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Reported To Be Most Severe At Fort; No Damage
Helena was again visited by one of its occasional tremors last evening when an earthquake of several seconds' duration gave the city a jar at 7:47 o'clock. It was reported as being the most severe at the Fort Harrison veterans' hospital.
No damage was reported, although several phone calls at The Independent last night were to the effect that a flimsy brick wall on State street was toppled over. Workmen, it was said, were in the process of wrecking an old building there, and the "shaker" merely lessened their labors.
Since June 28, 1928, when two distinct earthquakes of long duration rocked Helena, several have occurred. None, however, have been as serious as those of seven years ago, when the earth was split wide open near Three Forks, great rocks were hurled on the Northern Pacific tracks near Lombard, holding up trains for hours, and several buildings both here and in the Three Forks area were slightly damaged.
There was also a report of an earthquake at about 9 o'clock last night, but this could not be substantiated. Usually after one of the "rockers," Helena people feel earthquakes for a week or so afterward.
Less than a minute after the quake last night The Independent was showered with hundreds of phone calls from all parts of the city.
"Was that an earthquake, or haven't you had a report on it?" was one of the questions fired.
"Do you expect there will be any more?" was another.
"I never heard an earthquake sound like that before," was the comment of one quake witness.
"Any report of an earthquake in San Francisco?" an elderly voice queried, apparently believing that Frisco is the distributing point for all quakes in the country.
After the shock the streets in the residence sections were filled with people, wondering what it was all about. Veterans of Helena's many quakes, however, did not appear to be alarmed at the wrist slap dealt out by Mother Earth last night.
[Helena Independent; October 4, 1935]
Much Loss
Shock Is Felt Through State Over Wide Territory
Reports at the weather bureau indicated that the tremors occurred as follows: 12:51, 12:54, 12:55, 1:04, 1:07, 1:20; eight from 1:20 to 1:38, 2:06, 2:10, 2:11, 2:25 and 2:33.
Helena was rocked early this morning by what
was described officially as the worst earthquake in the
history of the city. The first and most severe quake
occurred at 12:50 a.m. and was followed by a score of
lesser violence.
While damage was very severe and widespread
throughout the city, and may run into many
thousands of dollars, it was chiefly limited to cracked
walls, shaken down chimneys and plaster, broken
windows and similar items. Nobody was hurt.
The damage was especially severe at Fort
Harrison, where the shock may have centered. A
number of the buildings at the veterans' hospital were
badly cracked.
The shocks drove thousands of people into the
streets in their night clothes and alarm was general.
Few persons in the city went to bed before daylight.
Reports from the outside indicated that the
shocks were felt generally over this section of the
state. They were quite severe in Great Falls and Butte
and one report stated that light tremors were felt in
Dillon.
At 2:10 a.m. the United States weather bureau had recorded 11 distinct and separate quakes, all apparently traveling from a south to north direction. The first major tremor at 12:51 lasted from six to seven seconds while the second shock at 1:32 a.m. terminated in a second.
Soon after the initial tremor, Main street became alive with crowds of quickly dressed hotel residents who were awakened by the sudden, violent shock. In the Placer hotel a number of dressers and other fixtures were knocked down and people ran from their rooms clad in their night clothes and whatever else they could snatch to cover their bodies.
Policemen were busy and patrolled the streets. Many reports of property damage were made at police headquarters, particularly relative to fallen chimneys, broken windows, and store goods knocked from the shelves. Stock in the Heiser & Finnegan store on South Main street was dislodged while similar damage was reported from the Brackman store in the Northern Pacific district.
The first of the shocks was hair-raising and breath-taking. Brick walls in the Independent building weaved noticeably and bulged until it seemed they would burst out. Windows rattled as in an explosion and many were broken in Helena and East Helena.
Less severe, but still decidedly sharp quakes, followed at 12:54, 12:55, 1:04, 1:07, 1:27 and 1:35 a.m. A number of slight ones, felt only in parts of the city occurred between these times and up to 2:10 a.m.
The earthquake precipitated a flood of telephone calls which swamped the local exchange as subscribers sought desperately to reach friends and relatives in this city and outside calls. Ten extra operators were summoned to duty and were hard pressed to handle the unprecedented load.
At East Helena, it was reported that two front windows of the Richardson Drug store were broken and a large quantity of stock shaken from the shelves. Five sections of the plate glass windows of the Fiatow Mercantile company were broken and an unestimated amount of damage was done to the stock. Similar damage was believed to have been done throughout the town.
At 924 Eleventh avenue, a brick apartment dwelling, cracks appeared in the walls wide enough to thrust two hands through, one of the tenants reported. Calls from almost every section of the city reported chimneys entirely or partially toppled over, pictures and plaster shaken down, furniture overturned, dishes broken and similar damage.
Virtually every building at the veteran's hospital at Fort Harrison was cracked and a great number of chimneys were knocked down. Hospital officials were able to maintain some semblance of order although many of the inmates, fearful of the violent quakes, left their beds and ran to the campus.
No estimate of the damage could be ascertained although hospital officials said that nearly every building was cracked, including the administration offices. Although the tremors were exceptionally violent at Fort Harrison, no one was injured and order was maintained. Similar shocks were felt through the Kenwood district.
The state capital was hit by a series of the tremors but investigation being conducted early this morning failed to reveal any serious damage, although watchmen said that undoubtedly some would be uncovered later.
The home of Albert W. Smith, 828 Sixth avenue suffered considerable damage from the quake. A window casing in the kitchen of the brick structure was jarred several inches out of position and plaster was torn from the walls in several places. A cracked wall and several pieces of broken glassware as well as bricks knocked from the chimney was recorded at the Gaskill home next door, while other homes on both sides reported little or no damage.
Windows of the East Side grocery store at the corner of Davis and Broadway were broken and canned goods were thrown from the shelves. Considerable damage took place at the Eleanor apartments on Broadway and many of the occupants were awakened by plaster falling over their beds. Pictures, cooking utensils and other movable objects were strewn over the rooms and apartments.
One of the quakes twisted the roof of a home near the intersection of Harrison and Floweree avenues, and much damage was reported as the walls cracked and the tile flooring in the bathroom faulted like a miniature earthquake itself.
The quake was felt more severely in The Independent building than the quake of 1925. Plaster fell from the ceiling in the composing room and matrices were jolted out of the machines.
A number of chimneys fell in the vicinity of Thirteenth and Warren and others will have to come down.
