Earthquake Disaster

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 13 March 1933, Page 5

Earthquake Disaster

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA SEVERELY SHAKEN SCORES OF PEOPLE KILLED AND THOUSANDS INJURED AREA 200 MILES LONG AND 60 WIDE AFFECTED

(United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright) LOS ANGELES, 10th March. A severe earthquake shook the city early to-night. Damage is visible in the Broadway business district, where a mass of bricks fell from buildings, stopping street car traffic. The shocks came us thousands of workers were crowding down town streets. A second and severe shock swayed the city eleven minutes later. The first followed a quake which jarred Sail Diego five minutes earlier, rocking buildings, but there was no apparent damage. All attempts to reach Long Beach, 25 miles distance from Los Angeles and on the Pacific Coast, by telephone, were futile. Lines are l out of order and lights are out.

in four hours was felt at 1 a.m. on Sunday. The thirty-first shock was felt at 10.10 on Saturday night, a severe uorlli and south movement. EPICENTRE IN SAN PEDRO CHANNEL LOS ANGELES, lltli March. Part of the richest area in California, two hundred miles long and some thirty miles wide, was affected by the quake —from the Mexican border to Santa Barbarba and from the sea coast •to the mountains More than two million people have been settled there since the last major earthquake of the apparent series which visits Soutli California in Nature’s ooiitiiiient building levery seventy-five years or so. The bell includes a hundred million dollars yearly citrus industry, the heart of the motion picture industry, and the largest number of homos of tlie wealthy from all parts of the continent, of any place l in the world. The motion picture plants and homes of the wealthy in Beverley Hills, Hollywood, Pasadena, Altadena, Sail Marino, in fact all of the areas of the magnificent homes and estates were merely on tlie fringe of the jolting waves of death and destruction, which centred in a triangular region with the apex in the centre down town in Los Angeles and extending soutli west through the industrial centres of Southern California. To the soutli it fanned out into tlie oil regions, Santa Fe springs, Labrea and groves of orange country.

Many windows were broken in some sections of the city. Ambulances carried several persons to hospitals from down town section. The walls of the old Chamber of Commerce Building tumbled. A third shock swayed the city later. Down town street traffic was at a standstill for some time. The first shake lasted several minutes. There was violent shaking in a north and south direction. The shock was the most severe for many years. Thirteen are known to be dead in Los Angeles Beach area after the most destructive earthquake experienced in California for many years. Several other shocks followed but of lesser intensity than in the first. Twenty-five minutes later, the area affected by the quakes was so large that it might be hours before adequate reports are received as to the extent of damage. Buildings collapsed in the south west section of the city and several persons weie injured. A hundred motion picture workers rushed from the studios when the plaster rained on them. Some structures showed large cracks. At Santa Anna there was one. death and many were injured by falling bricks Fifty-three are dead and 2500 injured. The death toll from the earthquake at 8.15 p.m. from verified sources is:— Long Beach, G 5 dead, 1000 injured; Los Angeles, 2 dead, 1500 injured; Watts, 3 dead ; Santa Anna, 3 dead; Compton, 12 dead ; San Pedro, 2 dead. Another extremely heavy shock came at 8.40 p.m. and another violent earthquake at 9.10 p.m. Another violent quake shook the city at 9.19 p.m. The death roll now numbers 80 and injured 2500. At 10 o’clock shocks were continuing.

In the centre it went down the heart of the industrial section embracing numerous communities dealing with each in greater severity with the worst havoc at Long Beach made wealthy by its oil royalties, tlie perhaps tlie best known sea shore 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 the world in the region north of Ijong Beach and surrounding Los Angeles harbour. At Pasadena the quake was what the Carnegie Institutions seismological laboratory has been waiting years for. Scientists believed Southern California would experience another great earthquake and the Carnegie Institution was built ori the fault on the outskirts of Pasadena. Delicate self-recording instruments had been installed and careful records made with the hope of being of value in studying earth disturbances leading up to this major quake and make it possible to forecast, great tremors. It appeared that the epicentre of the present disturbances was in San Pedro channel. TREMENDOUS BLAZE LONG SERIES OF QUAKES WILMINGTON (Cal.), 10th March. Several persons were killed by the earthquake at Long Beach, so motorists reported after driving through that city after tiie earth shocks. From the harbour here a tremendous blaze was seen near tlie centre of Long Beach business district. To the north toward the oil district another blaze of lesser importance was seen. Motorists said they understood the hospital at Long Beach was wrecked. They said they saw people lying in tlie street.

