The Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1931-1952, 1933-03-23

ing. Then hordes of people be
gan to run to the vacant lot
from all buildings near at hand
Some one then cried out, This
is the worst shock | ever eX-
perenced' The first violent
shock was over in a matter of
perhaps two minutes. there on
ly remaining a slight trembling
everywhere. Immediately lights
went out and darkness was upon
the city. Within five minutes,
police sirens and ambulances
could be heard. as calls came
in for aid to the injured and
the dead. Between Central and
Slauson (5Sth. block. back to
ninth street, more than a score
of persons were either killed or
injured by falling store fronts,
and two deaths reported when
h gh tension wires were thrown
into the streets and the persons
eleetrocuted. A woman at Slau-
son and Central had both legs
amputated by falling steel.
The most severe shock seemed
to travel from south TO north
with Central Avenue, which is
the main artery where colored
people live along its entire
length, the greatest damage was
done. Watts and Compton also
heavily populated by colofed
people you will find in the clip
pings. suffered more than down
town Los Angeles. By six o.
clock ,,Long Beach was in flames
and oil tanks ablaze on an area
of a five mile front.
Hundreds of persons home
ward bound from down town
Los Angeles were injured in the
streets by falling debris and by
broken window panes.
Saturday afternoon we drove
through the down town section,
the city was quite deserted as
radio broadcasts warned that
more shocks were coming, per
sons sought the open spaces. We
noticed that so percent of the
damage done in the city was 20
banks. Not more than two or
three of which institutions es-
capped broken windows. Glass
twenty feet wide lay shattered
in the streets. OF course other
buildings suffered too, but the
greater damage both at Los An
oeles and outlying cities was to
banks.
Since Friday night up until
today Sunday shocks, some
slight and others alarming, have
occurred at intervals, ranging
from five minutes apart to half
an hour apart. One last night
at eleven o'clock. shook the
dishes about in my home and
alarmed us SO that we sought
the street. No other damage
was done to my house except
that the brick and masonry of
the fireplace was torn from the
wall and scattered all over the
dining room. 1t is said that
shocks of varying intensity will
be felt for the next thirty days.
Every available doctor or
nurse, white and black, have
been called into service, either
in the city or at Long Beach.
The radio just announced that
they are still finding bodies
there as the rescue work goes
on. Appeals were just broad
cast for food, as it was stated
there was not enough to last un-
til noon. There are no cooking
facilities in the city because Of
the broken gas mains and Long
Beach being in the heart of a
great oil center is constantly in
danger of fire, and threat of a
tidal wave. Food is being pre-
pared at Los Angeles, taken to
the American Legion Headquart-
ers at 18th and Figueroa SITS,
where it is transported by the
soldiers to the stricken city.
Long Beach has a population of
about 100000 people. San Pc
d1p, naval headquarters, and
Wilmington and all along the
beach line to Malibou, suffered
great damages. All roads to the
beach towns are guarded by sol
diers and civilians cannot get
through. II was estimated that
100000 damage was done
in less than four minutes. The
number of injured, missing and
dead is steadily increasing.
neglected to say that the
damage done to the office was
that the plastering on the north
wall will have to be replaced
almost in its entirety
1t would be useless and false
to say that people were not ter
rified, for hundreds of them
have not slept in their homes
since Friday night, but have
sought vacant spaces to sleep in.