The Mena weekly star., 1920-07-22
TERROR IN QUAKES
At Los ANGELES
-Four Shocks Last Friday Drive Peo-
pie to Open Country---Injuries
From Falling Bricks and
Glass-No Fatalities.

Los Angeles, July 19.-Four earth
| quake shocks were felt here Friday,
and there was an exodus toward the
beaches, hundreds seeking to escape
the danger from falling bricks and
shattered window glass. They prefer
to camp out in the open and at many
points along the beaches little tent
cities--and most anything served for
tent-were popping up.
1t was day of alarm and panic in
Los Angeles. All of the earth shocks
were severe, causing considerable
property damage and more or less
severe injuries to scores. No death
occurred, however, despite the wild
stories that went flying across the
city after the jar.
The Fourth Shock in Late Afternoon.
The fourth shock came at 6:13
o'clock Friday night. 1t was not quite
SO sharp as the others, but added to
the feeling of anxiety and sent scores
more scurrying toward the open coun-
try. Fear gripped many of the citi-
zens and physicians were reported
busy prescribing for nervous disor-
ders.
1t was 1910 o'clock Friday morn
ing when the city was first shaken 1t
was like the sensation produced by
the sudden stopping of street car
| by an inexperienced motorman, but
multiplied many times Hysterical ex-
citement followed this shock and the
f, city hardly had been Gained before
! the second came at 1927 o'clock in the
afternoon, followed in two minutes by
the third.
Injured by Bricks and Glass.
Both of these were sharper than
the first and everywhere business
/ buildings were deserted by their oc-
cupants, some of whom rushed out
only to be injured by falling bricks
or cut by pieces of glass. One man
suffered broken leg.
| Courts and other places were scenes
| of near panic, some persons running
for the open, some fainting from
4 fright and others stopping to pray
Many gathered in knots on street cor
ners and others walked down the mid
die of the streets, watching the build
ings closely for signs of collapse.
Pershing Square, iE the heart Of
the city, was the refuge of hundreds
who remained there for hours, and 1t
was long time before there was any
! talk of business as usual"
Damage at Many Places.
Pictures were jolted from hooks,
mortar fell from the walls and plaster
from ceilings. Wide cracks appeared
in some of the older business struc-
lures. A water main was broken,
few copings and chimneys fell, part of
an embankment collapsed, throwing
brick and dirt into the street, and
plate glass windows in the stores were
sent crashing across the sidewalks.
While the shocks seemed to center
in Los Angeles, some were felt more
/ than thirty miles away. But no ma
terial damage was reported from the
other towns.
An unusually warm morning pro-
duced from some citizens the remark,
'sThis is good earthquake weather.
1t was said in jest and none were
more surprised than those who made
the comment when the first trembler
came.
Wild Rumors Filled the Air.
While the excitement was at its
height, rumors Of horror Travelled fast.
But investigation proved them to be
almost entirely false and few suffered
from more than unstrung nerves. For
hours the receiving hospital was
crowded with women and children
who had tainted in the excitement.
Private and emergency hospitals also
were overcrowded with hysteria cases.
Elevator operators reported their
cars rocked back and forth in their
| shafts in north to south direction.
| In many Of the lifts there were small
panics and some passengers were car
| ried out faintine. Added to the ex-
| citement was q fire alarm, turned x;
when piece of coping fell from a
building at Main and Market streets,
breaking fire alarm box. When the
| fire department responded, some hys-
terical persons brought out the city
ambulances by telephoning to the po-
lice that number had been injured.
Prisoners Lost Their Nerve.
Perhaps the greatest clamors came
| from the prisoners in the city and
county jails. In the latter four hum
| dred prisoners felt the first shock
with comparative calm, but became
| wildly excited when the second came.
They yelled, shook their cell bars and
demanded to be taken out. The turn
keys were trying to quiet them when
the third tremor came. Then there was
an uproar that lasted an hour.
The tremors were heaviest in the
eastern part Of the city. Advices
from San Diego said the seismograph
at Point Iona showed vibration Of
only one-fifth of miilimeter. which
was taken to indicate that the fault
the slipping of which probably caused
| the shock, is between Los Angeles and
San Diego, preventing transmission of
the vibration.
The quake at 1927 o'clock was felt
at both Mount Lowe and Mount Will
son, near Pasadena.
No damage was done on the noun
tains or in Pasadena. The big tele-
scope at the Mount Lowe observatory
was unharmed.
Fear for Tourist Business.
/ Fears in regard to the tourist bust
ness outlook were expressed by many.
At several of the hotels 1t was learned
that guests had announced they in
tended to leave the city as soon as
possible.
On the other hand, there were
others who said that they had found
their earthquake legs" and scoffed
at their friends for running away
Strayed-one ea-hitten graz :aage
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