Severe ’Quakes In Southern California

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIII, Issue 77, 13 March 1933, Page 8

Severe ’Quakes In Southern California

Death and Destruction Over Wide Area

Long Beach Receives Brunt of the Shocks

Relief Measures Well in Hand

Los Angeles, March 10. A severe earthquake shook the city early to-night. Damage was visible on the Broadway business district, where a mass of bricks fell from a building, stopping street car traffic. Tne shocks came as thousands of workers were crowding the downtown streets. It is unknown at present if there were any casualties or injuries. A second severe shock swayed the city for 11 minutes, rocking buildings, but there was no apparent damage. All attempts to reach Long Beach, 20 miles distant from Los Angeles, and the Pacific Coast, by telephone are futile, the lines being out of order. Lights are out and many winnows are broken in some sections of the city. Ambulances carried several persons to hospitals from the down-town section. The walls of the old Chamber of Commerce building tumbled down. A third shock swayed the eity later, downtown traffic, street-cars and automobiles, being at a standstill for some time. The first shake lasted several minutes. There was a violent shaking in a north to south direction, the shock being the most severe for many years. An unconfirmed report circulated iu San Pedro stated that the terminals and plant of the Southern Californian Edison Company collapsed and perhaps 200 employees were caught in the wreckage. SEVERAL SHOCKS. Thirteen are known to be dead in the Los Angeles beach area after the most destructive earthquake experienced in California in many years. Twenty-five minutes later several other shocks followed, hut they were of lesser intensity than the first. The area affected by the ’quake is so large that it might be hours before adequate reports are received as to the extent of the damage. A building collapsed in the southwest section of the city, several persons being injured. A hundred motion picture workers rushed from the studios when plaster rained on them. Some structures showed targe cracks. At Santa Anna there was one death, while many were injured by falling bricks. Fifty-three are w dead and 2500 injured, these numbers being from verified sources. At Long Bench 25 are dead and 1000 injured, at Los Angeles two are dead and 1500 injured, at Watts three are dead, at Santa Anna three arc dead, at Compton 12 are dead and at San Pedro two are dead. Another extremely heavy shock came at 9.19 p.m. The death roll now numbers 80 and the injured are 2500. At ten o’clock the shocks were continuing, there having been over 130. including minor shocks. From Long Beach it is reported that, the bodies of 65 earthquake victims have been recovered from the ruins. At 10.45 o’clock to-night it was estimated that the death roll would be considerably nearer 100. The earthquake spread death and destruction over a path 200 miles long and 30 miles wide in Southern California. The death roll from 14 cities is reported at 120 and the injured at. more than 4150. A hundred communities were twisted and torn by a series of quakes. There was a mighty upheaval in the ocean south-west ot' Long Beach which is believed to be the centre of the disturbance. ’QUAKES CONTINUE. DIMINISHING TENDENCY. Los Angeles, March 11. Light earth shocks continued over South California on Saturday in the wake of the terrifying ’quake which early on Friday night caused the death of at least 132 persons, injuries to possibly 4000 and millions of dollars’ property domage. There have been 23 distinct shocks, but generally of a diminishing tendency. Most of the deaths and destruction of property was confined to the initial shock, which, accompanied by a pecu liar roar, rocked a section of the city at 5.55 p.m. on Friday, shaking buildings and walls down and starting fires. Some of Saturday’s shocks jarred more debris loose from buildings, particularly In the business section. At Long Beach, 20 miles south from here, which seemed to be the epicentre of the shake, at least 65 were killed and 1000 injured.

Dr. Charles Richter, of the Carnegie Institution seismological laboratory, Pasadena, expressed the opinion that the worst shocks were over, pointing to the scientific records of 100 shakes which were followed by milder shocks like echoes. With business buildings practically uninhabitable, Long Beach is the scene of relief work. A food shortage which was threatened has been averted, though hundreds are temporarily homeless. Eating places and most ordinary sources of supply are closed to business. Just what the final figures of the dead and injured may be no one can hazard. No cities were actually laid waste, nor was the skyline of Long Beach affected. In Los Angeles no large buildings went down, but here and there throughout the industrial district scenes of damage are evident. Four circular motion shocks, making 22, were felt at 6.26, 6.43, 6.57 and 7.30 o'clock on Saturday night.

