Arizona republican., 1920-04-04
ALMA ROCK, Senior, Phoenix Hipb School
MY FIRST EXPERIENCE WITH AN
 EARTHQUAKE

when l was ten years old went to Fl Centro, Californts, on a visit. nlade the trip by myself and I don't think l shall ever forget it. I was SD afraid 1 would get off at the wrong place that even before I had crossed the Colorado river I was in readiness 10 get off the train. But I finally ar rived at my destination in safety My gfandmother met me at the station and we drove the five and one-half miles to her farm where I was to spend the summer. All went well and I be- gan to like farm life.
 One evening I overheard my unc,a who was separating milk say to my Srandmother, Mother I think we're soihS to nave an earthquake Look at the sky over there,' and he pointed towards Mexico, which was but f5 miles distant. There is volcano some miles beyond the border that during it's eruption causes the sky to have a yellow glare. The sky was yellow now. "Oh, I don't think SOL grandmother faati answered. I paid no at tentlon to their words because I thought they were trying to scare me- as they had habit of doing. But afterWard I thought of their words many times.
 Grandmother called me and we went into the house, where she got supper and 1 helped her as much as I could. Alter supper was over, grandmother went into the bedroom to finish a garment she was making, my uncle ana l remaining at the table.
 Suddenly there was a low deep rumble and my uncle started from his chair I sat perfectly still.
 Run, run." heFshouted to me- Then to grandmother he called. Mother. mother get outside quick" But she was already on her way.
 For once I certainly did as I was told l started up with a jump. pushed open the door and got outside but in- stead of stopping I ran straight for the vineyard in back of the house. By this time the earth was shaking viol- entity and 1 was thrown down. When got up my nose was blee6ing I was SD scared I started on again, I didn't know where, only to be thrown down a second time.
 When I had picked myself up I re- alized what I had been doing and started back to where my uncle and grandmother stood. I got there after being thrown down three times. All around me fhe trees were falling and out in the pasture the cows were low ing as if they too were as much afraid us l. Then as suddenly as the earth had started to shake it stopped shaix- ing. Taking advantage of this my zrandmother,> uncle and myself hur- ried across the canal in front of the house and started for our nearest neighbors, whose house was one e-half milo away. When we got there they were standing out in the. road so as to be out of the way if a tree should fall.
 looked in the direction of Fl Centro and could see nothing but fire. I then looked toward Heber and Calexico, which were other small towns near us, and I could see only fire there. I was just about scared to death because I thought the whole world was burning later learned that the fire saw was but two or three houses burning in each town There were several shocks after the first one and it was nearly 12 o'clock before the earth finally stopped shaking, but the shocks grew steadily lighter and lighter until the last few did no harm at all
 I might add here that the next week I packed up my things in my grip and left. because every day or so there would be a light shock-just enough to scare me-and I was beginning to long for hot old Arizona where I could walk in safety without fear of being thrown down by an earthquake.
 HELEN TEETER.
 m