Bisbee daily review., 1915-06-29
ALTER KIBBEY TELLS OF PERIL AND LOSS
 IN FL CENTRO QUAKE
Few Business Places Escape h. jury and Inhabitants Were Terrified By Shocks Which Were Almost lnoeSSant.

PHOENIX, June 2S.-The most gra- phic and detailed account of the Im-I perial Valley earthquake which has yet been made public is contained in letter received yesterday by Judge Joseph II. Kibbey from his son, Wal ter Kibbey, who is engaged in the practice of law at Fl Centro. Under date of June 23 he writes of the earth quake which demolished buildings in the Imperial Valley.
 "The damage can hardly be estimat. ed even now. There is not a business building in town which escaped injury, and in my opinion, all but possibly two or three will have to be entirely rebuilt A few minutes after 8 o'clock We felt a slight shock I remarked that I would like to see and expert ence one good shock, provided no danger would result The next in stant the whole house seemed to tilt on end. recover and tilt the other way. the chandeliers travelling first east. and then west, and while in mo- ton the lights went out"
 After describing the escape of him self and neighbors from the building, he continues, "The earth was still rocking The sky was almost instant | ly filled with flames and the glare from the large Delta Mercantile wholesale house. which caught fire and was destroyed at a $9O,0OO loss. NTo r,t7IT Toor v.or,fo goro,r,{v,rr .r,d the clash of falling buildings One of the owners of that store lived just across the street, and his son, Mir. L., Mir. Bliss and ] went in an auto to the fire and then through town One building, a large garage, was com. pletely destroyed and all buildings slightly injured People were running up and down, excited and doing pc culiar things. We returned and sev- eral slight shocks followed, when another violent one came This in creased the screaming, and the crash ing of falling walls was awful "A short time later another very se- we're shock came, adding to the terror and damage We counted eighteen shocks in a space of little oyer on hour, and they continued in lesser de grees all night Every one slept out of doors, away from the buildings Only a few residences were injured mostly being frame, but all suffered damage to the contents.
 We lost the cut-glass bowl Aunt May left, the large vase I brought, and about half the dishes. We are among the slight losers. The tile house, you remember, next door to us is a com plete wreck. The Barbara Worth hotel stood the shock we'll though the interior is very badly damaged. The whole west of the Security bank build ing went Two walls of the Masonic temple are gone Baldridges drug store is practically a complete wreck. The Princess hotel and the Main ap- artments are very seriously damaged. The l. V. l. bakery is an gone and the Globe Milling company a wreck The ice plant. gas plant and all large com
 mercial buildings will have to be re built The building in which our of
 fee was located is the least damaged
 of any. It only has a large crack over
 the bank door Our bookcases were
 torn from the wall and the books
 thrown all over We have not yet
 gone in to examine carefully.
 "Ofices in the Security building
 have no west wall at all The Title
 company is not badly injured. but the
 building was torn loose from the vault , The Country Clubs wall is torn loose
 and about to fall. They have erected
 tents in the yards. It would take toe long to detail the damage. There was
 no loss of life or serious injury here
 SO far as We know Escapes were
 miraculous in many instances. "It is probable that there will be . ? recurrencs I certainly do not wan
 to experience another. I never wal more frightened in my life and the
 fear was of a vague nature. 1 didn' - know what was coming next. It wal f almost impossible to collect onel
 thoughts, and to reason that ther' was practically no danger if on, stayed away from the brick buildings
 Warning was given by a terrific rum bling, and this undoubtedly account
 for the few injuries only twelve re n ported
 B. Calexico experienced about the sam . situation as this city, but in Mexical
 three were killed, and several sho l- for footing There was absolutely n Il footing here. Everything is orderl T.. and the people after the first frigh
 was over. have exhibited a fortitud I and character which is certainly cr' y ditable. Every one is planning to r' r, build
 "The theatres were full and wer 'l emptied in an orderly manner. Tn
 men taking the women and childre n in charge. Of course there were thos
 who were hysterical and all were e' Ie cited, but great damage would hay 's been suffered had there not been a sl ,e hcient number of cool heads to co
 trol ! now realize more than eve 'i how utterly powerless and helple' 'e we are.
 a Business, of course is all close
 Only one fruit stand and butch'
 and grocery operating"
 TgrI