From the archives: A devastating earthquake struck Long Beach 90 years ago

Ninety years ago, a deadly earthquake struck Southern California on March 10, 1933. Named after the hardest-hit city, the Long Beach earthquake, a 6.4-magnitude earthquake killed about 120 people and caused massive damage in the Los Angeles area.

In San Diego, the shockwave at 5:55 p.m. sent many fleeing buildings into the open, but no deaths or damage were recorded. The next day, the union flew a reporter and photographer to Long Beach to redo this eyewitness report.

From the San Diego Union, Sunday, March 12, 1933:

the Federation plane flies into a turbulent city; Find a lot of damage

An eyewitness account of the devastation left by the Long Beach earthquake, written by William J. Case, on Page Four of the San Diego Union, Sunday, March 12, 1933.

(San Diego Union)

Tragedy stops the threads falling as shocks continue

Editor’s note: Through courtesy of T. Claude Ryan of the Ryan School of Aeronautics, who provided a plane, yesterday Etihad was able to send one of its reporters and a photographer to the quake-hit area of ​​Long Beach. John Fornairo piloted the plane through fog and other adverse weather conditions. Here is the story brought back by the reporter. The pictures will be found in another part of the newspaper.”

Written by William J. Case

Burnt, torn and twisted Friday night, Long Beach was one of Southern California’s finest, just a ghost of the city it was before Friday night’s earthquake. And yesterday, as the residents of the stricken city, trying to pull themselves out of the ruins, tried to control themselves, new ground shocks destroyed the buildings in the city center, many of them already in ruins. It was anything but a beautiful sight.

Two full pages of photos taken by staff photographer Tim Childs in the aftermath of the Long Beach earthquake have been published at the San Diego Union, Sunday, March 12, 1933.

(San Diego Union)

Long Beach experienced nothing but sunny skies yesterday morning. A thick fog was overhead, and the murky weather was in keeping with the death-stricken city. The plane in which this writer and Tim Childs, Team Union photographer, rode, piloted by John Fornairo of the Ryan School of Aeronautics here, flew over Long Beach, or what’s left of it, just before 7 a.m. Landing cannot be done. But Fornairo boldly took the plane under cover of mist—and a picture as bleak as one could imagine stretched out beneath it.

Every brick or concrete building seems to have been slapped by the great curvature of the earth. In the streets thousands of people were running like ants. Anaheim Street, five miles long; Pine Street, Ocean Street, Third Street, American Avenue, and countless other streets seemed strewn with bricks and broken glass.

A sailor guard stopped him

Fornasero swept touchdowns at Long Beach Municipal Airport. A car has been taken to town. But it was a slow and tedious journey. At Third and Pine Streets, the car had to stop. American stern face jacket refused to let cars through after that point. Finally he was persuaded to allow passage on foot to the ill-fated downtown area. But before this point was reached, there was sufficient evidence of the disaster. Besides glass, the streets were covered with water from broken pipes. The schools in the neighborhood were a twisted collective wreck. Families had taken up residence on the front lawns. Some were stretched out on mattresses, trying to sleep. Children were crying with their miserable mothers trying to silence them… A slow clatter was heard, then a shaking. Long Beach suffered another earthquake. From a building across the street, many bricks, already loosened, were smashed onto the sidewalk. In the distance, the wailing howls of the police or fire department could be heard.

Two full pages of photos taken by staff photographer Tim Childs in the aftermath of the Long Beach earthquake are published in San Diego Union, Sunday, March 12, 1933.

(San Diego Union)

Uptown, in Long Beach’s business district, entire storefronts collapsed. Others were toppled forward, crumbling bricks literally tumbling under cars, mashing them as if they were tin cans. Everywhere there was glass. Factions of men were in one of the buildings trying to bulldoze it into the gutter.

Slices like cake

One of the buildings – the Tuttle Apartments – appeared as if someone had just cut off the front of the building like a piece of cake. Full cross-sections of the flats are shown. Several bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens, and bathrooms were exposed just as they were when the first quake struck at 5:55 p.m., and one in particular showed the dining room set up for dinner. Perhaps she was a hardworking housewife in the process of preparing a meal. Elsewhere was a carefully arranged bed half balanced on the wrecked building, with the other half sprawling out onto the street. These weren’t the only residential homes that were torn in half. There were countless others. Many are seen in almost every building.

