216 EAKTHQUAKES ON THE PACIFIC COAST 



1893. April 4; Dnarte; 11:30 a. m. 



Light shock, E. and W.— Cal. S. W. Service Bulletin. 



1893. April 4; Ventura; 11:44 a. lu. 



" Heavy." — Ibid. 



1893. April 4; NordUoff; 11:30 a. m. 



" Heavy." — Ibid. 



1893. April 8; Los Angeles. 



Alarming reports of seismic disturbances have just been received 

 from the oil region of Newhall, 35 miles from this city. 



Dating from last Tuesday, the day on which Los Angeles experi- 

 enced a slight shake, there has been a terrifying series of tem- 

 blors, accompanied by subterranean explosions. These distur- 

 bances have been frequent, and have been accompanied by land- 

 slides from the mountains of an alarming and dangerous descrip- 

 tion. A letter dated from Pico Canyon, about 8 miles southwest 

 from Newhall, reads substantially as follows (^and refers to the 

 shock of Tuesday, April 4). 



" I was driving this morning when my horse became frightened 

 without apparent cause, and there came a rumbling sound which 

 grew terrifying'. I looked up and saw an awful sight. Land- 

 slides from every peak in sight came tumbling down with huge 

 bowlders. The mountains appeared as if myriads of volcanoes 

 had burst forth. When I got to the long bridge I saw Mr. 

 Thomas standing dazed, holding to the railing, and others came 

 running across the bridge. The earth opened in a number of 

 places and the scene was indescribable. Men cried, prayed and 

 swore. When I reached my house I found everything upset. Pic- 

 tures, dishes, and everything breakable were smashed, and two 

 stoves were broken all to pieces. All the afternoon lighter 

 shocks contintied, and also through the night" (VII). 



Another letter dated on Friday, April 7, says: 



"On Wednesday night, just as I had gone to bed, 'Crash!' came 

 another great shock. All night long they recurred, keeping us 

 up until morning; and all day Thursday they continued, each 

 preceded by a heavy subterranean explosion. The house the fore- 

 man lived in was demolished this time. Last night was less ex- 

 citing, and at 3 o'clock this (Friday) morning we had 

 another, which was fully as terrifying as the first. The shocks 

 were worse in the canyon here than elsewhere, but at Newhall 

 and all around this part of the county they have been terrify- 

 ing " (VII, VIII). 



1893. April 9; Los Ang'eles. 



The San Fernando range of mountains, where the greater distur- 

 bance took place during the week, were pretty generally shaken 

 up every day, beginning with Tuesday. The last temblor, a 



