Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-04-22
TOWNS WRECKED
BY EARTHQUAKE
IN CALIFORNIA
Business Sections Of San Jacinto
and Hemet Ruined by Series
of Shocks.
MANY CITIES SHAKEN

By Associated Press To Every Evening
Los Angeles, Cal, April %. More than
ono-third Of the business district of San
Jacinto and smaller proportion of that OF
Hernet. both in Riverside county. about 20
miles east of here were In ruins today and
scores Of residences IN the two little towns
were wrecked by a series of earthquakes,
which caused all Of southern California 10
trcnblc late Yesterday afternoon. The
property damage is estimated at from
100000 10 $500 in the two places
Half dozen other towns and cites.
including Los Angeles suffered minor
damage. confined mainly 10 plate glass
windows and shattered cornices.
Hemet and San Jacinto have popula-
tions Of less than 900 each They arc
about three miles apart and lie in a pic
turcsuue country which was the scene Of
Helen Hunt Jackson's novel, Ramona.
ONLY ONE LrrE LOST.
Only one life was known In have been
lost, that Of Frank T. Darnell a retired
manufacturer Of this city, who was drown
Ell when he fell off a pier at Santa Monica.
Hundreds Of pleasure seekers on the pier
made Wild dash for solid ground when
| the shock came at 3.:}3 p. m. and Darncll
was swept from his feet.
/ PERSONS IN scores fbf IfPAfFPS Anu fFlptibfi
picture houses in this vicinity were fright
/ ened and many suffered slight injuries N
! their rush 10 the exits
When night fell over the partly ruined
/ towns Of Hemet and San Jacinto order
had been restored and organizations oi
home guards patrolcd the streets -Four
blocks Of san Jacinto's business district
were wrecked and one block at Hemet
Three distinct shocks we're felt At San
,Iaclnto The first threw TO the ground q
number Of persons and horses At The
second shock all the buildings on the
south side Of the main street began to
collapse and the third shock brought down
those on the north Slde.
Electricity failed Immediately and with
u ten minutes the breaking of the gas
mains made il necessary to shut Of The
supply The water mains were not much
damaged
STARTED BIG WATER FLOW.
One OF the freaks Of the earthquake wa
/ The sudden flow in wells. Many artesiar
wells. drv for wears. suddenly Welded :
/ free supply Of water This increase o.
water manifested itself particularly in ths
/ ian Jacinto River Before the earthquake
II was dry Immediately after the tremol
the river at point below the town showed
a flow of Il inches in depth and forty fee
in width.
The earthquake Of yesterday was al
| most a repetition Of that OF Christmas Day
1899. when the two towns suffered shocks
of like severity.
Fear was expressed in Los Angeles thai
several large office buildings had beeI
thrown out of plumb. A survey will have e
10 be undertaken The Washington build
ing. a large business structure, was per
ceptibly separated from the Currier build
! lng Immediately adjoining.
Scores OF plate glass windows wert
broken at San Bernardino and cracks de
veloped IN several bricks.
Concrete roads and highways leading
from Perris to Hemet and TO san Jacint,
were upheayed-
SHOCK FELT OVER WIDE AREA
The earthquake was felt over Wld,
area in the west Its most northern eX
tremitv apparently was the region Q
Fresno. Gal. Phoenix and Seligman, Ariz.
also felt the tremors as did Fremont, Utah