Excited and fearful of more serious disturbances, thousands of residents milled through the streets slightly clad most of the night. Many got in their cars and drove out of the city to be on the safe side. Hundreds huddled in groups in the middle of the streets in many sections of the city waiting for the next and perhaps worst shock to occur.
A woman from the valley called The Independent and said "everything was tumbling around the valley" and that she "just knew it couldn't be tumble weeds." Another woman, a subscriber to the paper, called after the fifteenth shock and wanted her paper sent to a different address. She was informed the subscription department was closed until after things settled down.
All was comparatively quiet at 3 a.m.
So far as could be learned no damage was caused.
The shocks continued for half a minute.
Denver, Oct. 12,--(Saturday)--(AP)--Father
William Armand Forstall, Regis college observer,
said the college seismograph recorded an earthquake at
12:57 to 1 o'clock this morning, apparently centered
in Montana.
The machine indicated a likelihood the damage
would be slight.
[Helena Independent; October 12, 1935]
Total High
Fear Lasts For Hours As Vibrations Continue
After nearly 24 hours of feverish excitement and tense waiting for a possible recurrence of the earthquake that rocked the city early Saturday morning, Helena drew a deep breath of relief and settled down to a state of comparative calm.
At 1 o'clock this morning more than six hours had passed without a tremor being recorded officially.
As the tenseness wore off the situation yesterday, the city began to take stock of the damage done and a preliminary check placed the loss at $50,000 or more. Damage unapparent at the present time may raise this total considerably, it was stated.
Only one severe shock, the first one, occurred, although the weather bureau instruments showed 31 separate tremors and vibrations from 12:51 a.m. Saturday morning to 6:48 p.m. last evening, when the last was recorded. Only a half a dozen of these were of sufficient intensity to be regarded as sharp shocks.
The greatest hazard was in damaged chimneys and flues and all property owners are urged to check these carefully, since hidden cracks or ruptures may lead to serious fires or explosions.
The city was generally in a great state of confusion for hours after the initial devastating shock. Many persons did not go to bed at all, or slept in their cars outside of town. Others milled around the streets until driven in by a steady rainfall that started about 4 o'clock in the morning.
Radio reports that additional and more severe shocks were predicted during the afternoon and evening served to keep the city in an uproar during the day and well into the night until the falsity of these rumors were demonstrated by the failure of the predictions to come true.
W. E. Maughan, meteorologist at the Helena weather bureau, branded as false a rumor that he had predicted shocks at 2, 4 and 7 o'clock. Although shocks were felt at approximately those hours, the official said he would not claim any credit, and explained that the weather bureau would not claim any credit, and explained that the weather bureau never makes such a forecast. He asserted no one could predict an earthquake.
Opening walls in all parts of the city indicated the roll was from north to south.
Centered apparently close to Helena, the main temblor was also felt in north central and south central Montana cities. No damage was reported from points other than in the Helena vicinity.
At the first main jar, people poured out of their homes in night dress. Scantily clad hotel patrons rushed onto Main street, too, for no reason other than to get out from under.
Kept by successive shocks, they dressed and rode about in automobiles or stood on the streets, swapping experiences. A few gave in to hysteria and physicians were called. Nerves were drawn as one quiver followed another.
Despite the tensity and alarm of the early morning hours, there was a strain of comedy running throughout.
Police patrolled the city and reported they were amazed at the gaudy night attire the Capital city residents were displaying as they stood in groups and talked nervously. A resident of the city's older section, the south end, said "white men turned black and black men turned white."
The signal board in the telephone office lighted up almost as a unit after the opening rumble. Communication was choked for a few minutes but extra operators were called to handle the crush.
Some dogs barked joyously at the proceedings of mother earth, but others howled in fear. Turkeys in the Helena valley floundered about in the attempt to get off the wavering ground and confusion reigned in henhouses.
The Shrine temple, Consistory temple and Masonic temple were not damaged by the shaker. It was anticipated that the hundreds of dishes stored in the basement at the Consistory would be broken, but a check revealed that they weathered the quake better than some of the chimneys in the city. Downtown buildings escaped with little or no damage, although at the A. A. garage, at the head of Main street, a crack appeared in the front outside wall that was several feet in length.
According to statements made yesterday by the pastors of several local churches, those structures weathered Saturday night's tremors with slight damage.
Excepting a small patch of plaster in St. Paul's Methodist Episcopal church, that building, St. Peter's pro-cathedral, the First Presbyterian church and the First Christian church were unscathed.
Portions of plaster were loosened in St. John's Lutheran church and the First Lutheran church, but no serious damage was done to the structures.
The quakes were beneficial to the First Baptist church, inasmuch as they partially dislodged a chimney on that building which was scheduled to be replaced. "If we get another quake," said Harvey Baty, pastor of the church, "we may be saved the trouble of tearing the chimney down.
Following the initial shock students fled their rooms to the campus, some remaining until early in the morning when rain drove them back in. Although instructed by their coach "to turn in and get a good night's sleep," the members of the college football squad had anything but that. They, with others, left their rooms in Mills hall after the first violent crack of the quake.
Damages at Fort Harrison, estimated at approximately $1,000, was confined largely to fallen chimneys, cracks in plaster and tiling, and other minor losses, according to Dr. Herbert C. Watts, the manager. There was, however, little structural damage done. Dr. Watts praised the courage of the patients at the Veterans' hospital, who were severely shaken by the tremors. Most of the patients remained in their beds but some insisted on going outside.
There was little damage at the State Nursery and Seed company, in the same locality, and while a number of the glass windows were cracked, none were broken. Several steel wires holding the greenhouses together snapped with the quake but the houses remained intact. The state capitol also escaped damage and a thorough investigation conducted by the custodian failed to reveal injury to any of its contents.
While canned goods, jams and jellies in many cellars suffered from the quake, hard liquor kept up a sturdy front, and with the exception of the East Helena liquor control store, there was no damage done to liquor stocks. Officials at the state warehouse said there were no broken bottles there, while the same was true in the Helena store.
In the neighborhood of the 1200 block on several East side avenues, chimneys were dislodged, wall plaster was cracked, some falling from walls and ceilings, windows and dishes were broken and gas and water pipes were sprung, causing leaks. No water mains were broken by the shocks, however, and the supply reservoirs were undamaged.
According to statements made yesterday by many people whose dwellings were severely strained or cracked by the upheavals, there will be a number of beds which will not be mussed up this morning, due to their occupants spending last night in seemingly safer abodes.
