1951

Dec 25

Santa Barbara News Press (Wednesday, Dec. 26, 1951).

QUAKE JOLTS SIX SOUTHLAND COUNTIES. Los Angeles, Dec. 26 - The serenity and calm of Christmas in southern California was rent by a late afternoon earthquake that was felt in six counties but caused no damage.

The north-to-south radius of the quake was 325 miles and it reached 110 miles from Santa Catalina Island to San Bernardino. Ventura, on the north, felt a strong jolt, as did El Centro, deep in the Imperial Valley and only a few miles from the Mexican border.

REVERBERATIONS OF QUAKE

A 30 inch statue, "Young Man in a Phyrigian Cap," toppled from its pedestal at the Museum of Art, and was broken in several pieces. It belonged to Wright Ludington, and was located in the entrance loggia. Unlike the taller and heavier statuary the broken piece was not propped by iron rods, but was cemented on a low pedestal. There was no other damage at the Museum.

The murals in the SupervisorÕs room at the Courthouse suffered barely noticeable chipping near the ceiling. Plaster was knocked off in small quantities in various parts of the building, and some light furniture and books were found out of place.

About 2000 boxes of lemons were quake "casualties" at the two lemon packing houses in Carpinteria. The boxes were piled up, ready for shipment. After the quake, however, their destination will be changed. The fruit was bruised to such an extent that it will go to the by-products plant, not Eastern markets.

All local hospitals reported complete absence of fright on the part of patients, and no damage to buildings. At the County Hospital, bottles toppled in the drug room, spilling about $50 worth of contents.

St. PaulÕs A.M.E. Church at Haley and Olive Streets suffered extensive damage to plaster as well as to windows according to Reverend Ralph King.

A chimney fell in at the W. C. Tobey house on Linden Ave, Carpinteria.

Cocktails were mixed on the shelves and floors of liquor stores, with the quake serving as bartender. Bottles toppled and smashed, pouring wine and other assorted drinks around the shops in Dionysian profusion.

In a sound sleep when the earthquake started, Arthur Bennett, U.S. Forest guard, whose day-time duty is to keep an eye upon Juncal Dam, started dreaming that he was attached by a huge bird, whose great black wings, flapping over his head, gave forth vengeful sounds. When he awoke he found himself outside his guardhouse and stumbling down the middle of the mountain road.

The tremblor played pranks at the Ambrose Lumber Co. yard. The mill is outfitted with a sprinkling system as a guard against fire. Water circulated through a 6 inch pipe. The quake burst the pipe, and a river of water was cascading over the mill when watchmen discovered the situation and switched off the flow. Also at the lumber yard there is the largest finished lumber shed between Los Angeles and San Francisco, 300 feet by 60 feet. The lumber, 600,000 feet of finished material when in place, stands on end of the shed, and the earthquake threw all of this great mass of lumber to the ground, but neither lumber nor shed were damaged.

There were some delays in telephone service. Fifteen operators were on duty between 1:30 and 5:00 am, handling hundreds of incoming and outgoing long distance calls to and from Santa Barbarans with relatives elsewhere in southern California. Even trough noon on Tuesday the long distance traffic was abnormally heavy.

Boy Scouts at Camp Drake were reported safe; in fact, most of them slept through the quake.

Only little bits of colored plaster on the floor of Frances RichÕs studio, 112 Chapala St., are left of the stunning fresco portrait by Diego Rivera, outstanding Mexican artist, of the young sculptor with figure of St. Francis. The painting was cast to the floor by the earth shocks and the fresco was shattered. Miss RichÕs large portrait head of Diego Rivera, was also toppled over and broken. Her head of Donald Bear, Director of the Museum of Art, fell but was uninjured.

Santa Barbarans, in comparing calendars, note that both the 1925 and the 1941 earthquakes occurred on Monday.

Aside from glass from a skylight in the Faulkner Memorial Art Gallery, and a crack in the skylight over the main reading room desk, and books scattered on the floor, the Public Library was undamaged.

When the earthquake hit, Alvin Weingand, sitting in his new restaurant, The Harbor, thought a freighter had barged into the dock. Other than the jolt not a glass fell off the shelf. The lights went out, and the midnight supper guests ate by the soft light of candles for an hour.

Glass company crews augmented by extra men from a Los Angeles company went promptly to work Tuesday morning, and predictions were made that virtually all the shattered window panes would be replaced by the end of the week. When the MayorÕs office was opened Tuesday morning, the place was "all wet". A 5-gallon water bottle had crashed and broken on the floor. Empty water bottles also crashed in the Clerk and Treasury offices, scattering glass over the floors.

A glance at the City HallÕs trophy case Tuesday morning showed that building had taken a severe shaking. Several big trophies in the case were on their sides and two were upside down.

"Was there an earthquake last night?" inquired an anxious woman of the Police desk sergeant about 8 oÕclock Tuesday morning.

"Yes Madam, shortly before midnight," was the answer. "Well, I thought so because the plaster in the front room wasn't cracked before I went to bed."

At least one auto crash in Santa Barbara can be attributed to the quake. The shaking released the brakes on one of the trucks in the Park Department yards and it rolled across the lot and crashed the front end of another truck used for watering the business districtÕs handing gardens. Front fenders and head lamps were smashed.

Dogs don't like to be rudely awakened by earthquakes. Monday night they set up an "awful commotion," according to a police report. "But it was one night we never had a single complaint of howling dogs," the report concluded.

A bull in a china shop hasn't anything on an earthquake. That was proved by those in charge of Hunt's Crockery Shop in the San Marcos block, when they entered the store of china, crystal and crockery after the big quake had passed its shaking fingers across the shelves.

With the exception of the breaking of the glass in one case, no damage was reported at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History.

FRANKLIN BUILDING IS DECLARED SOUND. The Benjamin Franklin Building, in the heart of the quake-struck section of Santa BarbaraÕs business district, is structurally sound, Building Inspector Pope announced yesterday after a thorough study of it following the quake. Pope said there was some danger to passers-by from the projecting cornices of the terra-cotta filler wall just below the second story, but that owners of the structure had agreed to provide protection in the form of scaffolding. There was no danger to anyone inside the building except from loose plaster in some portions, he added. Steps were said to be underway to remedy this condition.

Ventura County Star Free Press, 77th year, no. 42 (Wednesday, Dec. 26, 1951).

SOUTHLAND QUAKE JOLTS COUNTY AREA -- Ventura County residents got an unexpected Christmas present yesterday at 4:47 pm, an earthquake jolted a 200 square mile area of southern California. No damage was reported from the quake, but Christmas trees swayed, lights danced and other signs of the quake were noted.

The quake was felt from the Ventura area to San Diego and from Santa Catalina Island to San Bernardino.

Dr. C. F. Richter, seismologist of Caltech, said the disturbance was centered under the ocean floor just south of San Clemente Island, about 120 miles south of Pasadena. He said the shake had an intensity of between 5 1/2 and 6 at its center. Southern California's disastrous earthquake of 1933 measured 6 1/4, however, that is approximately 5 times as powerful as yesterday's jolt as seismologists measure quakes, Richter noted.

