Anadarko daily democrat. [volume] (Anadarko, Oklahoma) 1901-190?, 1902-08-12

SAN LUIS OBIsPo, CAL: A strip of
country fifteen miles long by four miles
wide rent with gaping assures and
dotted with hills and knobs that sprung
up during the night as if by magic, a
village in ruins and hundreds of people
fleeing for their lives are the result of a
seismic disturbances in the prosperous
and fruitful valley of Los Alimos in the
northern part of Santa Barbara county.
During the last few days that section
of the country has been shaken by a
series of earthquakes that Is without
precedent in the history or tradition of
the Pacific coast, and the continuous
disturbances and increasing severity of
shocks have so terrified the people that
they are leaving for other parts as rap
idly as possible and even now the village
is almost entirely deserted.
The disturbances began with a
shock which cost several thousand dol
lars worth of damage to property in
the village and tho surrounding coun-
try, being more severe and more dis
astrous in the vicinity of the Western
Union Oil company's oil wells ON the
Carriage ranch. This shock was fol-
lowed by a number of disturbances less
severe and less disastrous continuing
through the remainder of Sunday night
and Monday afternoon.
Tuesday night, beginning at 1910
o'clock, there was another series of
seven shocks, all of which were light
The general direction of these disturb
ances was east and west, and in action
they resembled the waves on pond of
water.
The most severe shock of the entire
series occurred Thursday morning.
Hills were shaken and twisted to their
foundations and the valleys trembled
and rolled like the unstable surges of
the ocean. Great fissures were run
deep in the earth, hills and knobs APP
peared at level valleys, springs of water
opened in places that had been dry and
the general topography of the valley
was greatly changed in many respects.
The disturbances had no general direc-
ton, but was what is known as a
''twister. 1t was proceeded by a
rumbling like that of distant thunder,
which increased until the earth began
to rock and twist and the hills trembled.
When the first warning of the sound of
The approaching disaster, the terror
stricken people rushed into the streets
and sought places of safety i'll vacant
lots and fields, while many fled toward
the neighboring hills.
The first vibrations were similar to
lhe the preceding disturbances in di-
tsction and effect, but they were I'M
mediately followed by the most terrify-
ng shocks ever experienced i'll this
iection of the state. The earth trembled
and rolled and twisted until it was inn
possible for people to stand erect, and
the terror stricken inhabitants crouch
ed together in the darkness, fearful that
the earth beneath them might open up
and swallow them. 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 that was
wrought.
When the most serious shocks had
passed and the rumbling sounds had
died away i'll the distant hills, the peo-
pie gathered about the ruins of theii
homes and places of business, and when
they saw the extent of damage done