.
sleiy started on foot or by suci
,L.eFsnces as could be had for place:
me previous shocks had beer
severe In the darkness of tn,
u vas impossible TO determine
'uN extent Of the destruction
-.oegAt, hut with the dawn of dav tn,
NNel village presented the appear
s.. vt NE ruins of a city long de
thu A church had been Ieveled {,
H'ouhu and not one brick buildinl
- 'eit standing. ChimneyS had top
- over. frame buildings had beer
f,ned apart and thrown from thei
la ions. telegraph and telephon
M. uad been broken. and there wa
building in town that had no
- damaged more or less seriously
d,,.' buildings that were not TOTALLY
f-,,. 20 the merchandise was throw
va, sSHeiNes. and everything breakabl
-, ir>'r"yed: not pane Of glass wa
'oy, any window Of any house il
sAn, and in the frame cottages an,
Sing houses that were left stand
Stoves were overturned and crock
and glassware was DESTROYED.
Merchants Lose Heavily.
IA conservative estimate of the los
t.~operty In the village is $50, 900, an
amount win probably be great,
g. aSed BY the damage done propert,
rb surrounding country. Each mer
So IN town has lost at least $500 Il
and the damage to the building
'een great. The extent of the mos;
re portion of the disturbance is IF
m. ~" miles long bv four miles wide, bu
n Shock was felt throughout SAINT
'afa and san Luis Obispo counties
Cl the Western Union oil wells on tn
,b,sa ranch, two tanks have bee
'oWn over and much other damag
IT, zone The disturbances continue
ho,'snout the day at intervals of tw
~ nut none of the shocks were sc
me people have deserted the villa e