1952

Jul 21

1952 Kern County, California earthquake on the White Wolf fault at the south end of the San Joaquin Valley

Santa Barbara News Press (Monday, Jul. 21, 1952).

QUAKE KILLS 11 IN TEHACHAPI; LIGHTER HERE. Two large buildings suffered severe wall cracks, considerable plate glass was broken, some bricks were shaken down and nearly everybody got up earlier than usual. But Santa Barbara was not shaken out of accustomed aplomb early today by one of southern CaliforniaÕs worst earthquakeÕs in many years.

No one was injured here.

The quake struck with a rolling rumble which rocked homes and rattled dishes, at 4:59 am, according to the Police Dept. clock. Other reports were that the shaking started four to six minutes earlier. It lasted from 30 to 45 seconds, according to various observers. Two much lighter shocks followed, unfelt by many who were already up and out of their beds.

Electric power went off but was restored in most areas within a matter of minutes. In the meantime, residents stumbled about in the dark, groping for flashlights, gathering up children, making hasty exits for impromptu visits with informally dressed neighbors, and telling barking dogs to "shut up."

City Building Inspector L. L. Pope by early afternoon had not completed examinations sufficient to lead to the conclusion that any buildings should be condemned. His inspection was continuing.

Seismograph Balks. No official report was immediately available as to the relative severity of the quake here. A seismograph, installed in the base of the Court House tower by the U. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey failed to operate, according to custodian Bob Waugh at the Court House. He said the device is supposed to turn on a red light after each shock and to record the number and severity. There was no indication that he could discover that the machine had operated, he said.

A sealed unit from a seismographic recorder at the Museum of Natural History was sent in to Caltech so the film could be developed and the intensity of the shake determined.

Some observers said it was the most severe quake since the "big one" of 1925. If so, the city behaved very well.

Authorities said the flashes of light which many people reported seeing about the time of the quake, came from swinging streetlights and wires being short-circuited.

The two large structures which suffered the most severe damage were the Carrillo Hotel and the Balboa Building. The News Press building came through with hardly a scratch.

Damage which was not properly corrected after the 1925 quake is showing up, Inspector Pope said. "This very definitely proves that where buildings have been properly constructed to take care of earthquake stresses and strains they come through in good shape," he added. As a safety measure he ordered sidewalk barricades in front of several buildings.

Manager Harold Smith of the Carrillo Hotel said there was little excitement among his guests although the outside of the building was cracked in several places, particularly on the Chapala-Carrillo corner. A few mirrors were broken in some rooms but otherwise the structure rode the shake in good style. Take It In Stride. Smith was unable to estimate damage to the face of the building. The front face and one side of the six-story Balboa Building was marked by long cracks, and plaster toppled in some of the halls. W. C. Common, manager of the building, said the structure was safe and most of the tenants were entering their offices to straighten pictures, etc. Little damage was caused inside the offices he said. "There is some plastering to do inside, and some concrete work necessary on the front and side," he said.

One room in the business district, at the U. S. Sewing Center store, 720 State Street, collapsed when bricks from the adjoining building, occupied by Tommy and Franks Restaurant fell on the roof, caving it in. Paul Conklin, service manager, said 700 machines were buried in the debris.

Among other buildings showing cracks was the JacobsonÕs FurnitureSstore, 822 State St. There were cracks near the roof, but the building was reported in good condition.Plate glass windows broken in a number of State Street stores exposed valuable merchandise.

Another mild shock was felt by many residents of the city this afternoon at 12:45.

No Gas Breaks. The Southern Counties Gas Co. reported no apparent damage to their lines or other facilities in this coastal area. They had one call from a person reporting a gas odor, but on checking, found it "must have been a false alarm." None of their instruments showed pressure drops resulting from breaks and service was uninterrupted.

Lemon packing houses in this area faced an Herculean task today picking up lemons and re-sorting them to remove damaged fruit which would not break down in transit. At the Johnson Fruit Co. plant here, the largest, about 370 railroad cars of fruit were in storage, piled in boxes 10 feet high. Many of these toppled over, blocking alleyways in the warehouses.

Slides on Pass Road. On San Marcos Pass Road, two slides narrowed the road to one-way traffic. One of the countryÕs other principal slide areas, 101 Highway from Gaviota Pass up Nojoqui Grade, was apparently undamaged and traffic was not interrupted.

Damage in the Santa Barbara County Courthouse was described as largely superficial. Some plaster fell from walls in the District AttorneyÕs office. Cracks appeared in walls in the tower area and around the entrance to the SupervisorÕs room.

ÔShattered NervesÕ. Hospitals reported no damage to structures and "just a few shattered nerves."

Assistant Superintendent of Schools George E. Browne said a preliminary check showed no damage to school buildings. Summer classes were conducted on schedule today.

Hotel Wall Damaged. At the Barbara Worth Hotel building in the 500 block of State Street, one wall was so severely damaged it probably will have to be torn down and replaced. The manager reported his earthquake insurance would be expiring at the end of this month and he had not planned to renew it because of the high cost.

Men working the "graveyard" shift several thousand feet underground in Tecolote Tunnel said they didnÕt even feel the shock. Complying with routine safety measures, they came out of the tunnel when the electric power failed and pumps and ventilating systems stopped. They returned to work a 1/2 hour later when the power came back on.

Dam Undamaged. Gibralter Dam came through the quake with no damage that was immediately apparent, according to City Water Supt. E. M. Thompson. Inside the city, water seeped through the pavement at least three locations, the result of broken six-inch mains at Garcia and Ferello Roads, on Burton Mound in the Ambassador Tract, and at Yanonali and Anacapa Streets. Thompson said "undoubtedly" a few more will be discovered as leaks become apparent on the surface of the ground.

A few of the cityÕs regulating reservoirs, full in readiness for the daytime demand, "slooped over" into the spillover troughs.

SheriffÕs deputies began reporting to duty this morning before the third and last shake had subsided, according to Capt. E. D. Rhodes, who was on duty at the SheriffÕs office in the Courthouse at the time of the quake.

ÔLike A Rocking ChairÕ. "This building rocked like a rocking chair. If there would have been a sharp jolt in the middle of the first quake, which lasted about 45 seconds, it would have really cracked things up around here."

CouldnÕt Stop Shaking. Residents on Las Alturas Road, especially in the 200 block where the homes are on the edge of a hillside, reported that houses shook for several minutes after the tremor subsided. Pictures were thrown from the walls, dishes were shattered and furniture slid from one to two feet. Windows were out in almost every home, one resident said.

Nothing was damaged at Mission Santa Barbara, but holy water was splashed from two big fonts on each side of the aisle in the chapel.

Bottles Broken. Grocery and liquor stores suffered considerable damage to breakable stock. Most of them opened on time this morning, although many of them had some aisles blocked off, their floors littered with jams, pickles, syrup, beer and the like.

