The Daily Alaska empire. [volume] (Juneau, Alaska) 1926-1964, 1949-04-13
Five Persons Reported Killed;
Damage Estimated in Millions
OF Dollars; Buildings Cracked;
EyaluaIicns Ordered by Police

child was killed and two others
injured by falling bricks at Lowell
School.
A cafe employee at Seattle was
injured by falling door.
Olympia, Wash, so miles south
of Seattle, reported several were
injured there.
Shock at 11:55 A. M.
The first shock came at 1855
a. m. tPST) and heavy. jolting
movements continued for about IS
seconds. The University Of Wash
ington reported minor tremblors
were continuing 40 minutes later.
The Seattle Times estimates the
damage in millions OF dollars
The University recorded the
quake as between six and seven
in the scale OF intensity, compar-
able in violence to the Feb. IA.
l946, quaEe which also caused wide
damage in the Northwest.
Portland To Canada
The heaviest damage occurred
in the Seattle Tacoma Olympia
area on Puget Sound.
Heavy shocks were felt from
Portland, Oregon. north to the Cam
adam border, and east across the
Cascades.
The quake tepered off in Van
couver, 3. c., and was lighter in
eastern Washington, eastern Brit
sh Columbia and central Oregon.
In Seattle, cornices of buildings
fell, fire escapes were ripped loose.
windows and water mains broken
ana walls cracked.
Every Seattle policeman was
ordered to report for duty. Fire
vehicles and anbulances roared
through Seattle streets.
In Bremerton, WASH, the Ma
tional Bank Of Commerce building
was cracked and the area was
roped off.
Damage at Olympia
Every one of the eight builc-
ings in the state capitol group at
Olympia, Wash, was damaged. The
State Insurance building and the
old capitol building in downtown
Olympia suffered worse.
The State Patrol at Olympia re-
ported three injured persons were
taken from the old capitol building
to the Olympia hospital. A group
of more than Is Cub Scouts were
trapped 287 feet above the earth
in the capitol dome. but they were
escorted to safety by State PATROL
men.
Buildings Cracked
Several business buildings were
cracked in the longview-Kelso
area The Longview Eagles Hall
was evacuated on police order.
Concrete buildings, including the
plant Of the Oregon Journal. were
damaged at Portland, Ore.
The quake knocked office work.
ers from the desks to the floor on
the 18th floor OF the new Equitable
building in Portland.
RECORDED IN EAST
NEW YORK. April 18Th An
earthquake on the Pacific Coast
was recorded on the Fordham Uni
versity Seismograph at 3;0231 p. N
Eastern Standard Time, today.
Rev. Joseph j. Lynch, Fordhan
seismologist, classified it as mod
erately severe"
MAGNITUDE GIVEN
PASADENA, Calf, April 13.-tH
The Pacific Northwest quake was
'at least on the lower limits OF
a major shock" Dr. Charles Rich
ter Of California Institute Of
Technology said today.
1t appeared to be between Ga
and 7 magnitude, ON a scale which
put the Long Beach, Calf, quake.
Is years ago, at Ga, the seismo-
logist said, The Long Beach quake.
while not rated too high as earth
quakes go, caused heavy loss of life
because it occurred in a highly
populated area.
1T apparently did not center be-
low Seattle or Portland" Dr. Rich
ter said of today's quake, "or dam
age would be even greater than
it now appears"
STEAMER MOVEMENTS
Princess Norah from Vancouver
scheduled to arrive Thursday at
ternoon or evening.
Baranof scheduled to sail from
Seattle Saturday.
Alaska scheduled southbo1nd 9
a m. Monday.