The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-08-01
Strip of Country Fourteen Miles Long
and Four Wide Is De-
Vastated
HILLS SPRING UPIN
NIGHT AS If BY MAGIC
Four Days of Seismic Disturbance
Such as Seldom Has Been Witnessed
and Twisted and Valleys Roll Like
the Surface of Ocean.

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Cal, July 81
"A strip of country fourteen 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, village in ruins and
hundreds of people fleeing 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 sec
ton has been shaken by series of
earthquakes that has been without
precedent in history of Pacific coast,
and the continuance of the disturb
anceS and the increasing severity of
the shocks have so terrified the inhab-
itants that they are leaving for other
parts as rapidly as possible, and even
now the village of Los Alamos Is al
most entirely deserted.
Quakes Began Sunday.
The disturbances began on Sunday
evening with a shock which caused
several thousand dollars worth of
NNAAANNSN ~ PAOPOA y III llAC village duu
the surrounding country, being more
severe and more disastrous in the vi
cinity of the Western Union Oil COM
pany's oil wells on the Carriga ranch
This shock was followed by a number
of disturbances less severe and less
disastrous, continuing through the re-
mainder of Sunday night and Monday
afternoon On Tuesday night, begin
ming at 1910 o'clock, there was an
other series of seven shocks, all of
which were light. The general direc-
ton of these disturbances was east
and west, and in action they resembled
the waves on a pond of water.
The severest shock of the entire Sc
ries occurred at 11:3O o'clock this
morning. Hills were shaken and twist
ed to their foundation, and the valleys
trembled a---d rolled like the unstable
surface of the ocean. Great assures
were run deep in the earth, hills and
knolls appeared in level valleys, springs
of water appeared in places that had
been dry and the general topography
of the valley was greatly changed in
many respects. The disturbance had
no general direction, but was what is
known as "twister."
Like Distant Thunder.
1t was preceded b a rumbling like
that of distant thunder, which increas-
ed until the earth began to rise and
twist and the hills began to tremble
With the first warning of the ground
of the approaching disaster the terror
stricken people rushed into the streets
and sought places of safety in vacant
lots and roads, while many fled to-
wards the neighborings hills. The
first vibrations were similar to the
preceding disturbances in direction
and effect, but they were Immediately
followed by the most terrific shock
ever experienced in this section of the
state. The earth trembled, rolled and
twisted until it was impossible for peo-
pie to stand erect, and the terror
stricken inhabitants crouched to-
gether in the darkness, fearing that
the earth beneath them might open
and swallow them. The terror inspir-
ed by the rumbling and tremblings 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 rumbling sounds had
died away in the distant hills the
people gathered in groups about the
ruins of their homes and places OF
pAoAAACoos anu W4ICll IIISy saw Tic GA-
tent of the damage, many of them
fearful of this experience, Immediate
ly started for places where the shocks
had been less severe.
Like a Ruined City.
The stricken village had the appear
ance of ruins of a city long deserted
A church had been leveled to the
ground and not one brick building was
left standing. Chimneys had topple6
over, frame buildings had beer
wrenched apart and thrown from theil
foundations. Telegraph and telephone
wires had been broken and there was
not building in town that had not
been damaged. In store buildings that
were totally destroyed the merchan-
disc was thrown from the shelves and
everything breakable was destroyed
not a. pane of glass was left in any
window Of any buildings or dwellings
that had been left standing; stoves
were overturned and crockery and
glassware destroyed.
A conservative estimate of the loss
to property in the village is $4,000
and this amount will be greatly in
creased by damage done to property ir
the surrounding country. Each mer-
chant in town has lost at least $500 or
stock, and the damage to buildings has
been great, The extent Oh the severest
pOruOn OIL the Damage is eleVen miles
long and four miles wide, but the
shock was felt throughout Santa Bar
bara and San Luis OboSpi counties.
At the Western oil wells on Carrigs
ranch two tanks were damaged anG
thrown over and much other damage
was done. The disturbances contin-
ued throughout the day at intervals
of two hours, but none of the shocks
was severe. The people have deserted
the village, every conveyance has beer
taken, and the passenger and freigh
trains that have left here since the
Na..4;..LIoI