Evening star., 1933-03-12
$50 DIE IN QUAKE;
5000 ARE INJURED
Thousands of Sailors and
Marines Prevent Lo0ting
in Area.
Continued From First Page.)

Continued From First Page)
the actual number of reported dead
could be ascertained for the area, eX-
cept by the growing partial list OF
identified dead The task of caring for
the injured and those needing relief
found the work of maintaining an off,
cial list of dead showed to one side in
most of the communities.
- Property damage was estimated at
at least 45,000, 600, including wrecked
business buildings and schools, broken
utility lines, damaged streets and harbor
channels.
Bodies were still sought in ruins at
Long Beach, which bore the brunt OF
the quake.
To prevent possible vandalism, loot
ing and ghoulish acts. United States
sailors and marines from the Battle
Fleet at San Pedro, national Guards
men and American Legionnaires joined
police in preserving order in the stricken
regions.
Centralized control of emergency
measures was invoked when Gov.
James Rolph, jr., who flew here today,
appointed Col. o. C. Wyman Of the
California National Guard to head the
relief work.
R. F. c. Funds Used.
Swift action to alleviate grief, pain
and privation was taken when relief au-
thorities decided that portion Of the
more than $4,O00000 allotted to the
State March by the Reconstruction
Finance Corporation might be diverted
quickly to that end.
The application of martial law was
deemed unnecessary at Long Beach, and
E. S. Dobbins, city manager, was desig-
mated to direct the policing Of that VI
cinity The Governor ordered the con-
demnation of all buildings unsafe Tor
occupancy.
Long Beach had 68 known dead and
reported injuries to $500 persons.
Compton, a small suburb OF Los Ange-
les. reported II deaths.
Huntington Parks death toll was
eight, with property damage OF $2.500,-
600. Watts had seven deaths and the
remainder of the mortality list was di-
vided among various sections OF the
metropolitan area.
to heart failures from fright induced
bv the earthquakes. Coroner's officers
said fear that each succeeding shock
would be worse than the preceding ones
finally became powerful enough TO XIII.
For once, Hollywood, Beverly Hills
and Culver City looked out upon
tragedy not Of their own making. Stars
and supers alike of the films rushed
from their sets when fright got the
upper hand, but there was no apprecl-
able damage there. .-.-A.
Chaos Reigns Four Hours.
Four hours. while chaos prevailed, the
unrecovered dead had debris for their
graves. crumbling, shaky or broken
walls for monuments and fog for their
shrouds. Then there was lull as the
earth quieted somewhat and rescue and
relief operations got under way.
The fog lifted and tense citizenry
looked upon the stark picture Of devas-
tation.
Cars were crushed by the hundreds
as wreckage showered down upon ga
RACES and the streets. Cracks appeared
in great buildings. Hundreds of weaker
structures collapsed as the earth writhed
and heaved with 'immeasurable force.
Plate glass. brick, concrete, tile and
plaster were pulverized by the thousands
of tons.
There were % major shocks from 5:55
pm Friday until noon today. Even
the scientists failed to keep count Of
the many minor tremorS. In such
shaking the populace steered clear OF
swaying walls. Some refused to remain
in their hotels downtown. Many slept
in hotel lobbies, ready to run at the
first crack of threatened disaster.
Thousands sought safety in the parks
of Long Beach. Some of these lined
up to receive food from relief workers,
but others sat silent, without appetite.
Virtually all stores there were closed.
The cry of tidal wave" sent about 1000
Long Beach residents to higher ground
last night, but they returned cautiously
today, their fears groundless in that
respect.
Three in Plane Killed.
Police blocked all incoming motor
traffic, but few ambitious and anxiety
ridden persons chartered planes to fly
there to learn about their friends and
relatives. Airport officials said the
visitors came by air from as far away
as Ell Paso, Tex. Three men were killed
when their plane, en- route to Long
Beach, crashed near Compton.
Los Angeles, Compton and Hunting
ton Park suffered extensive damage to
buildings. The 27-story Los Angeles
City Hall, highest building in the met
ropolitan area, had plaster cracks on
its walls today and Mayor John c.
Porter ordered it closed to visitors.
Architects said it apparently had
earned the appellation "earthquake-
proof" The old Los Angeles Court
House Building was condemned as un-
safe and employees and records were
taken out.
Countless fires harried the people and
kept flremen busy. High school build
ings in Huntington Park and Norwalk
were destroyed. Homes by the score
went up in flames
Most of Los Angeles steamship docks
were damaged. Catalina Island appar-
emily suffered no Ill effects, although
the quake was centered not far from
there.
Relief operations assumed gigantic
proportions tonight. After touring the
stricken area Gov. Rolph called all re-
lief agencies into a meeting and ar
rangements were made to put the work
under the directions of the naval au-
thorities, the Red Cross and other or
ganizations.
Bellflower, one of the badly shaken
suburbs, reported water shortage be-
cause water mains had been turned off.
An appeal to Los Angeles police brought
SDECIAV NnTICrC