GIANT LANDSLIDE IN LOS ANGELES

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20897, 29 November 1937, Page 9

GIANT LANDSLIDE IN LOS ANGELES

MILLIONS OF TONS FELL TWO CITY SQUARES IN DANGER MOVING MASS CAUSES ALARM United Press Association—By Electrio Telegraph—Copyright (Received November 28, 6.30 p.m.) LOS ANGELES, November 27. A landslide which three weeks ago began moving an inch daily, carrying a hillside comprising two of the city squares and threatening a row of buildings, a highway, and viaduct and the Los Angeles river beds, yesterday rumbled 13i inches onward and badly frightened the neighbouring inhabitants despite the roping off of the endangered district. Crashed Down During Night During the night the entire hill, estimated at 3,000,000 tons of debris, finally split off in two sections and crashed down, covering the riverside drive, cutting off the electric power, and destroying water mains, but stopping at the doorsteps of the endangered buildings. A sheer cliff 150 feet high remains where the hill was tom off from its terrain. Thousands of spectators viewed the spectacle, which hundreds of police are guarding. Wide Area Affected For some days millions of tons of earth and stone threatened to cover a wide area, and several movements precipitated rocks the size of automobiles, causing an earthquake-like tremor and covering many streets with a deep muddy slush. Several movie film studios had day and night camera crews posted to film the landslide, when it became fully loosened. SECOND FALL FEARED ENORMOUS PROPERTY DAMAGE United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright (Received November 28, 6.30 p.m.) LOS ANGELES, November 27. Crowds during the day watched rocks, earth and trees tumbling down the mountainside. Geologists fear a second avalanche more serious than the first. The damage so far is estimated at 200,000 dollars, and a further collapse is virtually certain to destroy a bridge, the cost of which was 3,000,000 dollars.