An unconfirmed report is circulated in San Pedro that the terminals and plant of the Southern Californian Edison Company collapsed and perhaps 200 employees were caught in the wreckage. LOS ANGELES, lltli March. Light earth shocks continued over South California on Saturday in the wake of a terrifying quake early on Friday night. There have been 23 distinct shocks, but generally of a diminishing tendency. Most of the deaths and the destruction of property were confined to the initial shock, which was accompanied by a peculiar roar which rocked a section of the city at 5.55 p.m. on Friday, shaking buildings and walls down and start, ing fires Some of Saturday’s shocks jarred more debris loose from buildings, particularly in the business section. At Long Beach which seemed to be the epicentre of the shake, at least 65 were killed and a thousand injured. Dr Charles Risehter, of the Carnegie Institution seismological labora tory at Pasadena, expressed the opinion that the worst shocks were over, pointing to the scientific records of a hundred shakes which were followed by milder shocks, like echoes. With business buildings practically uninhabitablo Long Beach is a scene of relief work. A food shortage, which was threatened, has been averted, though hundreds are temporarily homeless. Just what the final figures of 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 building went clown, but here and there throughout the industrial district scenes of damage are evident. Four circular motion shocks, making twenty-two, were felt at 6.26, 6.48, 6.57 and 7.30 a.m. Saturday. Long Beach is guarded by four thousand marines and sailors from the 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 High School where the science hall was destroyed. The damage is estimated at from a half to a million dollars. All large buildings in the city are reported to be standing, with the major damage oonfined to falling corniced, chimneys, and plateglass windows. Citizens fled from their homes and crowded the public parks to overflowing. On Friday night more than three thousand persons were treated at Los Angeles for injuries. Two hundred of these were hurt in jumping from windows, 100 by explosions and fires, and 300 by falling chimneys. Five hundred volunteer surgeons and nurses gave first aid. i Long Beach is under martial law. There was no rioting. Five men ,were killed in the crash oi (he fire station and two students died in the high school. A newspaper plant, a theatre, and a large department store were wrecked. . Deaths at Los Angeles are 140, injured 2000, and damage thirty-five million dollars, twenty-five million of it in Long Beach. The dead in Long Beach are 74. m Compton 18, and in Huntington Park 16. Tlie official compilation of the toll ol death and injury and property damage was sidetracked while rehabilitation went on. Reuorts on Saturday night indicated the death toll at 130, and the injured at 5000, all but 1000 being first aid cases. The property loss is approximately fifty million. Rescue crews ministered relief to 50,000, while 1000 helped to clear the debris. It was revealed at San Pedro that the navy base plans, which allowed the fleet to move quickly to relief and protective activity, were made two years ago by Admiral Richard Leigh. At Long Beach the fifth sharp shock

AT LONG BEACH BUILDINGS IN RUINS LONG BEACH, 10th March. Business buildings are in ruins for three blocks. Another section have lost their fronts. Tlie Farmers and Merchants Bank is a heap of ruins. Six hundred nml twenty-five armed men from battleships landed with medical equipment to guard property. San Diego police report receiving a message from Long Beach saying “It looks like all Long-Beach on fire at 8 p.m. Many firemen and citizens were killed.” Long Beach police department at 1.15 to-night announced 25 to 50 dead. The injured toll is between 500 and 1000. The bodies of 65 earthquake victims were reported recovered from the ruins here at 10.45 to-night. The estimated death roll will be considerably nearer a hundred.

The earthquake spread death and destruction over a path two hundred miles long and thirty miles wide in Southern California. On Friday night the death roll from fourteen cities was 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 of Long Beach, believed to be the centre of the disturbance. LONG BEACH, lltli March. Another sharp quake was felt hero at 9.50 p.m. on Saturday, after several hours quietude. Three more severe earth shocks were felt here on Saturday night within half an hour between 10 p.m. and 10.32 p.m. SANTA ANNA, 10th March. The quake partly wrecked the courthouse, City Hall, and new hall. The courthouse annex caved in. HUNTINGTON PARK (Cal.), 10th Mar. Five persons were known to lie killed after earthquake tremors. A number of public and private buildings took fire. Die High School is in flames, and also several industrial structures. At Compton a dozen are dead after a hurried survey of the ’quake wreckage. Every business building was wrecked or badly damaged. Comp toll is midway between Los Angeles and Long Beach!