In some instances loss was confined to jars of preserves knocked from shelves, broken dishes, shattered mirrors, injured furniture, broken windows and other minor damage. Many property owners will have to replace loosened or shaken down plaster. Probably 50 or more chimneys will have to be entirely or partially rebuilt and numerous walls will have to be repaired and strengthened.
A number of Helena drug and grocery stores suffered considerable loss when bottled merchandise was dislodged from the shelves and sent crashing to the floor. The drug stores suffered especially in this fashion.
[Helena Independent; October 13, 1935]
Up To Midnight None Had Occurred For Over 5 Hours
Up until midnight last night a total of 31 tremors, most of which were slight, were recorded at the Helena weather bureau. The last one was at 6:48 last evening, with an interval of more than five hours up to midnight elapsed without signs of another.
The longest interval during the day was from 11:25 yesterday morning until 2:47 yesterday afternoon, when 3 hours and 22 minutes passed without a quake. The quakes were most frequent between 1:20 yesterday morning and 1:38, when eight were felt over the 18-minute period.
The following tabulation shows the time of the quakes yesterday, and the time elapsed between shakes:
Time Interval
1st -- 12:51 a.m. . . . . .
2nd -- 12:54 3 min.
3rd -- 12:55 1 min.
4th -- 1:04 9 min.
5th -- 1:07 3 min.
6th -- 1:20 13 min.
7th-14th -- 1:20 to 1:38
15th -- 2:06 28 min.
16th -- 2:10 4 min.
17th -- 2:11 1 min.
18th -- 2:25 14 min.
19th -- 2:33 8 min.
20th -- 2:33.15 15 sec.
21st -- 2:51 7:45 min.
22nd -- 4:26 1:38 hrs.
23rd -- 4:29.15 3:30 min.
24th -- 4:36 6:45 min.
25th -- 5:30 54 min.
26th -- 5:48 18 min.
27th -- 10:57 5:9 hrs.
28th -- 11:25 28 min.
29th -- 2:47 p.m. 3:22 hrs.
30th -- 4:01 1:14 hrs.
31st -- 6:48 2:47 hrs.
[Helena Independent; October 13, 1935]
To avoid explosions, especially in gas furnaces, Helena people are urged to have their chimneys cleaned before the real cold weather comes. Friday night's earthquake possibly shook bricks inside of many chimneys in the city, and experts say that unless they are removed people are risking serious explosions or fires.
Several explosions have been caused by faulty chimneys, or by plugged chimneys, and in several cases it has been found that it was due to bricks falling inside. Explosions can be caused by coal furnaces as well as gas furnaces, and as a word of warning all homeowners are urged to check up on their chimneys within the next few days.
[Helena Independent; October 13, 1935]
Damage done to buildings of Helena school district No. 1 will perhaps cost in the neighborhood of $200 to repair, J. F. McBride, clerk of the district, said last evening. Mr. McBride said that although he made a close check on the damage done he would not be surprised if additional evidences of the quake were revealed after school goes into session Monday.
Bryant school was the hardest hit by the Saturday morning shaker. A fire wall on the west side, 25 feet in length, was toppled over, Mr. McBride said. Some iron grating at the foot of the building was badly bent when it was struck by the shower of bricks from the fire wall.
At the new Helena high school the earthquake left three cracks in the wall of the auditorium, and there were several cracks in the steps leading from the main hall into the auditorium. There were several cracks around the steps at the main entrance, and in the wall on the second floor. In the gymnasium there were two or three cracks in the concrete base for the seats.
At the old high school, now occupied by the works progress administration, one of the tower blocks bounded off the cornice and alighted on the west side of the structure. Mr. McBride estimated that the missile weighed about 800 pounds. Considerable damage was done to the roof of the old building by the bounding boulder that supported the tower. In the northwest corner of the building there was a crack in the ceiling that ran from the rooms on the first floor to the roof. Several windows were broken.
There was one crack in the plaster at the Emerson school, but there was no damage detected at Central, Hawthorne, Broadwater and Jefferson schools or the old gymnasium and the bungalow on the Central school grounds, occupied by the school district offices.
[Helena Independent; October 13, 1935]
Residents of Helena and vicinity whose properties suffered damage from the earthquake early yesterday morning are reminded by Barclay Craighead, state director for the Federal Housing administration, that it is possible to secure a modernization credit loan from the local banks for the purpose of repairing damage done.
Windows, walls, ceilings and chimneys suffered chiefly from the quake and all work necessary in connection with the repair of this destruction is eligible for a loan of this type as insured by the FHA, according to the state director.
It was also explained that not only are the necessary materials eligible but the cost for labor may also be included in the loan which may run from one to five years. The government increases the credit possibilities of prospective borrowers by agreeing to pay 20 per cent of the mass loans of this type in the event the borrower defaults and this insurance is furnished without cost.
[Helena Independent; October 13, 1935]
For the benefit of those old-timers who have been saying that there were no earthquakes in Helena in the early days, Charles N. Kessler produces a page from the fly leaf of his father's ledger, penned the latter part of July, 1874. Nicholas Kessler, founder of the city's brewery, wrote the following: "We have just experienced a very severe earthquake. I think that much damage has been done."
Twenty contractors, here for the highway commission lettings Friday, filed out of the Placer hotel after the big rumble yesterday morning, and spent the remainder of the night in their cars.
Some of the boys were having a celebration in a down-town hotel when the big shaker occurred yesterday morning. "COME ON IN!" hollered one of the merry group, "you don't have to knock the building down."
The 'quake even shook the rain loose from the skies. Following the series of temblors at 3 o'clock yesterday morning, the Helena weather bureau reported that .14 of an inch of precipitation fell in the city over a three-hour period.
At the Masonic Home in Helena valley damage due to the earthquake was slight, Superintendent George W. Todd said yesterday morning. A small amount of plaster was shaken down, but this was not regarded as serious. For a while there was near-panic among the residents of the home, all of whom are elderly people, but in due time they returned to their beds.
Charles Greenfield, Jr., perhaps wins prize for the number of shocks recorded at his home in Helena valley. He reported between 75 and 100, while R. A. Strandberg was a close second with between 30 and 40 detected. The Rodney street gang on the east side ran a poor third with less than 35.
An Intermountain student, awakened out of a sound sleep by the tremor, sat up in his bed and said: "I think I felt an earthquake." His room-mate, whose bed was scooted out into the middle of the floor, replied: "Yeah, I think there's one under my bed too."