Long Beach is guarded by 4000 marines and sailors from tho United States battle fleet. The city is believed to have received the brunt of the shocks. Although several small fires occurred, the only serious conflagration was in the Polytechnic Higa School where the Science Hall was destroyed. The damage is estimated at from 500,000 to 1,000,000 dollars. All the large buildings in the city are reported to be standing, with the major damage confined to falling cornices, chimneys and plate glass windows. The citizens fled from their homes and crowded the public parks to overflowing. They are living in tents and are adopting a cheerful attitude.

On Friday night more than 3000 persons were treated at Los Angeles for injuries. Two hundred of these were hurt in jumping from windows, 100 by explosions and iires and 300 by falling chimneys Five hundred voltinteer surgeons and nurses gave first aid.

Long Beach is under martial law. There is no rioting. Five men were killed in the crash of the fire station, while two students died in the High School. A newspaper plant, a theatre and a large department store were wrecked.

Reports make the deaths 140, the injured 2000 and the damage 35,000,000 dollars, 25,000,000 dollars of it in Long Beach. The dead in Long Beach are 74, at Compton 18 and at Huntingdon Park 16. FELT WORST AT LONG BEACH. SCIENTIFIC OBSERVATIONS. Los Angeles, March 11. Part of the richest area in California, 200 miles long and some 30 miles mide, was affected by the ’quake from the Mexican border to Santa Barbara, and from the sea coast to the mountains. More than 2,000,000 people have been settled there since the last major earthquake of an apparent series which visits South California every 20 years or so. The belt includes a 100,000,000 dollar yearly citrus industry, the heart of tho motion picture industry and the largest, number of homes of the wealthy from all parts of the continent of any place in the world. The motion picture plants and homes of tho wealthy in Beverley Hills, Hollywood, Pasadena, Altadena, San Marino —in fact, all of the areas of magnificent homes and estates—were merely on the fringe of the jolting waves of death and destruction, which centred in a triangular region with the apex in the centre of down-town Los Angeles and extending south-west through the industrial centres of Southern California. To the south it fanned out into the oil regions of Santa Fe Springs, Lagrea and the groves of the orange country. Tn the centre it went down the heart of the industrial section, embracing numerous communities and dealing with each in turn in greater severity, with the worst havoc at Long Beach. made wealthy by its oil royalties and perhaps best known as a seashore city and Mecca of summer visitors. To the westward the triangle included the rich Dominguez and Torrance oil fields and the largest oil storage plants and refineries in tho world in the region north of Long Beach and surrounding Los Angeles harbour. At Pasadena the ’quake was what the Carnegie Institution’s seismological laboratory had been awaiting