Reports were slow in coming in from outlying areas, due to interrupted telephone service. Radio reports said the Old Mission at Solvang was apparently undamaged. Ventura reported largely minor damage and some downed wires. The SheriffÕs radio in Lompoc said damage was not extensive there.

College Undamaged. The Riviera and Mesa campuses of Santa Barbara College came through practically unscathed. Bottles were broken on the laboratories and some windows were broken in the Mesa Building. A water main broke on the Goleta campus and flooded considerable area.

False Alarms. The quake also caused shorts in two fire alarm boxes. The shock set burglar alarms off in many downtown business houses. A chimney was reported as toppling on a residence at 1801 De la Vina St.

The Montecito patrol reported that hotel and motel guests were out on the streets and that most people in the area reported only slight damage to their homes.

Little Wire Damage. By 8:45 this morning E. B. Cummings, district manager of the Southern California Edison Co., was able to report that all the "nerve centers" of the Edison system in this county -- some 50 big and little substations -- were undamaged. His wire trouble was in Goleta, Montecito, and on the west side of Santa Barbara.

A broken power line in the 200 block of Olive Mill Road in Montecito started a brush fire that was put out by Montecito firemen before it could gain headway.

Crack In Ball Park. Manager H. W. Hitchcock of the Santa Barbara Dodgers reported this phenomenon at Laguna Park: A crack about 10 feet long and from three to four inches wide opened up near first base and water forced beach sand up through the opening, depositing it along each side. The park is built on filled ground, but Hitchcock said the beach sand was "supposed to be" about 35 feet underground. Also at Laguna Park: one of the large light standards was pushed upwards about 2 1/2 inches from its previous position. The outfield, which had been carefully leveled earlier this year, took on a wavy appearance, he said.

Water Gauge Rises. Harry Wilson, chief of the U. S. Geological Survey here, said his recording instrument in an old sulfur well at Rancheria and Victoria Streets showed a rise of six inches in the water level immediately after the shake. By midmorning the level had gone down three inches and was still declining, apparently to its previous position.

In swimming pools the large continuous bottom slab often cracks under quake strains. A morning check of Santa BarbaraÕs three major pools - Municipal, Coral Casino and Montecito Country Club - found all three uninjured and left the assumption that swimming pools were not a casualty in todayÕs quake.

Glass Stock Damaged. The damage to the local glass companiesÕ inventory stock, shattered by the early morning earthquake, was estimated at $7500, but retailers said that there were still ample supplies of window glass to meet the demand, according to a quick survey made this morning.

Most badly hit was the Tri-Counties Glass Co. Warehouse at 190 Tecolote Ave. in Goleta. The earthquake scratched or smashed the complete inventory stock with the extensive damage estimated at $5000.

At Hope Ranch Beach a large section of the cliff caved in on the beach.

One house was down and a half dozen buildings damaged at Taft. The Maricope Hotel was left without a face as the street wall collapsed, narrowly missing hotel guests who ran to the street when the first shock was felt.

(Crack in U.S. Highway 101 - craterlets of sand along crack - most were dry, some had mud and water; highway dropped 14" for 100 ft. Location: "just north of where Glen Annie Creek hits highway" on line with entrace to Bishop Ranch and near old SPRR station at Coromar. Personal communication from Nelson Martin, State Division of Highways Transportation Maintenance Superintendent, 5 March 1975).

Ventura County Star Free Press (Monday, Jul 21, 1952).

Ventura County rocked with the rest of the southland early today as the Ôquake rumbled down from the north, spilling sleepers out of bed to the sound of crashing dishes in an eerie dawn blackout due to electric power failure.

No loss of life or personal injury was reported.

One man was hospitalized in Ventura after he jumped from the second floor of a downtown Ventura at the height of the severe shake.

HOSPITAL LIGHTS OUT - Lights went out at the county hospital just as the doctor prepared to cut the umbilical cord of a new-born infant. Emergency power saw the birth through safely. Another baby was born at Foster Hospital after the first sharp jolt and as subsequent tremors rolled across the ground at short intervals later.

Greatest property damage was reported at citrus packing warehouses over the county. Thousands of boxes of fruit toppled. Financial loss was expected to be high. In grocery stores the floors became a sea of canned goods and boxes.

Old downtown buildings in Ventura and Oxnard sent a few bricks and plaster cascading to the sidewalks. The American Crystal Sugar Co. factory in Oxnard - a towering brick structure 54 years old - shed bricks from its high front and rear escarpments. A brick smoke flue inside the factory collapsed with a roar.

Power lines snapped in several places. Repairmen estimated that some power might not be restored until later tonight. All five circuits went out in the city of Ventura seconds after the quake. The first lights came back on about two hours and ten minutes later. In Oxnard power was restored to all parts of the city except south Oxnard by 10 am.

13 SHOCKS - Firemen at the Simi station reported 13 separate shocks were felt over a period of one hour and seventeen minutes after the quake. A 14th "door- rattler" was felt at 8:14 am.

No significant damage was reported at the countyÕs oil fields. Southern Counties Gas Company spokesmen said there was no damage to gas lines throughout the county. One minor gas leak was reported in the city of Ventura. A water main broke in Ventura on N. Ventura avenue. Workers rushed to complete repairs and bolster falling water pressures because of the threat of fire.

Southern PacificÕs Starlight passenger train was entering Ventura just as the first severe shock came. The train was held while tracks and signals were checked for damage.

BUCKING TEMBLOR ROCKS MOST OF STATE - Los Angeles - A violent earthquake which felt "like a ride on a bucking bronco" rolled through California today leaving "many dead and injured" and leveling the business district of little Tehachapi, 100 miles north of here. At least 10 were known dead, all in the little mountain town of Tehachapi, home of the California womenÕs state prison.

The long, rolling waves of the quake, which began at 4:55 am PDT and were felt in diminishing strength for the next 45 minutes, was recorded as far north as Santa Rosa, 60 miles north of San Francisco, south to Ensenada, Mex., 200 miles south of here, and east to Reno, Neveda, and Berkeley, California.

CENTER AT TEHACHAPI - But the epicenter of the quake, which was recorded as 7.75 intensity by the Rev. Joseph Lynch of Fordham University and who described it as CaliforniaÕs "worst since the 1906 San Francisco quake," was in the Mojave Desert and in the immediate vicinity of Tehachapi.

It was so violent that it set off two big oil fires. One, a huge refinery 25 miles south of Bakersfield, California, 50 miles west of Tehachapi, called for all the Kern County firemen. The blaze and the shroud of black smoke were seen in Bakersfield. The other oil blaze was in a field near Newhall. Six of the dead were reported to have died when the main hotel of the town of 2,500, an old two-story brick, collapsed. Others died as they dashed in fright to the street and were caught by falling buildings.

The Oxnard Press-Courier, Vol. 45, no. 17 (Monday, 21 Jul. 1952).

POWER CUT. Buildings Damaged Courthouse, Sugar Factory Worst Hit.