Those Helena people who have witnessed earthquakes in California said yesterday that the most devastating ones of recent years in the Sunshine state were no more severe than the one here yesterday morning, but that they were of longer duration. Had the one yesterday lasted for several seconds longer, it is believed that the damage done would have been tremendous.
Two students from the State School of Mines are spending a few days in Helena in an effort to find the center of the disturbance. In due time they expect to find an opening in the earth, perhaps in the vicinity of Helena.
One estimable citizen, well known in official county circles, said: "I am usually a calm man but that first shake unbalanced me so far mentally that I went back in the house when I had recovered sufficiently and opened a quart of 15-year-old whiskey that was a special gift and was being saved for Christmas. When I pull a trick like that you know something happened."
Three babies were ushered into the world at St. John's hospital in time to experience the undescribable sensation of an earthquake shock but all came through the ordeal with colors flying. Patients at the hospitals withstood the experience splendidly although nervousness and strain was apparent. There was no panic, however.
Four or five men will have jobs for the next two or three weeks straightening up the mess at the Holter Hardware company wholesale warehouse. A carload of miscellaneous steel had just been unloaded and stacked on the main floor of the building. When the warehouse was open yesterday, it was found to be scattered to the four winds and it must be untangled and resorted again.
Shortly before the first quake hit the city early
yesterday morning, a big Swede, who had touched the
bowl too often and too deeply, weaved into a down
town bar where over a glass of beer he proclaimed his
strength and fighting ability to the world in general
and the occupants of the bar in particular. When the
tremor rumbled through the bar, every one but "Easy"
made a hurried departure. Thinking they were afraid
of him and in his unstable condition unable to feel
the unstable condition of the world beneath him, he
shouted to the fleeing beer drinkers:
"That's right, run. I can lick all you --'s."
Swaying back and forth he quaffed his beer.
Roadhouses and the like are not particularly
opposed to earthquakes. When the first tremors
started at 12:40 a.m., Saturday, many Helena
residents who otherwise would have enjoyed a quiet
night's sleep, got up, and fearful of returning to bed
visited several of the city's night haunts. The fear
continued throughout the day and far into the night.
"I haven't taken a drink for nine months," one said,
"but here's a go."
[Helena Independent; October 13, 1935]
People in central Montana had a demonstration shortly before 1 o'clock Saturday morning, that the world, or our own earth, was not created in six days, or at least it was not completed, and we have no way of knowing the length of the Biblical day.
Certain it is that our earth is still in the course of formation, and physical events within the last century have given us a graphic demonstration that Nature still has a lot of work to do before the earth we inhabit settles down to become a cooled off and solid mass to meet the thousands of years between the present day and eternity.
If our world, or earth, ever had a beginning, no matter how far back, there is no comparison possible between the time the universe has existed and the eternity that preceded it. No matter how many millions of millions of centuries we may choose to put back the first creation of this earth, it is but as a moment of time compared to eternity.
The earth we inhabit must have been made out of old materials already in existence. We have a place to live, thrown together out of matter that has always existed. The forces of gravity, of growth and decay are constantly rearranging the matter in conformity with such laws.
That is what causes earthquakes. The Bible tells us that in the beginning was "chaos." And what is chaos? It is simply matter in an unformed state. But it is matter; it is something tangible to work with, so the earth was thrown together and formed of this matter which had probably always existed in the universe.
So we are expecting too much to believe that the earth was created and made perfect in six days--even if a day was as a million years. This earth of ours is still being formed; the matter is still being worked over. The earthquake of Saturday morning was the shifting of subterranean materials. The volcanic actions in the South Seas are but efforts of Nature to complete the job of finishing off the earth we inhabit. Islands there appear, and in the course of years they disappear beneath the surface of the ocean. These things have happened again and again during recorded history. The dust storms of two years ago when the surface soil of vast areas was transferred to other areas to make them fertile, are but other attempts of Nature to complete the formation of the speck in the Universe we call our earthly home. Whole civilizations have been blotted out and their former habitats covered with shifting sands and soils.
Geologists and other scientists may quarrel over the causes, but we prefer to believe that our earth is so young that it is still in the process of creation. Materials of which it is made are gradually slipping into place. The earthquakes felt in Montana are comparatively inconsequential. Sometimes they make enough noise and cause enough confusion to call sinners to repentance. The one early Saturday morning was a noisy temblor. Noises of various kinds usually precede, accompany or succeed even a small earthquake of short duration. Some of these seemed to those who heard them to resemble the howling of a storm; the growling of thunder, the clanking and clashing of iron chains, the rumbling of heavy wagons or the shattering of enormous masses of glass. Such noises are transmitted through the ground, the sea or the air.
The consolation which we have through all our little temblors is that only five great earthquakes are known to have occurred in the United States since its first settlement. The first of these was in Massachusetts in 1755. It was fifty-six years before another shock of any proportion was experienced, that in New Madrid, Mo., in 1811. The third was in the Inyo valley in California in 1868; the fourth at Charleston in 1886. It was a bad one and was felt for distances of 1,000 miles from Charleston. The fifth was the San Francisco quake in 1906. It was the worst ever experienced on this continent, destroying San Francisco and Santa Rosa. It claimed 800 lives and $300,000,000 worth of property was lost.
No part of the earth's surface is wholly free from such earthquake vibrations, but destructive temblors have been confined to limited regions. No one need move out of Montana because of the work of Nature in trying to rearrange our geological strata and give us a firmer dominion in which to live for a good many years to come. The earth will reach maturity some time--some far away time creation will be completed so we can live in peace.
[Editorial]
[Helena Independent; October 13, 1935]
Butte, Oct. 13--(AP)--Saturday morning's earthquake had no connection with Montana's disturbance of 1925, and occurred in an area subject to seismic activity, where shocks may occur in the future, nonpredictable as to time and intensity, according to Prof. Harold W. Scott of the Montana School of Mines geology department, he returned today from an investigation trip for the School of Mines.
The state's second recorded destructive earthquake was deep seated, a northwest to southwest fracture, north 30 degree west, in sedimentary rocks of the paleozoic age which deflected in the granite area of the boulder batholith where Helena forms the north end and Butte the south end, the geologist explained.
"Probably no surface cracks were made," Prof. Scott said, "due to its occurrence in the valley east of Helena where the fill of loose material absorbed the shock." He asked that if any surface crack should be discovered near Clasoil, 14 miles southeast of Helena, that it should be reported to the School of Mines.