for years. Scientists believed that ( Southern California would experience I another great earthquake, and tl«: Carnegie Institution was built, on a fault on tho outskirts ol Pasadena. Delicate self-recording instruments were installed and careful records were made with the hone of being of value in studying earl’ disturbances leading up to major ’quakes, and so make it possible to forecast great tremors. It appeared that the epicentre of the present disturbances was m San Pedro Channel. MOSTLY FIRST-AID CASES. APPROXIMATE PROPERTY LOSS. Los Angeles, March 12. No material damage is reported following a further earth tremor here and four at Long Beach within 45 minutes on Saturday night. Meanwhile hundreds of thousands have deserted their homes in 100 Southern California communities, spending the night in the open. An official compilation of the death and injury toll and the property damage was side-tracked while rehabilitation went on. Reports on Saturday night indicate that the death toll was 130 and and the injured 5000, all but 1000 being first-aid cases. Property loss is approximately 50,000,000 dollars. Rescue crews ministered relief to 50,000, while thousands helped to clear the debris. It is revealed at the San Pedro navy base that the plans which allowed the fleet to move quickly to relief and protective activity were made two years ago by Admiral Richard Leigh. A message from Long Beach says that the fifth sharp shock in four hours was felt at 1 a.m. on Sunday. POSITION AT COMPTON. ALL BUSINESS PREMISES WRECKED. Huntingdon Park, March 10. Five persons are known to be killed. After the earthquake tremors a number of public and private buildings took fire, the High School being in flames, also several industrial structures. A message from Compton says that a dozen are dead, there having been only a hurried survey of the ’quake wreckage. Every business building is wrecked or badly damaged. Compton is midway between Los Angeles and Long Beach. FIRE AT LONG BEACH. DETAILS OF DAMAGE. San Diego, March 10. The police report that a message has been received from Long Beach saying: “It looks as if all Long Beach was on fire at 8 p.m. Many firemen and citizens were killed.’’ The Long Beach Police Department at 10.15 o’clock to-night announced that 25 to 50 were dead, and the injured toll was between 500 and 1000. 600 SAILORS ASSIST. GUARDING PROPERTY. Long Beach, March 10. Business buildings are in ruins for three blocks. Another section lost their fronts. The Farmers’ and Merchants’ Bank is a heap of ruins. Six hundred and twenty-five armed men from battleships landed, with medical equipment, to guard property. REPORTS BY MOTORISTS. HOSPITAL WRECKED. Wilmington (Calif.), March 10. Several persons were killed by an earthquake at Long Beach, so motorists reported after driving through that eity after the earth shocks. From the harbour here a tremendous blaze is seen near the centre of the Long Beach business district. To the north toward the oil district another blaze of lesser importance is seen. Motorists said that they understood that the hospital at Long Beach was wrecked. They said they saw people lying in the street BUILDINGS WRECKED. COURTHOUSE AND CITY HALL. Santa Anna, March 10. A ’quake partly wrecked the Courthouse and the City Hall. RELIEF TO SUFERERS. ’ AN ARMY OF HELPERS. New York, March 11. “The New York Times’ ’’ Los Angeles correspondent says that simultaneously with the search for bodies amidst the wreckage of houses and business buildings of the 14 cities and towns in Southern California, which suffered an intermittent earthquake for almost 24 hours, the care of the Injured and relief work for the homeless was being carried on by an army of State and local officials, National Guardsmen of the United States, soldiers, sailors, marines. Red Cross, Salvation Army and hundreds of citizens. The extent of the disaster cannot bo recognised in the terror and confusion of last, night. To-day it became better known, as the task of searching the tottering structures could be better accomplished, though the work had te

proceed slowly due to the danger that the workers themselves might bo buried under new avalanches of crumbling material east off as the tremblings continued. Kitchens are being sent into the afflicted areas to feed thousands who would otherwise go hungry. The damage to major buildings in downtown Los Angeles was estimated at only 250,000 dollars, compared with a loss of many millions at Long Beach and Compton, where it was respectively 25,000,OCO and 10,000,000, and 5,000,000 in suburban Los Angeles itself. The damage to the pier, warehouses and wharves in the Los Angeles harbour area and at Wilmington and San Pedro is estimated at 500,000 dollars. The wharves dropped fully six inches in some places. Excitement -was manifest early today when the main natural gas line from the Kettlcman Hills broke and shot flames high in the air until the valves could be closed. A check of the shocks indicated the epicentre of the seismic movement to be under the b’ed of the Pacific Ocean in Catalina Channell. Passengers on steamers from Los Angeles told of witnessing four land slides near Palos Verdes, one of which nearly took away a lighthouse on Point Vincente. The area of the earthquake havoc was concentrated on a strip 200 miles north and 60 miles inland Santa Barbara, the scene of the last, disastrous Southern Californian ’quake in June, 1925, was only slightly touched. San Diego, on the southern side, similarly reported only a slight effect. Compton, between Long Beach and Los Angeles, was virtually levelled. Only one building remained. Thousands have set to work in this town cheerfully doing all they can to case the lot of the injured. As a result of staying out all night on lawns and other places in the devastated area, many persons are developing pneumonia, and cases are being reported at the rate of five per hour. This has added to the burden of the medical and nursing staff.