Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-05-20
CAUSE OF THE EARTHQUAKE
President Jordan Says n Mountain
Ridge Slipped six Feet and
started Trouble.

clear and authoritative statement OF
the case of the recent earthquake is given
by President Jordan of Leland STAN
ford, jr,, university, in the latest issue
of the New York Independent Briefly,
his explanation is that the disturbance was
caused by the slipping northward Of the
mountain ridge that forms the backbone
of the peninsula on which San Francisco
stands. The slipping was along the line
of an old crevice, technically known as a
fault" Vesuvius is not mentioned as
having any connection with the quake.
President Jordan says:
THE backbone of the peninsula OF San
Francisco is formed by a softly rounded
mountain chain, locally known as Sierra
Moreno. or Sierra Santa Cruz. This rises
to the height of about $500 feet in the
peak called Iona Prieta, growing gradu-
ally lower to the northward, where It
passes into the sea. Along the east base
of this mountain for forty miles or more
extends a sharply defined narraw valley,
known in different places as Stevens creek
Portola valley, Canada del Raymundo
Spring valley, San Andreas, and extends
northward to Mussel-shell Rock across the
Golden Gate to Bolinas bay and Tomales
bay. This marks an old fault OF geologic
times. Who're II was made, the rocks on
the east side fel some 1900 feet as related
to those on the west, which constitute the
Sierra Moreno.
Most of the earthquake shocks about
San Francisco have been due to frictions
and readjustments along the line of this
old fault The very violent shock of April
is was clearly due to this. The old fault
in the rock reopened, breaking the surface
soil more or less for a distance of upward
of forty miles. The mountain on the west
side Of the fault slipped TO the northward
for distance of between three and six
feet without change of level on either
side. The strain on the mountain. what
ever it was, became relieved, and after
various petty tremors of reimbursement
/ the earthquake was over.
From the first grinding movement
/ along the line of the fault, waves of in
! tense violence were propsgated along the
earth. The motion was horizontal, at first
/ back and forth. and then as waves from
| more distant points came i'm, they
| coalesced into most extraordinary twists
THE result was the swapping OF OF
| chimneys and spires as though from the
| lash Of whip. Brick walls were crum,
bled and feeble buildings crushed like egs
I shells. Buildings OF steel construction
| swayed in wide amplitude, to the iniur,
of Fheir neighbors. Solid masonry stood
fairly well il not too high. Buildings OF
steel structure were mostly unframed
| Concrete reinforced by steel wjr,
| (Ransom construction bore the shocl
perfectly. Wooden houses were unharmes
"a to walls, but generally lost their chin
neys, which were often broken on at IN,
base. Pictures and crockery We're fun:
about. and the plaster on the first foo
largely thrown on. that of the ceilings
being intact. Roofs in general were un
harmed.
The direct damage OF the earthuuak,
In San Francisco was not great. oil,
brick buildings were crumbIed, and chin
neys flung about, but the modern stee
structures received little il any injury
Even the slender Cali building. some thir
teen stories high, swayed in perfec
rhythm. The ruin OF San Francisco wa
due 10 the fires, which broke out stimuli
taneodsly in dozens Of places I'm the closet
built wooden and brick district south o
Market street"