Geological evidence points to a long period of quiet, during which stresses will accumulate, causing other shocks in the future. Time and intensity of future disturbances cannot be predicted, he said.
To make buildings in Helena and its vicinity earthquake proof, Prof. Scott advised discontinuance of veneer or face brick without bond or ties to fasten it to the back wall; bracing of chimneys with strap iron, and deeper foundations, especially where loose soil is present.
[Helena Independent; October 14, 1935]
Because Helena is in what is termed as a definite earthquake area, Sigvald L. Berg, chief architectural supervisor for the federal housing administration in Montana, is urging that the building codes here be revised with the view of constructing places that are earthquake resistant.
These additional precautions in building, he said, would add little to the cost, and would give occupants a feeling of security. Structures of this type are being erected in California, and other states where earthquakes are known to occur.
Berg lived in California for some time, and while there made an extensive study of earthquake resistant buildings.
[Helena Independent; October 15, 1935]
Continuation Keeping People In Highly Nervous State
Two brief but fairly sharp earth tremors rumbled under Helena yesterday afternoon and added slightly to the $50,000 damage toll resulting from the initial severe quake that disturbed the city early Saturday morning.
The two most distinct quivers came at 2:09 and 2:21 p.m., and another lighter but fairly noticeable movement came about 4 o'clock. Such additional loss as occurred was limited entirely to the extension of damage already caused by the Saturday quake.
Rumble of Trucks
Gaps in cracked walls were widened and extended in some instances and some plaster loosened by the previous shock was shaken down. A few shaky chimneys were further weakened and one or two windows were broken.
Continuance of the vibrations had a large number of the residents in a highly nervous condition last night--ready to jump at the rumble of a truck in the street or a sudden gust of wind and it is believed that a number of the suspected tremors were in reality due to these causes.
Many left town to stay with relatives or friends until the earth under Helena quits its quivering. Others left doors of their homes wide open, to cut down their elapse time to the middle of the street.
Spells of hysteria and nausea were common especially among the women. Some reported a headache at each earth shock, and others experienced twitching leg muscles. Only a few hours of restless sleep each night seemed to be the quota for a number of people.
A steam pipe at Intermountain Union college was broken by one of the sharpest quakes of the afternoon. One class at the college was dismissed when two young women members were affected, one succumbing to hysteria and the other fainting.
Several schools dismissed classes yesterday afternoon. The schools were in the sector of the city where the tremblers seemed to be striking the hardest. More plaster fell at the Bryant school.
The veterans' hospital at Fort Harrison was not greatly affected by the afternoon's display of earth jolts, but officials have marked out areas around cracked chimneys and walls there in which no one is allowed.
A window in Helena's old high school building snapped in the afternoon, and plaster cracked in the auditorium of the city's recently completed PWA high school structure.
[Helena Independent; October 16, 1935]
Among the articles received by Mrs. Elizabeth Goede as wedding gifts, when she was married, was a clock.
It ran well for a short while and then quit. It withstood repeated efforts of jewelers who tried to keep it running. Then it was placed on a closet shelf, where it had stood for 15 years.
After last Friday's quake, Mrs. Goede heard a noise in the closet and upon investigating its source she discovered the clock ticking away in perfect rhythm. It was still running yesterday.
[Helena Independent; October 16, 1935]
Lewis and Clark county settled down pretty well yesterday, with two tremors reported, exactly 12 hours and 45 minutes apart. The first was yesterday morning at 10:37, while the one last night at 11:37 was quite noticeable. This brings to 52 the total number recorded at the Helena weather bureau since early Saturday morning. The fact that the quivers are so far apart indicates that the "earthquake season" is drawing to a conclusion.
[Helena Independent; October 17, 1935]
WHILE PROPERTY LOSS MAY BE OVER MILLION
Many Are Left Without Shelter And City Is For Time Demoralized; East Helena Also Suffers Severe Damage; East Side And Sixth Ward Are Worst Sufferers In Helena
One person was killed, a score or more were injured and property damage estimated at upwards of $1,000,000 was suffered in Helena last night when a devastating earthquake rocked the city at 9:52 o'clock, lasting 10 or 12 seconds. The condition of some of the injured is serious.
Lights and power were down for nearly an hour and communication was paralyzed for nearly that length of time, completely demoralizing the city. Many buildings and homes were partly or entirely demolished and scores were left without shelter.
People climbed into their cars and fled from the city in terror. They took blankets and what few belongings they could gather in a mad rush and prepared to spend the night in their automobiles.
The dead man was Dave Harris, 23, colored, who was buried under several tons of brick when the front wall of an old two-story building on South Main street near the corner of Wood, fell out. Harris was caught in the middle of the street.
East Helena suffered severe damage and a number of buildings were reported collapsed. Several persons were injured and it was indicated that the loss would run high.
Damage was widespread throughout the city, the entire east side and the Sixth ward suffering particularly. Many homes were destroyed or so badly damaged that they will have to be rebuilt.
Besides those confined in the hospitals, many others were given emergency treatment and released or were treated at their homes or doctor's offices.
The fire department moved all apparatus from the fire station in the old city hall building and held it in the streets in readiness for any emergency.
The main business section of the city, however, from Broadway to Helena avenue, escaped with little or no damage. If there was any substantial loss in this district it was not apparent last night.
The new Helena high school building, the Bryant school, Intermountain Union college, the national guard armory and other large buildings suffered heavy loss. The north wall of the Bryant fell out and the other walls were badly cracked. One wall of the high school was said to be badly cracked and the interior was much damaged. The armory was nearly razed.
The terrific, rocking shake last night followed a series of four or five fairly sharp tremors that occurred during the day. These, however, gave no premonition of what was to come.
The earthquake was widely felt over western Montana but there were no reports of damage on the outside.
The westbound transport plane due in Helena early Saturday morning was ordered not to land in the Capital city if the airport was not illuminated. It was a precautionary measure, company officials said. The lights were off and the plane went on to Livingston.
This morning at daybreak E. S. Perry, head of the department of geology at the Montana School of Mines in Butte, and Harold W. Scott, assistant professor of geology, commenced a survey to determine, if possible, the origin of the fault. Dr. Francis Thomson, president of the institution, accompanied the men to Helena.
Receiving stations for the wounded were set up hurriedly in St. Peter's and St. John's hospitals.
Simultaneously a number of persons living in the vicinity appeared and offered their services wherever they might be needed.
Though devoid of lights, persons living nearby sensing the seriousness of the situation, rushed in with lanterns, candles, flashlights and kerosene lanterns.