A grinding rocking earthquake jolted Ventura Country residents out of their beds before dawn today, with the greatest damage in Oxnard reported at the Sugar factory and to power installation.

The wild clanging of doorbell chimes bouncing against walls in some houses joined with the noise of creaking beams and cracking plaster to waken sleepers. Many rushed into the streets to see the glare of transformers and circuit breakers going out, leaving their homes in darkness.

At OxnardÕs American Crystal Sugar Co. factory, brick parapets at the top of the east and west sides of the factory plunged down more than 100 feet to the ground. Bricks on the west side fell harmlessly to the ground, but on the east side the bricks crashed through a metal sheet covering two lime mixture tanks, damaging the tanks and surrounding apparatus. Workmen Injured - A workman attending the tank, R.D. Arnold, 48, leaped from the tank to the ground when he heard bricks falling. He was bruised by his jump and struck by a flying brick. He refused treatment however. Another workman, Max Hollowat, 66, was attending the saccharte (a sugar compound) filters when the quake slashed solution into his eyes. He was taken to a hospital but not confined. Most serious damage to the factory occurred in the boiler room when a large brick tunnel, which carries gasses from all the factoryÕs 22 boilers to the smoke stacks, crumbled and fell.

OxnardÕs Masonic Temple at Fifth and C lost ornamental plaster from the top, and a crack developed in the corner tower.

Several hundred dollars worth of groceries at Oxnard safeway were rocked from their racks, making a gooey mess of jam, syrup, pickles, wine and dry goods. Employees, who rushed to the scene shortly after the quake, did not get the mess cleaned until after 8 am.

Shoes Scattered - Shoes in downtown store windows were scattered.

Within a few minutes of the first shock all available Oxnard police officers were summoned to duty to patrol streets and check buildings and set up flares at fallen power wires. About 1400 homes in the Oxnard area were without power after the quake.

Time: 4:55 am PDT

Epicenter: Mojave-Lancaster-Techapi

Extent: Santa Rosa to Reno to San Diego

Aftershocks for 15 minutes

Magnitude: 7.75 Richter scale

The Lompoc Record, 78th year, no. 16 (Thursday, Jul. 24, 1952).

CITY SUFFERS SMALL LOSSES IN BIG QUAKE. Valley Thrown Into Darkness When Lines Collide.

Lompoc Valley escaped any serious damage in the earthquake that jolted southern California early Monday morning, causing at least nine deaths and millions of dollars of property destroyed. The quake struck shortly before 5 am Monday. In Lompoc it was felt first as a slight tremor which gradually increased in intensity until it reached a violence resembling a rocking boat. The fact that there were no sharp jerks and jars accounted for the ValleyÕs escape from extensive damage.

Lompoc was thrown into darkness as the violence of the quake reached its peak. The main feeder lines were slapped together, cutting out the local substation. After the earthquake subsided, flashlights and candles began appearing in homes throughout the city. And it was evident that few if any Lompocians had slept through the quake. Residents of apartments in the 100 block on N. 8th Street fled their home and were seen lined up in the middle of the street clad in hastily thrown on bathrobes.

"The Bank of America building looked like it was leaning on its side."

Extensive damage created by the quake in Tehachapi and desert area.

Several stores, including MooreÕs, Safeway, and KarlÕs Shoestore had their goods tossed off shelves and into the store isles during the quake.

 

1952

Jul 22

Santa Barbara News Press (Thursday, Jul. 22, 1952).

NO BUILDINGS HERE TO BE CONDEMNED. No buildings in Santa Barbara will have to be condemned as a result of yesterdayÕs quake, City Building Inspector L. L. Pope reported to Major Norris Montgomery today.

LEARNED LESSON. Pope also said he had no reports as yet of any serious damage to any apartment or home building in the city. "As far as we know, not even a fireplace crumbled in the whole city," he stated. "We have made a good use of our lessons of 1925."

SEVERAL FLASHES. A low fog shrouded the view of Santa Barbara from the surrounding hills, but a report came from Painted Cave that many residents reported seeing green flashes of light across the ocean and up through the fog from Ventura as far north as they could see. They reasoned that these flashes were almost simultaneous with the shocks and continued for several minutes after the first quake.

Minor aftershocks were felt here at about 1:45 am and about 6:30 am today.

1952

Jul 23

The Oxnard Press-Courier (Wednesday, Jul. 23, 1952).

20 aftershocks, widest felt at 11:14.

The Ojai, LX, no. 31 (Thursday, Jul. 31, 1952).

SPRINGS, STREAMS RISE FROM QUAKE. Streams and springs in OjaiÕs hills are showing a surprising rise according to the local Forest Service Office. A remarkable increase has resulted from the quake in all the springs and especially at Bellyache Falls, Rattlesnake Falls, and the spring along Oceanveiw Road, they report.

1952

Jul 31

The Lompoc Record, 78th year, no. 17 (Thursday, Jul. 31, 1952).

LIGHT SLEEPERS AWAKENED BY QUAKE TUESDAY. Lompocans --the light sleeping variety -- were awakened early Tuesday by an earthquake which gently rocked the city for several seconds. The quake was the heaviest recorded here since the initial disturbance on July 21st. Considerable damage was reported in the Bakersfield area. TuesdayÕs morning shake caused no damage in the Lompoc Valley.

The Ojai, Vol. LX, no. 30 (Thursday, Jul. 31, 1952).

Tremors Continue To Rock Valley Following Earthquake Monday; Little Damage Reported.

Rudely awakened Monday morning, Ojai valley residents experienced the worst earthquake to hit southern California since 1927. Tremors continued throughout the day. The heaviest one since Monday was recorded Tuesday at 5:30 pm and another early Wednesday morning.

An Oak View grocery reported $60 to $100 worth of damage in broken merchandise while Ojai Valley grocers found cans and bottles on the floors.

The Ojai Bank of America had falling plaster from the ceiling but no other damage was reported.

The Ojai business area was without electricity until mid-afternoon although Meiners Oaks and the east end of the Ojai continued service.

The only casualty was a cat which was killed by a falling table during the quake.

WheelerÕs Resort pool was filled with black water after the earthquake when the rumblings caused the pipes to shed its residue and chemicals into the pool. The pool has been drained and refilled ready for use again. Traffic, which was rerouted through Ojai from Castaic Junction, was stopped by Rangers on the Maricopa highway at WheelerÕs while landslides at the summit were cleared. The highway was reopened late Monday afternoon.

