Evening star., 1926-10-22
Residents Flee Into Streets
as Large Buildings Sway
From Severe Shocks.
WINDOWS ARE SHATTE RED
BUT DAMAGE IS SLIGHT
Temblors Felt oE1 Miles South of
Metropolis-Oakland. San Jose
and Stockton Hit.

By the Associated Press,
SAN FRANCISCO, October 22.-
Three violent earthquakes rocked the
central coast counties of California
this morning just an hour apart. The
first shock vas at ABS am. and lasted
about 20 seconds The second was a
h:3S m. and was much sharper, but
lasted only about Is seconds. The
third, lighter one. came at SAP. No
injuries and no serious damage had
been reported.
The center of the shocks appeared
to be between San Francisco and
Monterey Bay. The tremors were felt
as far south AS San Luis Chispo,
approximately $50 miles from San
Francisco. and AS far north as Napa,
so miles from here. They were also
felt at Stockton, 80 miles east and
south.
In San Francisco. Oakland and San
Jose. the largest cities affected, large
buildings swayed like trees. driving
people into the streets and parks for
safety. Hotel guests were shaken
from their slumbers and those who
did not rush to the streets gathered
ecantily clad in the lobbies.
Other Cities Hit.
Other cities reporting the tremors
are:
Salinas. severe shock, no injuries
or serious damage,
Santa Cruz, shocks swayed build
tngs and broke windows.
San Jose, rocked buildings and
broke windows
Oakland. both shocks violently
shook buildings.
Stockton. shock not severe
Palo Alto. shocks violent but no
injuries and no serious damage re-
ported.
Sacramento. shocks not felt at
newspaper offices and if occurred not
serious.
The quake appeared to move in a
north south direction, along the old
fault which caused the trouble in
the quake of 1906.
Big Buildings Damaged.
At the Palace Hotel. one of the
largest hostelries in the city, plate
glass windows were broken, plaster
fell from ceilings and small cracks
appeared in the lobby floor.
At the new Bulletin Building.
where the Associated Press Offices
are located, clocks were stopped,
molten type metal was shaken from
the pots in the stereotying room and
furniture jiggled around.
The clock of the big Union Ferry
Eulding was Jared back nearly five
minutes as one freak of the disturb
ence. hut 1t kept right on going. and
transhay commuters, looking up at its
big round face, were amazed to find
themselves getting to work supposedly
Ave minutes earlier. Many OF them
had not felt the shakes
Santa Cruz, 30 miles to the south.
reported slight damage to the Casa
pel Ray Hotel. big resort structure,
and a few cracked walls and stopped
clocks.
Santa Cruz Hardest Hit.
First reports were that the damage
would reach $4,000 there. but this
was believed to he exaggerated. 1t
appeared to he the most severely
shaken of the towns in the earth
quake zone.
4 freak of the disturbance was that
many Western Union clocks stopped
At 43S am. the time of the first
shock. and some were started again
by later shocks.
Lower Market street which is on
made land. appeared to suffer the
most here. The Lincoln Hotel near
the towering Southern Pacific Co
office building. appeared to be few
inches out Of plumb. Plaster fell in
The Seahoard National Bank and on
Madison street near the water front
there were a few cracked walls
In the main business district long
crack appeared in one of the columns
of the Croker First National Bank.
Chinese Rush 10 Streets.
In chinatown. Port rtsmouth Square
flled quickly with excited Chinese.
many mot thers holding babes In arms.
earish silk kimonos mixing with the
more severe Occidental boIdoir attire.
Some frightened househnlders seam.
rered into Golden Gate Park one of
the largest IN the country, while in
the various squares. particularly in
the downtown district. there were un-
usual and nN",ted collections of early
morning visitors.
Sanfa Earhara. which suffered in
the 1895 quake. apparently did not
feet todaY's temhlors.
Many wild runors were in circula.
tion over the State about today's
shocks one Of them was that the
Is story Pacific Gas and Electric
Building here had been turned around.
So far as could be ascertained no
damage was done To that building.
which is of modern quake and fire
proof construction. .
Golden Gate Park, one of the
largest in the country, was the refuge
Of hundreds within a few minutes
after the first shock.
Felt Far From City.
The PACIFIC Telephone and Tele-
graph Co reported that the quakes
were felt in virtually every town up
and down the coast in California and
for zoe or more miles inland.
Gas. light and water services were
not Interrupted anywhere available re-
ports showed.
Police and fire stations and news
paper offces were besieged by tele
phone inquiries from frightened resi-
dents. who were told 10 80 to parks
II the buildings they were in were not
substantial.
The Pacific Telephone and Tele
eraph Cos building. tallest structure
in the city and rising 400 feet into
The air. was virtually unaffected A
preliminary examination by the build
ing superintendent revealed that one
t,ane Of plass had heen cracked. 1t
is - stories and in the downtown
district
weather Bureau cficials said they
6rcnfiriIed A. Pare q Column 81