The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-08-01
TERROR STRICKEN MEN
 FLYFROM THEIR HOMES
Earthquake Destroys City and Drives Hundreds from Los Ala mos, Ca.-Great Pastures and Hills Are Made as if
 by Magic Scientists Discuss the Causes

San Luis obispo. Cal, July s1.-A strip of country 15 miles long by four miles wide, rent with gaping Assures and dot tee with hills and knolls that sprung up during the night as if by magic, a vile lage in ruins and hundreds of people flee ing for their lives, are the results of last nights seismic disturbance in the prosperous and fruitful valley of Los Alamos, in the northern part of Santa Barbara county. During the last four days that section of the country has been shaken by series of earthquakes that is without precedent in the history or tradi- ticn of the Pacific COG st and the continu- ance of the disturbances and the increas- ing severity of the shocks have so ter- rorized 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 shock which caused sev- eral thousand dollars worth of damage to property in the village and the sur- rounding country being most and most destructive in the vicinity of the Vest ern OH company's oil wells on the Car
 
 a number of disturbances less severe and legs destructive, continuing throughout the remainder of Sunday night and Mon day afternoon. On Tuesday night begin ming at 12:10 o'clock there was another series of seven shocks, all of which were light. The general direction of these dis- turbances was east and west, and in ac- tion they resembled the waves on a pond of water. The most severe shock of the entire series occurred at Il :3O o'clock this morning. Hills were shaken and twisted to their foundations and the valleys tre mbled and rolled like the unstable surface of the ocean. Great fis- sures were run deep in the earth, hills and knolls appeared in level valleys; springs of water appe ared in many places that had been dry, ard the general topo- graphy of the valley was g, eatly chang ed. The disturbance had no general di- rection, but was what Is known as a ''twister." It was preceded by a rumb- ling like that of distant thunder, which increased until the earth began to rise end twist, and the hills began to trem- ble.
 Mad Rush for Safety.
 With the first warning of the sound of the approaching disaster the terror stricken people rushed into the streets dnu SouBHl p1dCeS or SdISIy III vacant lOIS and roads, while many fled to the neigh boring hills. The first vibrations were similar to the preceding disturbances in direction and effect, but they were im- mediately 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 for people to stand erect, ana the terror stricken Inhabitants crouched together in the darkness, fearful that the earth might open 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 being wrought. When the most serious shocks had passed and the rumb- ling sounds had died away in the dis tant hills, the people gathered in groups about the ruins of their homes and places of business, and when they saw the ex- tent of the damage done many 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 im- possible to determine the full extent of damage wrought, but with the break of day the stricken village had the appear ance of the ruins of a city long deserted. A church had been leveled to the ground, and not one brick building was left stand ing. Chimneys had toppled over frame buildings had been wrenched apart and thrown from their foundations Tele- graph and telephone wires had been broken, and there was not building In