Eyewitness Atop Nordhoff Peak Describes Quake - EditorÕs note: In an exclusive radio interview Monday morning with Herb Lemmer, stationed at the Nordhoff Peak lookout tower, "The Ojai" was given this eye-witness account of the early morning earthquake as seen and felt from the lookout peak. The interview was arranged through the courtesy of the Ojai Ranger station. by Herb Lemmer: "I was making my regular observation check of the forest area about five oÕclock this morning when I felt my cabin, which is perched on high steel posts, begin to shake and sway. I knew it was an earthquake and as I looked out over the darkened Ojai Valley, I could see the outlines of nearby mountains moving. The first jolt lasted from two-and-a-half to three minutes and in the midst of it I could see a dozen or more brightly colored flashes of light in and around the Valley where power lines swung together and shorted or transformers exploded. It looked like a street car or trolley line when the wires meet and give off sparks. "During the quake the dishes on the shelves in my cabin crashed to the floor and a Coleman lantern hanging in the center of the room started swinging in a three-foot arc. The cabin shook and swayed pretty badly, but was not damaged. After a few moments there were several smaller quakes which continued for nearly an hour. I was afraid the burning wires and transformers might start a fire and I kept close watch, but luckily nothing burned. It was by far the strongest earthquake IÕve seen or felt."

1952

Nov 5 & 6

BSSA, vol. 43, n. 1, p. 93.

Oxnard, California, November 5 and 6 - Minor earthquakes were reported felt at 11:32 pm, PST, on Nov. 5, and at 10:00 am on Nov. 6.

The Oxnard Press-Courier, Vol. 45, no. 102 (Thursday, Nov. 6, 1952).

EARTHQUAKE SHOCKS FELT BY OXNARD AREA RESIDENT. A minor earthquake was reported in Oxnard today, the third in three days. Mrs. Viva Mays, said the ground shook faintly 6 or 7 times at 10 am today. Mrs. Mays also reported a quake at 11:32 last night. "It lasted about 10 seconds and then I heard a thump." Mrs. Mays daughter, Mrs. Howard Smith, also reported last nights tremor. So did Mrs. Robert Rump, and Mrs. Rump said she felt this mornings quake when she was in her yard. Mrs. Dale Peters said, "My French doors were rattling this morning. A couple of small vases at the ends of the cornice above the doors were moved toward the center." Mrs. Peters also felt the quakes last night and Tuesday night.

1953

Jan 13

Ventura County Star Free Press (Jan. 13, 1953).

QUAKE DAMAGE SLIGHT AS COUNTY GENTLY ROCKED. A rolling earthquake rocked almost the entire length of California at 3:34 pm yesterday but no injuries and scarcely any damage was done. In Ventura County, the quake was felt for nearly a minute. It partially disrupted telephone switchboard service at the Star Free Press and caused several cracks to reopen in plaster at the county court house.

-- The quake was centered in Kern County possibly north of Bakersfield.

1953

May 24

USDC

1953 May 24 19:24 Wheeler Ridge 35.0N, 119.0W, Int. VI.

Santa Barbara News Press (Monday, May 25, 1953).

SLIGHT TREMOR FELT IN LOCAL AREA. A slight jar was felt here at 8:25 last night, part of a series of earthquakes which shook several California cities.

The strongest was a "moderate" shock centered approximately 250 miles south of Bakersfield. It lasted eight minutes. Shocks were felt in Los Angeles, Hollister, and Ukiah, 100 miles north of San Francisco. No damage was reported.

1953

Oct 21

Ventura County Star Free Press, 78th year, no. 298 (Oct. 21, 1953).

LIGHT EARTHQUAKE FELT IN VENTURA. At about 8:07 this morning, a slight earthquake was reported in the Ventura coastal area and along the coast to the west. A number of persons along the Rincon and in the city of Ventura reported feeling the slight earth movement, too slight apparently to cause any damage. It was believed at first that the jolt might have resulted from an explosion but none was reported.

Santa Barbara News Press (Wednesday, Oct. 21, 1953).

EARTHQUAKE FELT IN THIS AREA. An earthquake shook this area briefly at 8:03 am today but did no reported damage to structures. Reports of the shake came from beyond Goleta and as far south as Ventura and Port Hueneme. It was described as a "hard, rolling motion." At Goleta fire station the quake "shook the fire trucks, rattled windows and banged doors." Montecito fire station reported receiving "quite a number of calls" regarding the shake, as did local police and sheriffÕs offices. One resident reported a beer stein fell off a shelf and shattered. Another said a pane in a French door on El Arco Drive was cracked. Others said their breakfast coffee splashed out of cups. At the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, seismologists said the shock magnitude was placed at 4, on a scale which rates the largest quake ever recorded at 8.5.

1954

Jan 12

1534 hrs

USDC

1954 Jan. 12 15:34 - West of Wheeler Ridge, 35.0N, 119.0W, int. VII-VII, felt area 35,000 sq. mi.

Santa Barbara News Press (Wednesday, Jan. 13, 1954).

QUAKE PROVIDES "ENCORE" TO BIG STORM. An earthquake of medium intensity added a spectacular climax yesterday to a combination of natural phenomena which included hail, snow, thunder, lightening and drenching rain. The shaker, felt from the Mexican border to Sacramento, had a gentle, rolling motion here that did no reported damage in this area. It struck about 3:34 pm, with its epicenter located by scientists at the Garlock Fault between Mojave, Tehachapi and Ft. Tejon, center of the disastrous July 1952 quake.

The Oxnard Press-Courier (Wednesday, Jan. 13, 1954).

County Has Both Rain, Quake. Two Jolts Rock Oxnard... Nor was there any damage attributed to the earthquake which struck in two separate jolts at 3:43 pm. The temblor was a heavy rolling quake which rocked almost the entire length of California. It was centered in Kern County. The University of California said the quake lasted 15 seconds and had a magnitude of 6.25 on a Richter scale of 10.

SAME FAULT - The 1952 Bakersfield quake registered 7.50-7.75. YesterdayÕs fault was also centered on the Garlock fault. The earthquake brought no damage to Oxnard, but the county courthouse reported reopening of cracks repaired after the Bakersfield temblor. Several housewives reported cooking utensils jarred from their shelves.

The Ojai, 63rd year, no. 2 (Thursday, Jan 14, 1954).

The sharp earthquake which centered between Taft and Bakersfield at 3:36 pm Tuesday was felt throughout the Valley, although there were no reports of damage.

1954

Jan 26

Santa Barbara News Press (Tuesday, Jan. 26, 1954).

MYSTERY JOLT SHAKES VALLEY. Solvang, Jan. 26 (VNS) - A mystery jolt, like an earthquake or jet plane blast, shot the Santa Ynez Valley early this morning, awakening residents and rattling windows and doors. As yet there have been no reports of any damage. The jolt hit the valley at 1:45 am and lasted, according to residents, about four seconds. Residents of Solvang reported that a loud noise, similar to an explosion, accompanied the shock.

1954

Feb 10

1559 hrs

BSSA, vol. 44, n. 2, p. 193.

Feb. 10, 1954 - A moderate earthquake was felt in Bakersfield, Taft, Santa Barbara, Frazier Park, and Ventura at 3:59 pm, PST. Residents of Bakersfield reported a strong jolt followed by a lesser one. Pasadena estimated the magnitude as 4.3 and stated that the shock was not from the White Wolf fault, which was the epicenter of the 1952 earthquakes. No damage was reported. The Survey gives the time of the tremor as 23:58:38, GCT, with preliminary epicenter 35ûN, 119ûW, which is near Wheeler Ridge.

