PREVIOUS VISITATIONS

Taranaki Daily News, 13 March 1933, Page 7

PREVIOUS VISITATIONS

SANTA BARBARA DISASTER tremors last some days SAN FRANCISCO RECALLED TODD OF LIFE ON COAST California has had its share of disastrous earthquakes, San Francisco, the largest pity W the Pacific Coast. 483 miles north-west Of Los Angeles, was visited hy a devastating earthquake on April 18, W, The resulting fires helped to destroy the greater part of the city and many neighbouring towns, the low of We totalled 1500, and this and the enormous amount of damage done throughout the State left the whole world aghast. In the same year Valparaiso, thousands of miles south in Chile, but OU the same seaboard, was stricken by an earthquake that took toll of 2500 lives. Valparaiso had previously had similar visitations in 1822 and 1851, it being estimated that all told 5000 deaths occurred as a result of the three disasters. . _ Santa Barbara, a town in Southern California, about 100 miles from Los Angeles, was the centre of an e towards the end of June. 1925. Thnteen persons were killed and about 300 in jured, while damage totalling many millions of dollars was done. Some of me finest buildings were demolished, railway lines were disrupted and cations cut elf. Fire broke nut and a dam hurst and torrents of water flooded the city. , . The greatest damage was done by a tidal wave that swept from the harbour up State Street, the main extending several miles from the beach and lined with buildings ranging from two storeys to ten. Most of these crashed to the ground as tremors continued, and the ruin was completed by the great wave. Water mains burst and geysers shot up through the pavements. PETROL FLOWS IN STREETS.

It was the first tremor, early m the morning, that caused most of the damage, but it was followed by severe jolts every half-hour afterwards tor three hours. Sleepers had been roused by a gentle motion that persuaded them to hurry into the streets. Three minutes later “the whole earth rose and seemed to shake itself in some great anger. Then it settled spasmodically with ugly to3*s- - city was choked by a blanket of cloud and dust. A tank holding 15,000 gallons of benzine burst and the contents ran in a torrent along the devastated business section of the town. In places the petrol was a foot deep; fortunately it did not ignite, or the loss of life would have been appalling. Describing the destruction of the big Arlington Hotel the manager (Mr. Richmond) said: “I have been through 50 earthquakes,. but neyer one like. this. It just, took the hotel and shook it backwards and forwards as though it were a rag. I did not think it possible tor a building to move with such force and in so many directions.” Had it not been tor the quick rush into ttie open after the warning tremor, the loss of life must have been much greater. As it was the whole population was terror-stricken. The famous Santa Barbara mission, a relic of the Spanish colonisation, was partly destroyed. Being the centre of the resort towns clustering about the coast, Santa Barbara was inhabited by a number of wealthy persons. It was estimated that the damage totalled 30,000,000 dollars. Three more violent shocks occurred some days later and caused injuries to workers and special police. The lighthouse was completely destroyed.. The tremors continued with varying intensity for several days after the disaster, imposing, as they did at Napier, a tremendous strain on those still in the city. A woman patient had her hair turned from brunette to grey when the hospital rocked, and a father and three children became insane when their home was washed into the ocean’ by the flood from the collapsed dam.