The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-06-24
MANY TOWNS
ARE IN RUINS
Property Damage from Cali
fOrnia Earthquake Will
Exceed 100000
FIVE WERE KILLED
BY FALLING WALLS

OduSAG OAucA OSU11S <AS 1ucy huSu0u
into the Streets-Fear for the I'm
perial Valley Irrigation System -
Martial Law Declared.
Ell CENTRIC, Calf, June 24.-Thel
earthquake which severely shook thel
little cluster of towns in the Imperial
valley Tuesday night cost half doz-
en- or more lives in the Mexican Dor
der town of Mexicah and ruined prop
erty to the extent of over q million
dollars. Further shocks, not quite as
severe as those of last night, were felt
today, and the inhabitants are exhib-
iting anxiety over the great irrigation
system. Engineers today reported that
another shock as severe as the one last
night undoubtedly would wreck these
works.
While scientists described last
night s shocks as "the resultant of
unknown forees,'' they appeared to
agree that it lay along the line of
what is known as the San Andreas
fault in the earth s formation, which
was involved in the North Central
California earthquake of 1906.
Martial laws has been declared at
| Colexico and Mexicah following a
reign of terror in both towns. Ameri-
can cavalry are patrolling the streets
| in the former town, while Villa soldiers
| are on duty at Mexicah
Damage estimated at 100000 was
| done in the district extending roughly
from the shoulder of the Cocopan
| Mountains of Lower California to San
Bernardino and Needles, Calf, on
the north Yuma on the east, and
San Diego on the west.
The damage to sharps heading, a
controlling unit in the $5,000,000 I'm
perial valley irrigation system, it was
not thought would endanger the water
supply of the valley unless further
quakes were felt. The water may be
shut off at Hanlon s Heading, near
where the Colorado river enters the ir
rigation system, southwest of Yuma
in order to repair the damage, but en-
gineers do not believe the water vii
be shut off more than So hours.
As far as can be learned, the shocks
were severest down at and below tn,
border. The towns of Calipatria ant
INLAND appear to have been injured
less than the towns in the south ent
of the valley. The earthquake extend
ed all the way to Yuma, Ariz The du
ration of the first shock was about 3
seconds. This was followed half Al
hour later by a second shock almost a
severe as the first.
PIate-glass windows, fimsy bricl
walls, and hollow tile structures wer
more or less damaged. No one in In
perial Valley was killed. The five re
, ported to have lost their lives in Mex
cali were killed when a wall fell.
After the first shock the strieke
towns were in darkness, except for til
light furnished by blazing building:
The motion picture theaters IN thi
town were emptied in a moment, mer
1 women and children filing the street:
Il while the earth was still in motion.
II Business buildings were ruined, som
II completely razed and others opened b
II gaping holes. Broken glass of the di
Il lplay windows covered the Sidewalk
II The streets We're soon closed to autt
II mobiles and pedestrians were warne
II to keep in the center of the stree
II The Duane building collapsed
II An explosion in the warehouse of I'll
II Delta Mercantile company lighted til
II entire countryside. A two-story stru
II ture caved into a drug store filled wit
II people All raced to the street. E
II cry building was disgorging similarl
U In the residences dishes, cupboards an
all movable furniture was tumble
about Slight tremblers continue
z most of the night. Mrs. Mary Smit
matron of the Jail, from which Il
prisoners were hastily removed, W:
struck by falling brick and slight
I injured.
III At Heber the First National bar
/ and the Heber hotel buildings we
I badly cracked. A moving pictu
house was wrecked. just outside
I Heber the ranch house of /. 4. Nc
I gan, a capitalist was destroyed
fire resulting from an overturned lam
In Mexicah a panic prevailed. Ca
blers and the women who make up
| considerable portion Of the populati
of the place rushed into the stree
Piles af gold were left on gamblil
mA tables to be rocked off and mixed
= with the debris of the buildings
was while these men and women we
= rushing into the street that five
them were caught underneath a falli
SO wall