Santa Barbara News Press (Thursday, Feb. 11, 1954).

NO DAMAGE IN EARTHQUAKE. Chandeliers swayed and dishes and windows rattled here just before 4:00 pm yesterday as an earthquake rocked the area from here to Bakersfield. No damage was reported in any of the areas where the tremblor was felt. The Caltech seismograph recorded the shock at an intensity of between 4 and 4.5 on a scale of 10. The epicenter was in Kern County.

1954

Mar 19

0154 hrs

BSSA, vol. 44, n. 3, p. 531.

March 19, 1954 - The strongest earthquake since the Tehachapi shocks of 1952 jolted southern California from Ventura County to the Mexican border and east to Las Vegas, Nevada, at 1:54:51 am PST. The main shock was followed by a number of aftershocks, two of which were recorded at 2:10 and 2:26 am.

1954

Aug 26

USDC, 41-1, p. 176, 1970 ed.

1954 Aug. 26 05:48 - Near Anacapa Island, 33.9N, 119.5W, int. VI (MM). Plaster was shaken from ceiling in the Ventura County courthouse. M 4.8

The Oxnard Press-Courier, vol. 47, no. 48 (Thursday, Aug. 26, 1954).

Light Earthquake Jars Southland. A slight earthquake of 40 second duration and timed at 6:49 am shook houses, rattled windows, and swayed beds here today with slight damage reported at the Ventura County Courthouse. In Oxnard one resident near the beach reported "It felt as though some one was trying to get into my house." Another local resident said that he thought "his roommate was raising the garage door."

-- "Sharp roll" in Ventura "Slight" in Santa Paula. 1954, Aug. 26, 05:48:

Santa Barbara News Press (Thursday, Aug. 26, 1954).

SHARP EARTHQUAKE FELT IN AREA. Many Santa Barbarans were jarred awake this morning when a short, sharp earthquake rocked the area at 6:48. No damage was reported. The shake was felt generally throughout the Los Angeles area and as far north as here, with Ventura reporting about the same intensity as Santa Barbara and Los Angeles slightly less. The quake was believed centered offshore in the vicinity of the Channel Islands.

The Caltech seismograph recorded it at an intensity of 4.5 on the scale which rates the largest shocks ever recorded at 8.6. The epicenter was reported as 70 miles southwest of Pasadena.

Ventura County Star Free Press, 79th year, no. 249 (Thursday, Aug. 26, 1954).

BELIEVED NEVADA AFTERSHOCK: MILD QUAKE JOLTS VENTURA, LA AREA WITHOUT DAMAGE.

Ventura was slightly jolted by a mild earthquake that shook up the Los Angeles area today, and police said there were no reports of damage here. Ventura County was rocked by the quake at 6:48 am, in a short sharp roll that ended in a pronounced jolt. It was apparently the northernmost point at which the quake was felt, according to United Press reports. Believed to be an aftershock of recent tremblors near Fallon, Nevada, which caused considerable damage to streets and buildings, the quake had a magnitude of 4.5 on a scale of 12, according to the California Institute of Technology. The Caltech statement said the quake was centered about 70 miles SW of Pasadena, off the Los Angeles - Long Beach coastal area.

Some Venturans reported feeling a number of minor tremors during the night, and United Press said residents of Holister in San Benito County were shaken twice at 2 am and 2:30 am by similar mild shocks.

1954

Nov 17

BSSA, Vol. 45, n. 2, p. 150.

November 17, 1954 - The only damage reported was cracked plaster in the courthouse at Oxnard.

The Oxnard Press-Courier, vol. 49, no. 119 (Thursday, Nov. 18, 1954).

QUAKES ROCK CITY, VENTURA. Two short sharp earthquakes were felt in Oxnard and Ventura yesterday afternoon but according to reports, there was no damage in Oxnard and only slight damage in two rooms at the County Court House in Ventura.

According to reports, the quakes hit shortly after 3 pm. A distinct sharp jolt was felt at the court house causing small pieces of plaster to fall from the ceilings of Judge Charles F. BlockstockÕs Superior Court Room and the Law Library. In Oxnard, two brief rolling jolts were felt, but according to police and fire departments, no damage was reported.

Ventura County Star Free Press, 80th year, no. 11 (Thursday, Nov. 18, 1954).

ROLL AND JOLT QUAKE AS FELT IN VENTURA. No damage was reported in yesterdayÕs roll-and-jolt tremblor that shook Ventura, Los Angeles, and Pasadena, authorities said today. The quake was felt in Ventura at 3:06 pm. Preliminary readings from the California Institute of Technology showed the quake originated about 60 miles from Pasadena, with a Richter scale magnitude of 4. Buildings swayed in Santa Barbara, the Associated Press reported. Dr. Charles Richter, Cal Tech seismologist, pin-pointed the quake as having originated between Ventura and Santa Paula.

Santa Barbara News Press (Thursday, Nov. 18, 1954).

AREA FEELS MILD ROLL FROM QUAKE. An earthquake described in some southern California communities as "short and sharp" jiggled the Santa Barbara area with a mild roll yesterday at 3:04 pm. The "short and sharp" reports came from Pasadena, Glendale, Burbank, Compton, Van Nuys, Hollywood and LA. Ventura felt the same soft roll as Santa Barbara. No damage was reported.

1955

May 29

0945 hrs

Santa Barbara News Press (Monday, May 30, 1955).

EARTHQUAKE GIVES CITY GENTLE SHAKE. Santa Barbara was gently shaken by a light earthquake yesterday morning which also was felt in other southern California communities. The Caltech seismograph timed the quake at 9:45. Other communities reporting the jiggle were East Los Angeles and Malibu Beach.

Ventura County Star Free Press, 80th year, no. 171 (Monday, May 30, 1955)

What may have been a minor earth temblor shook look a number of large rocks and damaged three autos on Highway 101-A about 10 miles southeast of Oxnard yesterday, according to reports today.

Oxnard police reported receiving numerous calls from residents of the area around 9:45 a.m., but sheriffs officers and other law agencies in the county did not report any earthquakes during the weekend.

1955

Nov 18

BSSA, Vol. 46, no. 1, p. 81.

November 18, 1955 - A slight earthquake was reported felt in the Santa Barbara area at 11:20 PST.

1956

Aug 9

1708 hrs

Santa Barbara News Press (Thursday, Aug. 9, 1955).

NO DAMAGE HERE IN MINOR QUAKE. Apparently in this area, an earthquake strong enough to rattle dishes in some homes was felt here at 5:08 pm yesterday. There was no damage, according to information at police headquarters and the sheriffÕs office. A number of telephone calls were received at both offices after the shock. Some persons thought it might have been a sonic blast, but seismographs show a minor earthquake had occurred.

1956

Oct 9

BSSA, Vol. 47, n. 1, p. 79.

October 9, 1956 - A light earthquake was thought to have rattled windows in Oxnard, Port Hueneme, and Camarillo about 10:00 pm, PST.

The Oxnard Press-Courier, vol. 49, no. 85 (Wednesday, Oct. 10, 1955).