The blue vests forced everyone to walk in the middle of the street, fearing falling debris. But the crowds in the street often had to give way to a noisy ambulance or a special machine pressed into service, and let loose in the street, to hasten some unfortunate soul to Long Beach Hospital, also hit by the quake. On every side, all the while, sirens were sounding.

Join men and women

It was not uncommon to see men and women with their heads or hands bandaged – mute evidence of disaster. But it was an organized crowd. Everyone seemed eager to help the other fellow. It was often like the blind leading the blind. All in all, it seemed to be a well-meaning and understanding crowd; The question was who suffered the most. Misery loves company.

All restaurants and cafes are closed. There is no gas or electricity. Men and women from all walks of life shared what little they had. Anyone in some department was lucky to get a slice of bread. Sandwich was a thing of luxury.

But Lincoln Park, located directly on the oceanfront and across the street from City Hall, has been transformed into a haven for all, regardless of creed or color. The Salvation Army set up a kitchen – sandwiches, coffee and milk were given to children for free. Something of a bitter cold came upon the party as the men and women, many of them weary of their feet and weary from a wild and disastrous night, took their place in the line to receive whatever was passed to them for good luck.

Coffee in the washbasins

In the crowd at Lincoln park Adj. HB Collier of San Diego Salvation Army’s unit was busy. Collier has had similar experiences before. For several years he was abroad in the world war. He knew how to handle such a situation and was doing a noble job. Over log fires, Collier would brew coffee in more than a dozen washbasins.

One of the towers of Lincoln Park is Fire Station No. 1, whose facade collapsed, killing three firefighters. The entrance to the building is blocked with bricks and plaster. Outside, however, firefighting equipment was parked, ready for any emergency.

Still another building down the street is the telegraph office. Before a crowd of more than 1,000 swept through, all clamoring for messages to be sent to loved ones in other parts of the country, telling them they were safe. The telegraph company has already moved its office to the street. Several offices have been set up at a safe distance from the platform. Thousands of letters were accepted, though for the most part they were sent by motor vehicle to nearby communities for transmission.

In the case of shop buildings which had their facades torn off or collapsed, no effort was made to take care of the place. They have been given up, at least temporarily. Glass windows shattered, leaving a gaping hole in the building. But there was no looting. Sailors, Marines, American Legion, and hundreds of private officers, all armed, have done just that. These stores and their stocks were as safe as they were with locks and keys.

Even drivers are subject to the law

Traffic boomed up and down the streets where machines were allowed. At some intersections, traffic lights were working. But whether there were signs or not, all motorists obeyed the law. It seemed like everyone was trying to get to the same place at the same time. But they did it in an organized way.

Stories of tragedy were heard from all sides like snowflakes falling. They were all pretty much the same. Pictorial accounts of heroism mingled with them, too—how brave mothers refused to leave crumbling, crumbling buildings until they took their babies with them, and how others rushed nonchalantly into falling and shaking structures to pull out their loved ones.

Perhaps one of the most tragic stories we’ve heard was that of a woman who madly ran from a falling apartment building to save her life, only to run into the path of a car and be killed instantly. Falling buildings also hit the eaves and more were killed.

Many of the buildings that did not collapse bore huge cracks ranging from an inch to more than a foot wide. In Pine Street a brave soul was seen piling on fallen bricks. He puts them in a neat heap – and then another earthquake occurs, and his efforts are in vain.

Flat tombstones

Another sad scene was at the coastal cemetery on the outskirts of town. Hardly a standing tombstone remains.

Evidence of the fire was seen on Friday night. But from all sides, I heard words of praise for the Long Beach Fire Department for the efficient manner in which they successfully suppressed the fires before they got any appreciable headway. Otherwise it might be another San Francisco. For some time, there were fires that threatened Signal Hill, the Long Beach oil field area. However, these fires were brought under control and put out. It was not determined if any of the wells were damaged. Some large petrol storage tanks leaked, as did several petrol pipelines. They were delivered right away.

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