Something Good Came from the Inland Empire Earthquakes of 1899 – Daily Bulletin

Mother Nature wasn't very kind to the Inland Empire in 1899.

San Bernardino saw less than half its normal rainfall, 7 1/2 inches, during the 1898-1899 season, while in the first week of September a massive wildfire fueled by Santa Ana winds engulfed the south face of the San Gabriel Mountains.

Two of the strongest earthquakes recorded locally struck in the latter half of 1899. The Christmas Day earthquake (estimated at magnitude 6.7) caused extensive damage in much of the Hemet Valley while the epicenter of the slightly smaller earthquake in July was in the upper part of Little Creek north. Fontana.

But fate made sure that 1899 was not a complete disaster. And from the July 22 earthquake, they have provided a wonderful treasure that is arguably more valuable than gold.

Little Creek north of Fontana was one of the local streams whose flows unexpectedly doubled or more after the July 22, 1899, earthquake. The mid-summer surge came after one of the driest rainy seasons on record. (Photo by Joe Blackstock)

The earthquake produced a lot of shaking (magnitude estimated at 5.7) along the San Andreas Fault zone in the San Gabriels. But it also released a trapped store of water, instantly filling streams along the base of the mountains.

After the earthquake, Little Creek doubled in size. The river flow was then measured in the old Gold Rush unit of measurement, the miner's inch – about 11.2 gallons of water per minute. The depth of Little Creek rose from 252 to 388 inches the day after the quake, and has continued to rise, the Sun reported on July 23.

This may not seem like a big deal today, but this happened long before water reached here through the future Colorado and California River canals. Wells and streams were the only source of water at that time for homes and our growing agricultural industry. This mid-summer surge of water was a saving grace, filling streams that may have been shrinking daily after an extremely dry rainy season.

From Little Creek to San Antonio Creek in the west, every river was full of unpredictable water. The Cucamonga Valley doubled its flow after the quake, while the depth of Day Creek Valley, which serves Etiwanda, rose from 62 inches before the quake to 170 two weeks later.

The increase in San Antonio Canyon wasn't quite as dramatic but was still up about 36 inches, The Sun wrote on July 23. One report estimated that by early August, the unexpected bounty of water in this valley was worth $50,000 to the region, The Sun reported on July 23. Ontario Register.

Most everyone was affected. The drought has caused restrictions for San Bernardino residents, limiting watering of lawns. As the water supply improved, the city's Board of Trustees immediately relaxed its irrigation rules.

At Victor (today's Victorville), its water source was reportedly on the verge of drying up. But miraculously, after the earthquake, the springs that feed the High Desert community are working again.

This wonderful flow of water did not help everyone. Streams east of the San Andreas Fault in the San Bernardino Mountains have seen no change in their flows.

“Yes, earthquakes can cause a change in water flow patterns,” said Brian Lee, general manager of San Antonio Water in Upland. “If a strike-slip fault causes an underground blockage, groundwater seeking the path of least residence could reasonably rush upward, flowing into the creek.”

Lee remembers working in the mountains north of Santa Cruz at the time of the devastating 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. There, a spring simply dried up after the quake and began flowing in an entirely new location.

This marked increase in water continued locally at least until fall and the beginning of the next rainy season.

Although there is an urgent need to improve water sources, the July 22 earthquake was not an entirely positive event. A miner, HLWheeler, was reported killed in an earthquake-triggered landslide in San Antonio Canyon. In San Bernardino, there were a few damaged buildings but fortunately few casualties.

“In the Hall of Records,” The Sun wrote on July 22, 1899, “the occupants of the upper floor took to the streets like dice out of a box, all seventy-six. But they were happy to get out and look up. To see if the towers are still in place.

All this madness led some to believe they could make a few bucks after the earthquake. The Sun reported on July 25 that Shaker gave many gold miners a reason to head to the local mountains.

Little Creek north of Fontana was one of the local streams whose flows unexpectedly doubled or more after the July 22, 1899, earthquake. The mid-summer surge came after one of the driest rainy seasons on record. (Photo by Joe Blackstock)

After hearing that the canyons had witnessed numerous landslides, “the miners and prospectors immediately told them that valuable finds were to be made for research,” the newspaper said. “The miners agree that if there were rich ledges on that mountain, they would very likely be discovered in such a disturbance.”

Despite the abundance of water and the outbreak of gold fever, it seems that not everyone reacted to all the vibrations. Some missed it completely.

When the quake struck, “the Arrowhead Club rooms were evacuated in a split second, except for the four players who had intended to continue the match and were surprised an hour after they had been told of the quake,” The Sun wrote on its website. July 22.

Date day

A fun educational experience will be held April 13 on Inland Empire History Day at the 1918 Santa Fe Railroad Depot, 1170 W. Third St., San Bernardino.

Read more: The history of the Inland Empire will soon be celebrated at the Santa Fe Depot in San Bernardino

The free event, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., will include information about the historic station as well as exhibits from local historical societies. The Railroad Museum will open to take a look at San Bernardino's history.

There will be meet-and-greets with local authors, pioneering craft demonstrations, gold panning and live music by the Riley Mountaineers.

Joe Blackstock writes about the history of the Inland Empire. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @JoeBlackstock. Check out some of our past Inland Empire Stories columns on Facebook at www.facebook.com/IEHistory.

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