Minor Earthquake Reported in Oxnard. Police believe there was a minor earthquake in Oxnard last night. The station received several calls at 10:37 pm describing rattling windows and mysterious "prowlers". Port Hueneme residents reported a "quake" shortly after 10 pm. Camarillo residents reported rattling and a noise at 11 pm.

1957

Mar 18

1056 hrs

USDC.

1957 March 18 10:56 - South of Oxnard, 34.1N, 119.2W, int. VI (MM), felt area 3,000 sq. mi., M 4.7.

Santa Barbara News Press (Monday, Mar. 18, 1957).

VENTURA JOLT BREAKS GLASS; NONE INJURED. An earthquake jolted Ventura today, breaking windows and tumbling stock from shelves in stores. No injuries were reported.

The rolling tremblor was felt moderately in Santa Barbara, touching off a wave of calls to public agencies here from residents who wondered mostly whether it rally had been a quake.

There were no reports of damage here. The Associated Press reported that the shock at 10:56 am knocked one woman from her chair in Ventura, according to a report received from police here.

Fire Quickly Controlled - A fire, apparently caused by broken power lines, occurred at the Pt. Mugu Naval Air Missile Test Center near Ventura. The fire was quickly controlled.

The new Shell office building at Ventura was reported evacuated and at Oxnard, 10 miles to the southeast, authorities said liquor stores suffered damage to stocks when bottles fell from shelves. Mirrors and store windows were reported shattered.

Of Five Magnitude - The quake was of five in magnitude on a scale of 10, according to Dr. Charles Richter of the Seismological Laboratory at Caltech in Pasadena. Richter said the tremblor centered 100 to 200 miles from Pasadena, which is 15 miles from Ventura. Nearness of the quakeÕs center was attested by two seismographs maintained by A. E. Banks, local amateur seismologist. He said the tremor moved the points on the instrument about 6 inches. Recent severe quakes in the Aleutian Islands, he said, moved only two inches.

Ventura County Star Free Press, 82nd year, no. 112 (Monday, Mar. 18, 1957).

SHARP EARTHQUAKE JOLTS COAST; DAMAGE IN VENTURA, OXNARD NO INJURIES ARE REPORTED IN BIG SHAKE.

A sharp, booming earthquake struck the coast of southern California at about 10:58 this morning, the shake apparently being most violent in Ventura and Oxnard, according to preliminary reports.

No injuries were reported. Damage was done to buildings in Ventura ... [cracked windows and walls]. Grocery stores reported goods being shaken from the shelves...

The preliminary shakes were recorded at 10:56 and 10:57 on the California Institute of Technology seismological instruments in Pasadena. A short jolt was felt about 10:58 followed by a rolling aftershock. Center of the quake was estimated at about 200 miles from Pasadena in a undetermined direction, but believed to be offshore.

[damage summary: Oxnard - bricks fall off Masonic Temple, and a crack reported in the building.] Sharpest effects of the quake were felt along the coast. Ojai residents reported feeling the quake, said to be just a short jolt. It was somewhat stronger in Casitas Springs. [Santa Paula - Ôquick quiveringÕ but no damage. Fillmore - slight rolling felt. Point Mugu - electrical fire caused by the apparent snapping of two power lines together.]

Although the quake was believed to be centered offshore, reports from San Nicolas Island navy installations to headquarters at Point Mugu stated the quake was not felt at the islands.

Santa Barbara News Press (Tuesday, Mar. 19, 1957).

TWO VENTURA COUNTY CITIES SURVEY QUAKE DAMAGE. Ventura, March 19 - Residents of Ventura County today surveyed damage caused by a sharp earthquake that jolted buildings, hurled canned and bottled goods from store shelves and resulted in the evacuation of several schools.

The earthquake, of medium intensity, struck at 10:59 am yesterday. The initial shock was followed by a series of aftershocks, lasting for about a minute and a half. Ventura, Port Heuneme and Oxnard appeared the hardest hit. The quake, however, also was felt at Santa Barbara, Fillmore and Santa Paula.

In Oxnard, windows were broken in downtown buildings, walls were cracked in several structures, and cornices were jolted loose at two office buildings. Damage was reported heavy in markets where thousands of cans and bottles tumbled to the floor. The high school in Oxnard was ordered closed until engineers inspected the building. Other schools in the area were evacuated after the earthquake struck.

Ventura County Star Free Press, 82nd year, no. 113 (Tuesday, Mar. 19, 1957).

QUAKE DAMAGES OXNARD HIGH SCHOOL, CLASSES SUSPENDED. Heaviest damage from yesterdayÕs medium intensity earthquake appeared to have occurred in Oxnard where the union high school is being closed for the rest of the week and intensive inspections were being carried out in Masonic Temple and Santa Clara Catholic Church. [main building of the high school apparently unusable for the future] Except for widening of cracks, falling of plaster and scattered foodstuffs from the shelves of grocery stores, the rest of the county appeared to have ridden out the quake in fairly good shape. [another school and public buildings checked for damage in Ventura County].

1957

Mar 21

Santa Barbara News Press (Thursday, Mar. 21, 1957).

AFTERSHOCK NOTED IN OXNARD REGION. Oxnard, March 21 - An aftershock of MondayÕs earthquake gently rocked this region at 6:15 am, but no damage was reported. A check of graphs at the Caltech Seismological Laboratory in Pasadena showed the temblor was so mild it barely was recorded. On Monday a quake with a magnitude of 5 cause bricks to tumble from a facade of the Masonic Temple and several other buildings, including the Oxnard High School, suffered wall cracks.

Ventura County Star Free Press, 82nd year, no. 115 (Thursday, Mar. 21, 1957).

VENTURA, OXNARD JOLTED IN ÔGENTLEÕ EARTHQUAKE AFTERSHOCK HITS COASTAL SECTION. An earthquake aftershock, described by seismologists as ÔgentleÕ but felt by some as a sharp jolt, hit the Ventura and Oxnard area at 6:15 am today. No damage was reported.

In Pasadena, the California Institute of Technology said the tremblor was so mild it barely was recorded. On the Richter scale it rated at 2.2. The seismologists said the quake center was about 80 miles from Pasadena, probably in the Ventura-Oxnard area. A spokesman at the laboratory said he was surprised any one felt it at all. Citizens who called the authorities, however, described the single jolt as a fairly strong one.

A flurry of earthquakes around the world in the last three weeks has raised questions of whether the tremblors came in bunches. But the Associated Press said the seismologists still insist they donÕt.

10:57 pm - A few persons said they felt the tremblor as far south as Los Angeles. Dr. Charles Richter of the CA Institute of Technology Seismological Lab said the shock occurred 75 miles west of Pasadena and had a magnitude of between 5 and 5 1/2 - strong enough to cause light damage.

1957

Jul 2

Santa Barbara News Press (Tuesday, Jul. 2, 1957).

