The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-07-31
Every Brick Building in the
Town Was Wrecked.
NOT A CHIMNEY LEFT.
Windows Broken in Nearly
Every House in Town.
Goods i'm Stores Hurled Into the
Middle of the Rooms.
Terror Stricken People Fleeing
From Their Homes.

Santa Barbara, Cal, July 31.-A
stretch of territory in the upper portion
of Santa Barbara county, in which are
situated Lompoc, Santa Ynez, Ballard,
Los Alamos and other smaller towns,
was again visited by an earthquake
early this morning. 1t was much the
heaviest of the shocks reported from
Los Alamos. The first shock occurred
at 40 a. m. and was what is called a
.'twister,' owing to the rotary motion
of the seismic wave. 1t lasted for fully
ten seconds and was followed by others
of mC/e or less severity The principal
damage was to the drug store of H. H.
Harris, where bottled goods and glass
ware were thrown down, completely
wrecking the place Kahn's saloon
shared like fate. The stores of Fred
Wickenden and C. H. Pierce were badly
shaken up; in some places the walls
caved in and merchandise was smashed.
A large safe in WickeDdens store was
overturned and went crashing through
the floor. The home of Attorney Alex
ander Leslie is in bad shape, the plas-
tering is all off and safe, papers, dishes,
books and furniture are piled in the
center of the room in broken and con-
fused mess. Other reports of damage
are coming in, but so far there is no
loss of life or serious injury to any one.
Telephone communication with the dis
trict is interrupted this morning. A
slight shock was felt at Santa Barbara
at 1:20 a n.
The seismic disturbances at Los Ala
mos have continued during the morning,
though not SO severe as that of 1:20
O'Clock. A severe quake was felt at 1G
O'Clock. The people refuse to enter their
houses. A message from John S. Bell,
owner of Los Alamos ranch, states that
the ranch house was seriously damaged
by falling plaster, loss of china, etc. The
oil wells at Careagar are believed to be
uninjured.
Los Alamos, Cal, July 31.-The most
severe earthquake in the history of this
place occurred at 1:20 this morning. 1t
is not possible yet to estimate the dam
age, but it is very heavy No lives are
known TO have been lost, though there
were many narrow escapes Every brick
building in the town was destroyed or
badly wrecked. In nearly every house
windows We're broken. The Presby-
terian church, a large brick structure.
general store of w. S. Wickenben, also
a brick building. The shock seemed to
have a spiral motion, Goods were hurl-
ed from shelves of stores and piled in
the middle of the rooms. Even such
heavy articles as desks were thrown
about Not chimney is left standing
in town. All brick walls are badly dam
aged but frame structures generally
escaped serious injury. In the drug store
not a single bottle escaped and Kohn' S
saloon was flooded with liquor from
broken bottles
The whole town was aroused and peO-
pie fled from their homes to the streets
in panic. There have been several light
shocks since July 27 when the first
heavy shock occurred. But that of this
morning exceeded in violence anything
yet experienced. 1t lasted 80 seconds
and threw people from their beds
Los AlamoS is a town of about 900 in
habitants in Santa Barbara county.
Santa Barbara, Cal, July 31.-An
earthquake shock lasting 10 seconds
was felt here at 1:30 o'clock this morn
ing.