MANY FLEE FROM HOMES

Taranaki Daily News, 13 March 1933, Page 7

MANY FLEE FROM HOMES

PARKS CROWDED AT NIGHT TT AVOn IN LONG-BEACH CITY MARTIAL LAW DECLARED By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. Rec. 9 p.m. Los Angeles, March 11. Some of Saturday’s shocks jarred more debris from buildings, particularly in the business section. . At Longbeach, 25 miles south from here, at least 65 were killed and 1000 injured. ■ , >, Dr. Charles Richter, of the Carnegie Institution and seismological laboratory at Pasadena, expressed the opinion that the worst shocks were over, pointing to scientific records of. 100 shakes which .were followed by milder shocks like echoes. With the business buildings practically uninhabitable Longbeach is a scene of relief work. The food shortage which threatened has been averted, though hundreds are temporarily homeless.' Longbeach is guarded by 4000 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 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 plateglass windows. Citizens fled from their homes and crowded the public parks to overflowing. On Friday night more than 3000 persons were treated at Los Angeles for injuries. Two hundred of these were hurt by jumping from windows, 100 by explosions and fires and 300 by falling chimneys. Five hundred volunteer surgeons and nurses gave first aid. Longbeach is under martial law. There has been xlo rioting. Five men were killed in the crash of a fire station. Two students died in a high school. A newspaper plant, a theatre and a large department store were wrecked. 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 the old prides of theatre for a moment. Reginald Barlow, had just called a meeting at. Hollywood to order when the first quake came. The players headed for the door, but, Mr. Barlow boomed out, “If this is an earthquake . I need not remind you that the safest place to be is where you are.” There was a flutter of laughter as 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.” The Farmers’ and Merchants’ Bank, Longbeach, is a heap of ruins. Immediately 625 armed men from battleships landed with medical equipment to guard property.

The thirty-first shock was felt at 10.18 on Saturday night, it being a severe north-south movement. Three more severe shocks were felt within half an hour between 10 p.m. and 10.32.