MINOR QUAKES RECORDED HERE; FEW DISTURBED. A series of minor earthquakes was recorded early this morning on seismographs owned by A. E. Banks, local amateur seismologist. Most Santa Barbara residents apparently slept through the series of earth disturbances, but three officers at California Highway Patrol headquarters here reported feeling the first temblor. The News Press also received several calls of inquiry from residents awakened by the tremors. Banks said his instruments recorded the first quake at approximately 2:15 am, and the others at 2:23, 4:55, 6:10. and 7:30. "We must have been sitting right on top of it," Banks said. He described the quakes as very minor in intensity. There were no reports of damage in the area.

1958

Jul 13

2126 hrs

USDC

1958 July 13 21:26 - Off Carpinteria, 34.4N, 119.5W, int. V (MM), felt area 5,000 sq. mi., M 4.7. Slight damage at Carpinteria, plaster cracked, slight loss of fallen merchandise.

Ventura County Star Free Press, 83rd year, no. 213 (Monday, Jul. 14, 1958).

QUAKE JOLTS COUNTY, BUT ITÕS LIGHT. A light earthquake believed centered offshore in the Santa Barbara Channel jolted homes in Ventura County last night and chipped some plaster from a wall at the Ventura County courthouse. Windows and dished rattled in Carpinteria from the "4 to 6" minor tremors reported by the wire services. The initial shock was reported at 10:27 pm. A few persons said they felt the tremor as far south as Los Angeles. Dr. Charles Richter of Caltech said the shock occurred 75 miles west of Pasadena and had a magnitude of between 5 and 5 1/2 - strong enough to cause light damage.

Santa Barbara News Press (Monday, Jul. 14, 1958).

CITY AREA SHAKEN BY "BABY QUAKE." A "baby earthquake with all the characteristics of a major one" hit the Santa Barbara area at 10:26 last night. The initial shock lasted six seconds and was followed by about 25 distinct lesser jolts which lasted until about 3:00 am today, said Archie E. Banks, local seismologist.

Center of Shock - Dr. Charles Richter of the CaltechÕs Seismological Laboratory said this morning the center of the shock occurred 75 miles west of Pasadena and had a magnitude of between 5 and 5 1/2 - "strong enough to cause light damage," he said, had the center not been under the ocean. Banks rated the intensity in Santa Barbara at between 2 1/2 and 3, as measured on instruments at the Museum of Natural History.

First Jolt - The first jolt set off burglar alarms and stopped the clock in the Santa Barbara Police Dept. at 10:26 pm. It was felt as far south as Ventura and appeared to be strong in Carpinteria, where some china was reported broken. It was not felt in Santa Maria. Banks said the quake was a "baby earthquake with all the characteristics of a major earthquake." He said the quake has apparently relieved pressure that had been building up in a fault out in the channel and that the area should now be "sitting pretty." The fault is not the San Andreas one, he said.

Aftershocks - The aftershocks were the result of the adjustment following the initial jolt, he said. The record of the quake can be seen in the display case at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. Banks said the shocks were watched last night on the four instruments there. Banks said the instruments at the museum showed that the shocks were in a north and south direction. The News Press received 89 phone calls concerning the quake between 10:27 pm and midnight.

1958

Oct 2

BSSA, Vol. 49, n. 1, p. 117.

October 2, 1958 - Residents of the Santa Barbara area from Carpinteria to Goleta felt an earthquake at 8:26 pm PST.

Santa Barbara News Press (Friday, Oct. 3, 1958).

EARTHQUAKE IS RECORDED HERE. An earth temblor of low intensity, yet strong enough to be felt in many sections of the city, registered at 8:26 last night on seismographs at the Museum of Natural History. A. E. Banks said the pattern of reports indicates the earthquake was "close in." Residents from Carpinteria to Goleta reported feeling the slight earth movement. Banks said the seismographs have been recording small temblors for "the past three of four days," so slight they were apparently not felt by residents.

1958

Nov 17

Santa Barbara News Press (Nov. 17, 1958).

LIGHT TREMOR RATTLES DISHES HERE. A slight, dish-rattling earthquake at 1:36 am yesterday apparently was a minor tremor confined to the Santa Barbara area, according to A. E. Banks, veteran amateur seismologist. Banks, who has been studying earth tremors for many years, said it was his impression that the quake was local in nature because the waves were primarily vertical. He estimated that the intensity was perhaps 3.5 on the Richter scale, but emphasized that this was "only a guess." He said he received two reports of plaster being cracked in homes. The seismograph record of the tremor is on display at the Museum of Natural History.

1959

Jul 1

2349 hrs

BSSA, Vol. 49, n. 4, p. 418 35ûN, 119.5ûW (USCGS).

July 1, 1959 - 23h 49m20s GCT, 35N, 119.5W (USCGS). The earthquake was strongest in the Bakersfield area and was also felt in Taft, Porterville, El Centro, Mojave, Buttonwillow, and Santa Barbara. No damage was reported. Mag. 4.8 (Pas), 4.75 (Berk).

1959

Sep 30

2036 hrs

USDC

1959 Sept. 30 20:36 - Off coast of southern California, 34.4N, 120.6W, int. VI, M 4.5, felt area 4,500 sq. mi.

Santa Barbara News Press (Thursday, Oct. 1, 1959).

3.5 EARTHQUAKE RATTLES DISHES, SHAKES BOULDERS.

A mild earth- quake last night startled residents along the coast from San Francisco to Los Angeles, but the shock seemed to center at Lompoc, where dishes were knocked from shelves and residents surprised. A second, less sharp jolt followed a 1/2 hour later. Lompoc police reported today that they knew of a few instances where dishes were reported broken when jarred from shelves by the quake. Police said there were no further reports of damage in the Lompoc area.

At Gaviota Pass, several large boulders were shaken loose and rolled down on the southbound lane of HWY 101 at 8:38 pm. The California Highway Patrol said the rocks did not impede traffic, but a highway crew removed them from the highway for safety.

In Santa Barbara, many telephone calls were received by the police and sheriffÕs officers, but no damage was reported. Some persons said they did not feel the tremor at all. It was also felt by residents in the San Fernando Valley.

The tremor, described as "a quick left, then right," roll from east to west, was registered at 3.5 on the Richter scale of maximum of 10 at the Seismological Laboratory at the University of California at Berkeley. In San Diego it registered as 2 on the same scale, although it was not felt that far down the coast. In Santa Maria, the shock was discovered as light, but at Vandenberg Air Force Base officers reported it was hardly felt at all.

Ventura County Star Free Press, 84th year, no. 281 (Thursday, Oct. 1, 1959).

An earthquake of "mild" proportions struck California last night, centering in the Lompoc - Santa Maria area, but did no serious damage. The quake occurred at 8:36 pm, resulting in broken dishes, ceiling cracks and a number of startled residents. [description of minor landslide on US 101 at Gaviota Pass] The University of California seismograph at Berkeley recorded a shock about 3.5 magnitude centered 210 miles away. The tremor lasted 5 minutes. In Ventura, a few persons reported feeling the quake but it was so mild here that it went almost unnoticed.