The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1920-07-17
GRIP
los ANGELES
IN NEAR PANIC
-FOUR SEVERE SHOCKS;
MANY ARE INJURED
Scores Of Buildings Damaged
Prisoners in Jails In
Clamor for Rescue
HUNDREDS FAINT
ON CTTY'S STREETS
"a
Hospitals Crowded with Men,
Women and Children In
iured or Overcome
HUNDREDS FAINT
ON CTTY'S STREETS

lpf
,.e-s sarthouakes hero today threw tho
city and the suburbs into e1ctss
indirectly caused a number OF injuries y
men women and children. and shgAY
damaged several buildings. chiefly old
onces. but mono to a great extent
While the shocks seemed to center n
Los Angeles. some Of them ware 10s
more than thirty miles away. but ~ -
this city, no material damage Wes ~
ported. ,-oAr.Sa
from some citizens the remark:
Good earthquake weather.
II was said in Jest and none va
more surprised than those who mAdo
the remark when the first tremor cams
at 1910 in the morning. =
; How It Felt. =
II fe1t much as does the sudden stop
ping OF a street car operated ~ N
experienced motorman. only that II Pr
duced the unpleasant sensation multi
piled many times.
followed the first shocks, and had haroiy
been Gained. when at :27 In the atters
noon came the second. followed two
minutes later by the third. and then
fourth at 6:13. The two in the afternoc9
were sharper than that OF the morniA&
and the agitation OF tne c Guile tn.
afterwards before it was a case %
business as usual. g
Public places were scenes OF neSF.
panic. some people running Tor the Open
air. some faintinS. some stopping 70
pray. Many gathered at street inter
sections waiting to see what would hap.
PEN Others. who felt they must 30 on
their way walked down the middle ef
buildings. Many sought PershinS
Square. in tho heart Of the downtown
district. sanctuary.
Buildings Damaged.
Mortar was Jared from brick walls
and plaster from ceilings. Cracks ap-
peared in some of tho older structures.
a water main was broken. few coptnks
end chimneys foil. part Of an enhank-
mcnt collapsed. throwing dirt and brick
into tho street and nlate glass WINDOWS
/ in some Of the downtown department
: stores were broken. -
- While tho excitement was at Us
! height rumors Of horror Travelled rast but
when II had subsidized there was NOT one
report Of any extensive damage 10 anr
establishment. while tho worst injury
recorded was broken leg. caused when
brick fell from the ton Of a building
and struck an elderly man.
Panic In Jails.
rcrhaps the greatest clamorS came
from the prisoners in tho county and
city jails. In the former four hun
drHd prisoners lell III" HIpi ''Hh c"N'H
with comparative calm. hut became
wildly excited at tho first NJ the two In
tho Afternoon. They yelled. shook the
bars Of their coils and screamed to be
taken out.
Tho turnkeys were trying 70 quiet
them. when the third trcmor came. The
resultant uprcar lasted an hour
Prisoners in the city jail were less
excited although the building WAS
slightly damaged. old cracks In the walls
falling
Hundreds In Hospitals.
For hours the receiving hospital
maintained hy the city was crowded
with women and children. most OF them
having. tainted in tho excitement Somes
however. suffered moro serious ASST.
dents Private and emergency hospitAl9
fainting cases. Adding to the excitement
was fro alarm turned in when =
piece If coping fell from a building ut
Main and Market streets. breaking nre
alarm box When the fire department
rcspondcd some Of the excited persons
brought out the city ambulances By
tclrphoning to the police department.
that a number Of persons had been In
jurcd.
Lasted Forty Minutes.
Washington. July 16.-The first Of the
earthquake tremors reported from Los
Angeles wore recorded by the seisno-
rraph nj Georgetown university. the In
strumrnt indicating total duration OF
forty minutes Tho initial disturbance
was between 1899 and 12:34
other observers at the university come
nutcd the movement to have occurred At
= d<tance Of at least $500 miles from
Washington.
The second and third shocks felt 1t
Los Angeles were not recorded at the