Emergency apparatus was hastily set up in St. John's operating room to care for the first emergency cases.
Relatives of the injured crowded the hospital halls and nurses and interns rushed about.
Due to the confusion as many hospital patients able to leave their beds fled from the buildings, to be replaced by injured.
Miss Marie Kirwin, Union bank stenographer, hit by debris.
A. B. Jackson, 540 Hillsdale, twisted back when caught under falling porch.
Dorothy Korch, East Helena, broken leg.
Major Sol. Peterson, United States property and disbursing officer, severe head lacerations, badly injured nose and face, caught in collapse of national guard armory as he ran out of doors.
Mrs. Lyman Sperry, Helena, badly injured legs when run down by a car dislodged from its parking place by a tremor, just as she left her own home.
Scores of others with minor injuries were treated in quickly established dressing stations in the corridors and hallways of the two hospitals. At least a score or more patients fled from the two buildings as the second severe tremor struck the city.
Anxious relatives poured into the two buildings as soon as the first wave of hysteria had subsided but those with minor hurts were treated and left hastily.
Helena's new half-million dollar high school suffered great damage when the tremor shook down plaster and tile partitions in the auditorium and leveled the smoke stack. Large cracks appeared in the walls of the buildings with the gymnasium badly shaken.
The Bryant school again bore the brunt of the shock and one of its walls caved it. The National Biscuit company building in the Sixth ward, badly damaged in Helena's first major quake early last Saturday morning, again suffered a severe jolt and the upper two floors tumbled down.
The extreme south end of Main street and its intersecting streets and alleys, housing mostly cheap shacks and historical markers of the gold rush days in Montana, was thrown in utter confusion, augmented by the grim-sight of the bloody victim lying on a pile of bricks slapped across South Main near Wood street intersection.
Part of the Shrine temple, one of the city's most spectacular landmarks, was badly damaged and a 40-foot section of the coping on one of its walls was ripped down. The tower remained intact.
Too much cannot be said of the splendid work done by the telephone company and its courageous staff of girl operators. With anxious persons wishing to contact friends and relatives and with long distance wires buzzing the girls remained at the boards.
"You bet your life we are," she replied.
Among the most serious damage occurred at the U. S. armory building on Warren street off Helena avenue. Col. Erastus Williams made an emergency call for all guardsmen of the Helena company of the national guard to report immediately in uniform. A portion of the company will be used to patrol the armory, where a considerable amount of army equipment is kept, and the remainder is expected to aid local peace officers in protecting Helena property.
Three feet of the coping for a length of about 50 feet fell from the east wall of the Lockey building at Sixth and Allen streets. Considerable damage was reported at the Brown Lumber company where some of the buildings collapsed. The H. Earl Clack station at Helena avenue and Montana avenue was reported almost a total wreck.
While comparatively little property damage was done at Fort Harrison and the morale of the patients was being maintained, an order was issued to evacuate the buildings and shortly before midnight all patients were removed and beds erected on the hospital campus. Those able to go to their homes were allowed to do so. The fire department made a trip to Fort Harrison to help in the supervision of the work, but there were no fires reported in the building.
Hospitals were busy and from 30 to 40 persons were taken to the two institutions, some badly bruised and cut, others in bad nervous condition. Shortly after the violent shock occurred, hundreds of Helena citizens packed into their cars and started for the country. A score or more of minor automobile accidents took place on the highways near the city and several injured persons were taken to hospitals for medical attention.
Although the state capitol was in the path of the quake, little damage was done to the main structure although the offices were not inspected. Considerable plaster fell from the walls of the corridors. Both the liquor warehouse and the Helena retail store sustained liquid losses although of minor extent.
Hayden Simpson, once a trombonist for Sousa and Paul Whiteman, brought his horn into action on Main street in a medley of march tunes. Hotel occupants, standing around in night attire, looked surprised.
Although churches in Helena were badly shaken and perhaps damaged inside, the fallen chimney of the Baptist church was the only external damage done. The interior of the First Lutheran was considerably damaged. Grocery stores, garages, residences and apartment houses received a broadside from the quake and scores suffered broken walls and injured properties.
The front of the Capital hotel on Railroad avenue partially was knocked out. The house and barn of W. C. Thiel in the Helena valley were partially wrecked, the only damage reported last night from the valley.
In the Sixth ward the depot chimney was dislodged but did not fall. Fronts of the entire 1400 block on Railroad avenue were damaged. The residence of Mary Rougle, 1314 Lyndale avenue, was totally wrecked. Although two persons were inside the home at the time they escaped serious injuries.
The front of the Eighth avenue grocery, 423 Eighth avenue, was broken out and the stock widely scattered inside.
The Barker bakery, Rodney and Seventh, the building was almost totally wrecked and an automobile was buried in the brick. General damage took place at the residence of S. A. Fisher, 335 North Rodney, with the front of the building falling with the quake. Brick veneer on the walls of Lehman's apartment store, Sixth avenue, fell to the ground and other damages of minor nature were reported.
At East Helena, store fronts fell to the street, brick-faced walls toppled and building cornices crashed.
The streets in the little town were littered.
Some damage was reported from the American Smelting and Refining company plant, but this could not be checked immediately.
An East Helena girl was injured and taken to a hospital. She was believed to have suffered a broken leg.
The St. Peter's hospital in Helena reported several earthquake victims were brought in.
For a time, about an hour, the doctors worked under the handicap of no lights.
Relatives of the injured were grouped in the halls of the building.
[Helena Independent; October 19, 1935]
Homes Demolished And Business Houses Suffer
Helena's Sixth ward received the brunt of last night's quake, many homes in that section being completely demolished, and many of the store buildings being badly shattered. Only a few people received even minor bruises.
The National Biscuit company's warehouse on Boulder avenue had the rear wall shaken out and the roof settled down, crashing through the structure in many places.
Nearly every plate glass window is broken out of the buildings on Helena avenue.
Those suffering the worst damage are Brackman grocery, Gordon Mercantile, Depot drug store, Larson apartments, Curt's grocery store, Montana Meat company.
An apartment house at 1601 Lyndale had one whole side torn off. All of the occupants escaped injury.
Two brick houses belonging to Anne Warland were completely shaken down.
Both ends of the Bryant school crumbled and the walls were barely hanging together.
The old Northern Pacific land office suffered heavily, the roof and two walls being shaken down.
The Nash Finch wholesale grocery company's office had the rear end torn out.
The Christie Transfer company's warehouse was badly shattered, and practically demolished.
