The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1902-08-06
EARTHQUAKE IN CALIFORNIA.
Town of Los AIamos a Com
pIete Wreck.
The Area Of Disturbance is Small, But
The Shocks are Terrific in Force.

fssures 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 val
i ley of Los Aiamos, in the northern
part of Santa Barbara county.
During the last four days that sec
tion of the country has been shaken
by series of EARTHQUAKES that is not
precedent in the history of tradition
to the Pacific coast, and the continu-
ance of the disturbances and the in-
creasing severity Of the shocks have so
terrorized 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 Sunday even
ing with a shock which caused several
thousand dollars damage to property
in the village and the sugar country;
being more severe and more disastrous
in the vicinity of Western Union Oil
company's oil wells on Carriage
ranch. The shock was followed by a
number of disturbances less severe and
less disastrous, continuing through
the remainder of Sunday night and
Monday.
On Tuesday night, beginning at IL
O'Clock, there was another series OF
seven shocks, all of which were light.
In action these disturbances resembled
the waves in a pond of water. The
most severe shock of the entire series
occurred at il.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 fssures were run deep
in the earth hills and knolls appear
ed in level valleys, springs of water ap-
peared in places that had been dry and
the general topography Of the valley
was greatly changed in many respects.
The disturbance had no general direc-
tion, but was what is known as a
"twister. . 1t was preceded by a
rumbling like that of distant thunder,
which increased until the earth began
to rise and twist and the hills began
to tremble.
With the first warning sound of the
approaching disaster the terror strick-
en- people rushed into the streets and
sought places of safety in vacant lots
and roads, while many fed toward the
neighboring hills. The first vibra-
tions were similar to the preceding
disturbance in direction and effect,
but they were Immediately followed
by the most terrific shock ever expert
enced in this section of the State.
The earth trembled, rolled and
twisted until it was impossible for
people to stand erect, and terror
stricken inhabitants crouched togeth
er in the darkness fearful that the
earth beneath them 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 seri-
GUS shocks had passed and the, rumb-
ling sounds had died away the people
gathered in groups about the ruins Of
their homes and places of business and
when they saw the extent
of the damage many of them,
fearful OF repetition Of
this experience, Immediately started
on foot or by any conveyance that
could be had for places where the pre-
vious shocks had been less severe.
In the darkness of the night it was
impossible to determine the full ex-
tent of damage wrought, but with the
dawn of day the stricken village had
the appearance of the ruins of city
long deserted. A church had been
lowered to the ground and not one
brick of the building was left stand
ing. Chimneys soppled over, frame
buildings had been wrenched apart
aud thrown from their, foundations
telegraph and telephone wires had
been broken aud there was not build
ing in town that had not been dam
aged more or less seriously. In store
buildings that were totally destroyed
the merchandise was thrown from
shelves and everything breakable was
destroyed; not pane Of glass was left
in any window in town and in those
frame cottages and dwellings that
were left standing stoves were over
turned and crockery and glassware
were destroyed.
A conservative estimate of the loss
to property in the village is $50, 600
and this amount probably will greatly
be increased by the damage in the sur
rounding country. The extent of the
most severe portion of the disturbance
is II miles long by four miles wide,
but the 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
done.
The disturbances continued through
ont the day at intervals of two hours
but none of the shocks was severe.
The people have deserted the village,
every conveyance had 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 salty. Since the
first disturbance on Sunday night
there have been more than 70 distinct
shocks and those who have been keep
ing records have now given up, as che
disturbances have become almost con-
tinuous.