COMPTON DESTROYED ONLY ONE BUILDING REMAINING DANGEROUS RESCUE OPERATIONS NEW YORK, 11th March. The “New York Times’’ Los Angeles correspondent says that simultaneously with the search for bodies amidst the wreckage of houses and business buildings in fourteen cities and towns in Southern California which suffered intermittent earthquakes 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 could not be

recognised in the terror and confusion of last night. To-day it became better known. The task of searching tottering structures could bo better accomplished, though the work had to proceed slowly due to the danger that the workers themselves might be buried under new avalanches of crumbling material cast off as the tremblings continued. Kitchens are being sent into the afflicted areas to feed thousands who otherwise would go hungry. The damage to major buildings down town in Los Angeles was estimated at only 250,000 dollars, compared with many millions loss at Long Beach and Compton, respectively 25,000,000 and 10,000,000, and 5,000,000 in suburban Ixss Angeles itself. The damago to the pier, warehouses and wharves in Los Angeles harbour areas and Wilmington, San Pedro, is estimated at 500,000 dollars. The wharves dropped fully six inches in some places. Excitement was manifest early to-day, when the main natural gas line from the Kettelman hills field broke and shot flames high into the air until the valves could be closed.

A check of shocks indicated the epicentre of the seismic movement to be under the bed of the Pacific Ocean in the Catalina Channel.

Passengers on steamers from Los Angeles told of witnessing four land slides near Pulos Verdes, one of which nearly took away the lighthouse on Point Vincente.

The area of the earthquake havoc was concentrated on a strip 200 miles north and south and 60 rniles 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. As a result of staying out all night on lawns and other open 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 nursing and medical staffs.

“SAFEST PLACE” HOLLYWOOD, ,11th March. The earthquake failed to stop motion picture stars from discussing the prospective 50 per cent, pay cut, but it did make the film people forget one of tho old prides of the theatre for a moment. Reginald Barlow had just called a meeting to order when the first quake came. The players headed for the door, but Barlow boomed out: “If this is an earthquake, I need not remind you that the safest place 10 be is where you are.” There was a flutter of laughter as the celebrities marched back to their chairs. During the remainder of the meeting there were several other shocks, but as one put it: “We never noticed them after the first one. There was too much commotion about this salary thing.”

EARTHQUAKE AREA NELSONIAN’S RECENT VISIT ■MR F. O. HAMILTON’S IMPRESSIONS Asked by a “Mail” representative today to give his impressions of the areas affected by the earthquake Mr F. 0. Hamilton said that Los Angeles was one of the most scattered cities he had seen on his recent tour. With the exception of the main centre in the street of Broadway, one saw very few people walking, the whole of the population seemed to be on wheels. The ocean front from the centre of Los Angeles city was a distance of 25 to 30 miles. The harbour of San Pedro was manmade and cost a huge sum. The beaches adjoining were very beautiful and many huge buildings had been built to cater for tourists and public. In between the sea frontage and the city one was struck with the huge number of oil derricks. At- a distance these looked like a forest after a fire had gone through tho undergrowth. Originally this area was cut up for small homes and sold as house allotments. Oil was discovered with the result that the lucky purchasers obtain favourable leases, and tile derricks were erected to exploit tho wealth underneath.

This discovery also, was a main factor in making Sail Pedro harbour, which was now reported as the second most important harbour in the United States, and its coastal shipping was claimed to he greater than that of San Francisco. Southern California was noted for its wonderful citrus orchards, and the favourable climatic conditions. It therefore attracted many retired people and their beautiful homes struck one very forcibly when motoring in the residential districts of Pasadena, Beverley Hills, and Hollywood. Hollywood, apart from being a residential area was, as was well known, world-famed for being the home of moving pictures. Within a few miles of tile centre of Los Angeles tho city part of Hollywood had sprung up to be a very important suburb with very large business blocks, hotels, and many lingo buildings occupied by the picture companies. The report ol the earthquake' being confined mainly to the flat areas on 'ho sea front would make one conclude that the loss of life and property would be less than if the ’quake had been centred in the residential parts of the hill districts or in the main business centres.