The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1933-03-15
VIVID TALES OF
QUAKE TOLD IN
. LETTERS HOME
City WOman'S Laughter at
Joke Turns to Terror
p as TembIor Hits.


panic which accompanied the Cali
fornia earthquake Friday night are
narrated in letters from Los Angeles
TO indianapolis persons today.
one was received from Phillip Wit
Of Los Angeles. who is a former local
resident and Manual High school
graduate. 1t was received by E. G.
Fulke Of The Times
The other was sent by Mrs VIII
II. Smith, 5458 North Illinois street,
to her husband. She is visiting in
West Los Angeles.
Wit lives with his mother and
relatives in four apartment stucco
house about two miles from the GEN.
ter Of the California city. In this
section heavy damage was caused by
the quake
The letter follows:
1--WE were listening to a radio
broadcast on the banking situation
when a loud burst of static was
heard and the broadcast was inter
rupted. Almost instantaneously the
apartment began to rock and then
there was a series of short, jerking
shocks
Scene of Great Confusion
Il realized first it was a quake
and shouted for everybody to run
into the street. My first thought
was to guard against a falling high
tension wire, as I noticed that util-
ity poles we're sWaying from side to
side in an arc of about forty degrees.
In the confusion we failed to
notice that my sister was not with
us I ran back into the apartment
shouting for her, but there was no
response. 1 ran through every room
searching for her and finally ran
down the rear stairs, where l found
he. She said she had been search
ing for another sister who had run
into the street at the first warning.
During all this time there was
continual shaking accompanied by
dull rumbling noises. The worst had
taken place in about eleven seconds
although it seemed hours to us.
Earth TremOrs Continue
I'm about an hour we received a
long distance phone call from To-
ledo from the husband of another
sister, who is visiting us. We told
him that we were all right, but that
we all we're in suspense.
Right after this call you called
from indianapolis. ct was this long
distance call referred to in a pre-
vlous story in The Times which re-
CURED less than a minute for con-
ncctiOn between the two cities.
The tremors continued all night
and we began to expect them at GER
tain intervals. All of us complain
of the sensation Of sea sickness and
we are very tired from the Sus-
pcnse."
Mrs. Smith wrote she was laugh
ing about a joke when the quake
struck
The letter came shortly after one
mailed preceding the quake.
Experience of Horror
Little did I dream when I wrote
you how rear it came to being my
last" Mrs. Smith wrote. Just a
few seconds after I sealed il, 1
came into the dining room and sat
down on the day bed to read some
jokes.
I'VE were laughing about one
when, without warning, I was
thrown back against the window |
frame, and, before l could collect /
myself was thrown to my feet, and |
to the opposite side of the room
with such tremendous force that 1
am sore all over. My arm was
sprained severely"
Mrs Smith described efforts to
leave the rocking apartment build
ing.
God forbid that you and ours
ever Will experience what l did from
then on, the letter continues. Sally |
and l ran into each others arms. |
waiting for the end, both screaming.
1t would have broken your heart
to have seen us struggling into the
living room clinglng to each other.
Lamps were upSetting, dishes
falling off the table, books falling TO
the floor, the chandeliers running
like merry-g o-rounds, and the
plastering sitting through the
cracks.
we were thrown against tables
and chairs, and no sooner reached
the door till we were completely
pushed back out of our path to
safety
The final crash came as we
reached the stairs. and we let go
of each other and chung to the
rocking stairway to keep from be-
ing thrown on our heads. All this
took place in less than one minute.
When We reached the back we
were in a mob of screaming chill
dren and women ."