Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1902-08-02
GASES IN EARTH THE CAUSE
Scientific E1planstion Of Earthquake Shocks
at Los AlamOb
INHABITANTS STILL PANIC STRICKEN
Temperature Becomes Most Oppres.
sive, as Much Heat Apparently
Coming from the Earth
as from the Sun.


Many of those who have not already fed |
from their homes are preparing to leave
in case the seismic disturbances continue.
The damage already done is variously es-
timated at from $4,000 to $40 900. 1t |
would have been much greater had not |
most OF the building been built OF wood |
The few brick structures here we're not |
Of the most substantial kind, and have been |
so badly damaged that they are not, likely |
to be rebuilt.
Several narrow escapes from death are
reported. Arthur Foxan. a young man, |
was asleep in a room at the rear Of Wick |
enden's store when the terrifying shock |
came last night The fall of the big safe |
blocked his exit through the door. He
turned to the window, but could not for
moment raise it. That delay saved his
life, for an instant afterwsrd the top of
the rear wall crashed down past the win
dow, freeing its fastening and giving him
exit.
DR.. H. C. Bagby OF Santa Maria was
sleeping in the home of Mrs. D. P. Whit
ney when the earthquakes and the crash
Of bricks from the Wickenden wall aroused
him. His eyes saw an unusual light, and.
with quick wit, he decided that Mrs.
Whitney had been reading by lamp and
that the lamp had been overturned. With
to the stairs and found Mrs. Whitney
vainly fighting the flames and seemingly
surrounded by them. Drawing her from
her place OF danger, he beat out the hre
with the bed clothes and thus saved
| life and large portion Of the business
section.
In the destruction Of the adobe home Of
Casper Arena a boy lay sleeping just
| where a great V-shaped section OF the
heavy wall was twisted out and cast aside
| but he escaped unhurt. All the FAMILY
Of DR.. Graham was away when their house
crumbled. They had gone north to bury one
Of their children. and so probably es-
capped death.
Havoc in the Hills.
Parties from Lompoc and outlying dis
! tricts have reached Los Alamos with
story Of havoc in the hills. A great land
slide, carrying down hundreds Of tons OF
eartn. occurred near .AS Hoover ranch
The road from Lompoc was buried for
fifty feet. AS far as the eye can reach
| from this grade to that there are splits
on the mountainside, indicating where huge
| boulders were sent laundering down the
valleys.
John r. Drum, a mountain farmer. re-
ports road-destroying landslide in Drum
canyon. The face OF the hill was charged
with noises. which Drup describes as the
most terrifying sounds he ever heard. The
| oil wells around the town OF Los Alanlos
seem not to have suffered. The Caregan
wells owned by Los Angeles capitalists
are located five miles from here and fear
for them filled the minds Of all as the
seismic disturbances increased. The casing
| of the wells ten In number, are almost
| 1000 feet into the earth. yet not well
was injured.
Since the beginning Of the earthquake
shocks the temperature has been most op-
pressive, as much heat apparently coming
from the earth as from the sun, which for
the most part Of the time has been shining
brightly.
Miss Mamie Leslie, in charge Of the tele-
phone office, has remained at her post,
though her family has sought a place Of
greater safety. She is the daughter OF a
prominent attorney.
Caused by subterranean Gases.
SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. John H. Con-
way. who was one OF the first men to dis
cover the mineral possibilities OF the Los
Alamos district, believes that the disturb
ances are In no way due to volcanic ac-
tivity, but occasioned by local conditions.
His theory, based upon a life study Of the
geology OF the country, is that the quakes
are occasioned by the action Of the sub
terranean gases and oils, in which the
region is known to abound. 1t has been
! known for years that gas was being gener-
ated beneath the eArths surface IN the
vicinitq of Los Alamos.
Prof Sillman OF Yale in 1856 put for
ward that theory and added that he had
nowhere seen such evidences Of the pres
, ence of hydrocarbons. This was substanti-
ated lately by F. Mcmillan, San Fran
cisco mining engineer.
For many years there has been q small
active volcano on the Los Alamos side oi
9 the mountain, which lies between that place
and Santa Barbara. Smoke and steam con-
3 stantly issue from various assures along
. the summit OF a plateau or shelf near the
6 northern slope OF the mountain Viewed
s from the distance of the old stage road
these manifestations appear like small
campfres. They have never developed any
' alarming tendencies and have attracted verJ
little direct investigation.
SANTA BARBARA, Cal, Aug. 1.-Durinl
the forenoon today four severe shocks o.
earthquake were felt in Los Alamos val
ley and several buildings not already de-
stroyed were cracked badly. One Immense
. ! structure belonging to Juan careaga, I
short distance from Los Alamos, wal
. turned partly on its foundation. Every
| body who could left Los Alamos today
\ many departing on a special train sen
: from San Luis Oblspo. Late advices stated
| that the earth continues to tremble at In
!, tervals.
! The wagon road over what is known a
the Los Alamos grade. extending over tn
, mountain into the valley. is In bad condi
!, tion. Boulders and dirt we're thrown from
!, higher elevations by tons. Persons ar
: riying at Los Alamos from Lompoc thi
evening report. having great difneulty Il
making their way over dangerous places.
Prof. LaFkin Of Mount Lowe observator
= arrived at Los Alamos this evening. Owe
e the telephone he stated the disturbance
- are OF a nature known as oseillator
earthquakes and are OF a common ma
ture. He says that it is quite probabl
= they are due to the sudden displacement
y Of immense bodies of gases. seven OF eigh
=, miles beneath the surface OF the earth.
~ While the country about Los Alamo
gives evidence OF once having been n
g scene of vast volcanic action he observs
Va nothing TO indicate that another calamit
OF that nature is likely to occur.
Damage at LOmPOc.
ar LoMPoc, Cal. Aug. 1.-The most sever
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