Evening star., 1915-06-23

midnight were followed by a severe
shock at 10 O'Clock this morning.
Ell CENTRO, Cal, June z3.-
An earthquake shook up the I'm
perial valley OF California last
night killed five persons, caused
damage estimated at ST 100000 in
the valleys little cluster Of towns,
and left almost undamaged the
great irrigation system which
transformed the valley from a
desert to a fertile farming coun-
try.
El Centro suffered more than
any other town. The five killed
were caught in falling walls at
Mexicali just across the border.
Martial law was proclaimed there.
AS far as can be learned the shocks
were severest down at and below the
border. The towns of Calipatria and
INLAND appear to have been injured less
than the towns in the south end of the
valley The earthquake extended all
the way to Yuma, Artz.
The duration of the first shock was
about thirty seconds. This was fol-
lowed half an hour later by a second
shock almost az severe as the first.
Five Killed Under Wall.
Plata rlasa windows dimsy brick
walls and hollow tile structures were
more or less damaged. No one in I'm
psrial valley was killed. The five re-
ported to have lost their lives in Mexi-
cali were killed when wall fell.
Fifty deputies took stations about
the business district here and patrolled
the town. The first truck patrolled the
streets ready to extinguish any fires
that might spring up.
Telegraph and telephone service were
Immediately stopped. The telephone
vacant lot back of a building and mes
sages were sent to Yuma and there re-
layed to other points.
In the Barbara Worth Hotel here
decorative work of the interior fell to
the lobby. but not person was in
Jured. The elevator kept running un-
til everybody was out.
On either side of Ell centro business
streets are ruined buildings. some COM
pletely razed. others opened by gaping
holes. Broken glass of the display
windows cover the sidewalks. In the
gutter are the bricks and debris fallen
from above.
The streets are closed to automo-
biles, and pedestrians are warned to
keep In the center of the street. On
the lawns in the residence district are
the cots of residents, with only the sky
al the roof. In the industrial district
the iremen are still fighting a fire
The seismic disturbances, II is be-
neved. originated somewhere in the old
volcanoes of the Cocopah mountains
the granite backbone of lower CaIifor-
MIA Today the cluster of little cities
in the Imperial valley are partly in
ruins. Many buildings were rent asun-
der.
Comes With a Roar.
The roar of the quake below the bor-
der was the first warning the people
of the valley had. That was about 8
o'clock. The first shock was the most
severe Two others followed.
After the FIRST shock the stricken
towns were in darkness, except for the
light furnished by blazing buildings.
The greatest confusion reigned every
where. Ranchers and city residents
who had homes last night found them
selves today in open fields. beside road
ways or irrigati bitches.
In FL Centro the motion picture
theaters were emptied in a moment, men.
women and children filing the streets
while the earth was still I'm motion,
The great irrigation system which
transformed the desert into an i'm
Tuense farming region was spared No
reports have been received Of damage
anywhere along the levee system which
protects the lands lying below sea level
from the encroa chment of the Colorado
liver.
The first shock came at sos 7, w.s
slow and prolonged. A moment later
came a short and sharp trernbIe An
ensuing explosion In the warehouse OF
the Delta Mercantile COMPANY lighted
the entire countryside A two.s,orv
structure caved into drug store allied
with people. All raced to the street
Every building was disgorging simi-
Iarly.
In the residences dishes. cupboards
and all movable furniture was tumbIeS
about. Slight tremblers CONTINUED
most Of the night. Mrs Mary smith
matron of the jail, from which the
prisoners were hastily removed u,as
struck by falling brick and slightly
injured
Building Collapses.
In Calexico the Daum building col
lapsed and every window IN the town
was broken. At Heber the First Ma
tional Bank and the Heber Hotel build
,nas were badly cracked A movip.