The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-08-05

san LUIS OD45pO- Cdl, July 3l.-A
strip of country fifteen miles long by
four miles wide rent with gaping fs-
sures and dotted with hills and knobs
that sprung UP during the night as if
by magic, a village in ruins and hun
dreds of people fleeing for their lives,
are the results OF last nights seismic
disturbance in the valley of Los Ala
mos, in the northern part of Santa
Barbara county.
During the last four days that sec
ton of the OunG has beer shaken by
a series of earthquakes that is without
precedent in the history or tradition of
the Pacific Coast and the continuance
of the disturbances and the increasing
severity of the shocks have so terror
lied the inhabitants that they are leav-
ing for other parts as rapidly as posi-
BILE, and even now the village is almost
entirely deserted
The disturbances began on Sunday
evening with d shock which caused
several thousand dollars worth of dam
age to property IN the village and the
surrounding country, being more severe
and more disastrous in the vicinity of
the oil wells on the Carriga Ranch.
This shock was followed by a numbe
of disturbances less severe and less
disastrous, continuing through the re-
mainder of Sunday night and Monday.
On Tuesday night, beginning at 11:1O
o'clock there was another series of
seven shocks all of which were light.
II. - 49,
the waves on a pond of water. The
most severe shock of the entire series
occurred at 11:30 o'clock this morning.
Hills were shaken and twisted to their
foundations and the valleys trembled
and rolled like the surface of the ocean,.
Great assures We're run deep in the
earth, hills and knobs appeared in level
valleys springs OF water appeared in
places that had been dry and the gen.
eral topography of the valley was
greatly changed IN many respects. The
disturbances had no general direction
but was what Is known as a "twister."
1t was preceded by a rumbling like
that of distant which increased
until the earth began to rise and
twist and the hills began to tremble.
With the first warning Ound of the
approaching disaster the terTor-Strick-
en- people rushed into the streets and
sought places Of safety in vacant lots
AMI rOads while many fled toward the
n~eighbOring hills. The first vibrations
were similar to the preceding distur-
Dances in direction and effect, but they
were Immediately followed by the most
terrific shock eVeI experienced in this
section OF the state.
The earth trembled and rolled and
twisted until it was impossible for peo-
pie to stand erect, and the terror
stricken inhabitants crouched together
in the darkness fAarfnl that tho aarth
beneath them might open and swallow
them. The terror inspired by the rumb-
ing 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 a passed and the rumbling
sounds had died away n people gath
cred in groups about the ruins of their
homes and places of business and when
they saw the extent of the damage
IA of them. fearful of a repetition
of this experience immediately started
On foo or by any conveyance that
could be had. Tor places where the
previous shocks had been less severe.
In the darkness of the night it was
impossible to determine the full extent
OF damage wrought, but with the dawn
of day the stricken village had the ap-
pearance of the uin of the city long
OGSCIlCu' n CUGICH Hdu DSSh leNelSu
to the. ground anu not one brick build
ing was left standing. Chimneys had
toppled over, frame buildings a been
wrenched apart and thrown from their
foundations, telegraph n telephone
wires had been broker and there was
not a building / II town that had not
been damaged more less seriously.
In store buildings that were totally
destroyed the merchandise was thrown
from rhaIx-o- anS aI-a~yrhin~ hroo Ia h1a
was destroyed; not a pane Of glass was
left in any window in town n in those
frame cottages and dwellings that were
left standing stove were overturned
and crOckery and glassware were de-
stroyed- a conservative estimate of
the loss to property in the village is
$4,000 and this amount probably will
be greatly increased by the damage in
the surrounding country.
The extent of the most severe portion
of the disturbance is eleven miles long
by four miles wide, but h shock was
felt throughout Santa Barbara and San
Luis Obispo counties.
At the Western Union Oil wells on
the Carriage Ranch two tanks were
wrecked and much other damage was
done. The disturbances continued
throughout 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 and the passenger and freight
trains that have left here since the
severe shock OF last night, have been
loaded with people fleeing for safety.
Since the first disturbances on Sunday
night there ave been more han
seventy districts shocks and those who
have been keeping records have now
given up as the disturbances have be-
come almost continuous.
Los, Alamos, Santa Barbara county.
Cal, July 31.-The people OF this city
and vicinity are terror-stricken and are
fleeing from their homes to places of
safety on account Of the increasing