The Purdee home at 1725 Boulder was crumbled but the occupants escaped with minor scratches.
The E. R. Burgan home at 1331 Lyndale is a complete wreck.
The H. Earl Clack garage on Helena avenue had its walls shaken out but the roof still stood on its supports, although it was badly sagging. A number of cars in the garage were badly battered.
Carroll college escaped severe injury as the quake shook the structure. One window cornice was dislodged and fell to the ground but the interior was practically unhurt.
[Helena Independent; October 19, 1935]
By T. M. Metzger
When the sixtieth earthquake to rock the Helena area in a span of seven days struck with a vicious force tonight, a city grown sleepless after nights of uncertainty suddenly verged into hysteria.
Striking with a terrifying suddenness when the less easily disturbed were preparing to try for at least a cat nap after other earlier but mere rattling shakes had hit the city, Helena folk, perhaps unwisely, ran to the streets.
In my district in the western hill section children and their elders screamed and cried with fright as the almost deafening rumble swayed and rolled the city. Though the tremor lasted perhaps ten, perhaps fifteen seconds, it seemed an eternity.
Near my home the crash of crumpled plate glass punctuated the cries of the hysterical.
Those remindful of the appalling California disaster could be heard cautioning others to remain away from doorways; to stay inside and take their chances with the swelling, rolling earth.
Others less cautious and careful, those who dashed at the first booming crash, were caught in the falling cornices and debris but luckily fate was with most of them.
In another second, it seemed, persons cautiously lighted matches, groping their way about in residence yards, down terraces and over fences. Little harried groups gathered quickly in the middle of the street and multi-family conferences were many.
Throughout it all, after the first wave of hysteria had subsided, here was a stoic determination to not become frightened. One family whose yard I visited had handed candles to each member of the clan posted on the front door step, there to stay, they said, for had not previous quakes rocked their home.
Youngsters were hastily wrapped in blankets for in the confusion clothes closets were darkened. Some early retirers dashed into the chill of the early night meagerly clad and their teeth chattering with the weather plus the attendant fright.
Several times after the first quake the lights bobbed on but only for a moment. Those more adventurous clambered wearily and cautiously into homes in that short interim only to dash hastily out as the lights dimmed and finally faded out again as another roller shook the city.
Downtown confusion was even more intense. From the theaters poured the early audience, not orderly, for none could expect complete calm in such a hectic moment. Ushers stood their guard and though some fainted from fright and the rush for exits, none was believed badly hurt.
[Helena Independent; October 19, 1935]
But Tremors Are Not Severe
Missoula, Oct 18--(AP)--Missoula people were badly frightened tonight about 9:48 o'clock when two violent earth shocks shook the city from one end to the other.
Two distinct shocks were felt within a period of about 30 seconds. No damage was reported.
Butte, Oct. 18--(AP)--Butte felt a fairly severe earthquake lasting about 30 seconds at 9:50 o'clock tonight.
The first shock, felt here at about 8:54 p.m. (P.S.T.) knocked the stylus from the recording sheet, but the shocks were continuing after it was repaired four minutes later.
Luger said it was the severest quake recorded here since the 1925 earthquake in the northwest. Minor shocks continued for 25 minutes.
Many persons ran excitedly from apartment houses in Spokane as pictures on the walls and light fixtures swayed. Windows rattled and chairs were moved.
Moscow, Idaho, reported three or four distinct shocks.
[Helena Independent; October 19, 1935]
* * * * * * * * *
Sick Man Takes French Leave Of Hospital
Ether anaesthetic and earth agitation do not mix. At least that is the opinion of the attendants at St. Peter's hospital after a man who had been operated upon two hours before took a hasty departure through a rear screen porch.
When the quake struck, a Mr. Green, residing at 1023 Ninth avenue, decided that he would start moving as well as the walls. Two hours before he had been operated upon for blood poisoning in his hand. Disregarding the door in the screen around the porch, Green "made a new door" in the direct line of his flight.
Some time later he was found on his hands and knees and clad only in his night gown by M. C. Hazzard, secretary of the Lewis and Clark chapter of the Red Cross in front of the Nolan residence on Lawrence street. He had managed to make about a block's distance.
Mr. Hazzard took Green to his residence only to find that the rest of the family had departed for the country. Neighbors induced Green to return to the hospital. On arrival there he requested that he be taken to the rear of the building as he insisted entering the hospital the way he left. Which he did, crawling back through the hole he made in the screen on his departure.
[Helena Independent; October 19, 1935]
BUSINESS AT STANDSTILL AND GATHERING FORBIDDEN
It May Be A Week Before Authorities Allow Resumption Of Normalcy; Damage In City Conservatively Put At Two Millions But Business District Stands Up Well
Helena was almost deserted today as its residents, many frantic from the devastating quakes of the last few hours, are leaving the city for other points in the state until the earthquake tremors subside. Business was at a standstill Saturday with almost every establishment in the city closed.
Following a conference with city officials, State Fire Marshal Arthur C. Parsons issued an order that all public gatherings of any nature would be banned until further notice. By virtue of the ultimatum, restaurants, beer parlors, schools, churches, stores and other places where gatherings took place were closed. It may be tomorrow, it may be a week or more, before the state fire marshal and city officials allow Helena to resume its customary course.
Helena looked over its disaster today and counted damages conservatively placed at $2,500,000. While the business district stood up under the shock of the tremors, as a precautionary measure it was roped off by order of city officials and all traffic was barred. Pedestrians were warned to keep away from high buildings.
A special meeting of the city council was held Saturday and a state of emergency declared, by virtue of which City Engineer Oscar Baarson was given full authority in the condemnation of Helena buildings constituting potential damage hazards.
The national guard was called out at 8 o'clock Saturday evening to help officers patrol the city. Thirty-five were on duty at a time. Most of these were stationed through the downtown district, while two trucks patrolled the east and west sides of the city. They were continued on duty as long as required.
Crumbling walls and flying debris brought serious or painful injury to at least nine people, death to two and minor cuts and bruises to many more, a check of Helena's hospitals revealed.
The dead are Dave Harris, 23, a negro, and Charles Siggelink, a cook at the federal transient camp. Harris was mutilated from the first violent quake Friday night, when a two-story brick building collapsed on South Main street, pinning the victim under several tons of brick. Siggelink died yesterday morning at 7 o'clock at St. Peter's hospital of injuries received when a transient camp building crumbled.
Those at St. Peter's hospital were Louis Bergher, address unknown, severe head lacerations suffered while standing near the Montana hotel; Mrs. Dana Sorrick, 1630 East Lyndale avenue, cook at the Northern Pacific depot, fractured arm; Major Sol Peterson, lacerated and bruised when caught by the collapse of the national guard armory; Mrs. S. W. Koich and daughter, Dorothy, East Helena, latter suffering a broken leg.
But two patients remained at St. John's hospital. They were: Miss Marie Kirwin, stenographer at the Union bank, injured when struck by falling debris as she left her apartment back of St. John's hospital; and Miss Julia Patten, teacher at St. Vincent's academy, struck by flying debris.
Miss Irene Tuck, 836 North Jackson street, also received serious scalp wounds Friday night when she was struck by a falling brick. She was treated at the hospital and later was allowed to remove to her home. Miss Tuck is a telephone operator.
Others taken to the hospital Friday night were released yesterday and today after their injuries were treated. Hospital attendants said that only the names of cases serious enough to remain there under care were taken and the identity of those treated for minor cuts and bruises was not learned. Patients bore the temblors with fortitude, attaches reported. Those able to leave the hospitals did so and their places were taken by the more seriously hurt. Neither of the hospitals was badly damaged.
While no report has been issued by geologists from the Montana School of Mines in Butte, who are conducting a survey in the Helena area to locate the origin of the fault, cracks 150 feet long, two or three inches wide and three feet deep were opened near the Stanchfield gun club grounds in the Helena valley, W. E. Maughan, meteorologist at the Helena weather bureau, reported yesterday afternoon. The cracks, he said, indicate that there was terrific pressure on the earth at that point but they do not go down to rock formations to indicate whether or not the fault there has settled.
"After thoroughly surveying the damage done by Friday night's earthquake here, I deem it a miracle that scores of people were not killed," said Walter Beck, assistant Montana highway patrol chief. Every section of the city suffered severely, Mr. Beck said, particularly the east side and sixth ward, where many homes and business houses were literally shaken to the ground.
With dire straights confronting some and terror still seizing many, Monsignor Victor Day of the Catholic diocese of St. Helena, issued a call to his parish leaders to add to the mass the prayer, "Tempora, Terranemotus," or relief from the earthquakes.
As the growling continued the situation retained now and then a bit of humor such as that found in the case of Zebulon Melhorn, cafe proprietor, who after laboring ceaselessly for hours to feed the many, determined to lock up and call it a day only to find the place had not been bolted in 28 years and no key was available to turn the lock.
A more minute survey of the property losses suffered disclosed many cracks and twists uncovered until daylight ended the night of that. At the county hospital in the valley it was found desirable to evacuate all patients and abandon the building. This was done with no delay.
In the same region at the Deaconess school for children the structure was found cracked from top to bottom and in a dangerous condition.
In the Northern Pacific railroad yards in the epicenter of the quakes vast losses were sustained in shattered warehouses and freight buildings and a wrecked section of a huge roundhouse. School building losses were estimated at from $150,000 to $300,000 with one building a total wreck.
The East Helena plant of the American Smelting and Refining company suffered to the extent of between $5,000 and $10,000.
Though Helena generally was ready to accept what might come, many were making an exodus to ranches, resorts, and to other Montana cities and railroads reported the heaviest day's outgoing passenger business in months.
Townsend yesterday extended a neighborly hand to Helena and persons rendered homeless by the devastating tremors are invited to Townsend, where places will be provided for them, according to announcement made by Frank McCarthy, secretary of the chamber of commerce there.
Persons wishing to take advantage of the friendly move on the part of Townsend people should get in touch with Mr. McCarthy there.
[Helena Independent; October 20, 1935]
Total Of 190 Are Felt Since The Big One On Friday Nite
The temblor at 12:26 today was the 249th to be recorded at the Helena weather bureau a week ago yesterday morning when the city was severely shaken for a few seconds shortly before 1 o'clock. It was also the 190th since the one Friday night that did the big damage, recorded as the 60th.
W. E. Maughan, meteorologist at the Helena weather bureau, said this morning that after the big temblor, the shakes continued with nearly steady frequency over a period of an hour and a half. None of the quakes since that time have been of more than two seconds duration.
Since midnight there was only one of two seconds time, and that was recorded at 3:10 o'clock this morning. There had been 55 tremors felt in Helena since midnight at 12:26 o'clock this afternoon.
It was noticeable said Mr. Maughan, that the lighter shocks, give a quivering or waving motion and are of less duration than the heavier ones that come with a jolt.
[Helena Independent; October 20, 1935]
Will Be High
It Is Possible That Helena Damage Is 3 Millions
Helena, the capital city of Montana, whose streets and hills have yielded upwards of $100,000,000 in gold, has suffered a loss of fully $2,500,000 in property damage, City Engineer Oscar Baarson estimated yesterday.
The total may reach or exceed $3,000,000 it is believed. It is almost certain that each day will reveal new damage not at the present time perceptible.
Damage was widespread and general but the loss was far less on the west side of the city, lying on the lower slopes of Mount Helena, than in the other sections. Hardly a block in the city escaped without damage of a greater or lesser degree.
The Sixth ward and Northern Pacific depot district was the hardest hit of all and the damage in that district will be tremendous when it is totaled. The depot, business building, schools and churches were so severely shaken and damaged that many will have to be rebuilt.
On the east side, the damage area covered the entire section east of Warren street. Scores of homes were hit almost beyond repair and there were few buildings of any kind that did not show some ravages of the terrific rocking. Where dwellings structurally withstood the tremor, loss of furnishings, dishes and the like was heavy. Rooms turned topsy turvy, windows were shattered, pictures and mirrors were shaken down and heavy furniture was overturned and thrown about as it were stove wood.
Wild disorder was apparent everywhere and yards and streets were littered with debris. City street department employees and FERA workers started the cleanup early Saturday morning and most of the principal streets were cleared yesterday. The work will continue as emergency relief activities are organized.
The county courthouse and jail buildings suffered considerable damage, the amount not yet determined.
Twenty-two men and four women prisoners in the county jail were saved from possible injury last night when a large quantity of brick, loosened by the quake, fell through the inner ceiling and landed on the floor just inside the first door to the cell blocks.
The prisoners were kept inside the small entrance way when the bricks fell and not one was injured.
"All remained orderly, although they wanted to be released," Jailer Ben Rinda said today. "We gave them as much safety and protection as possible, at the same time keeping them confined to the jail."
At the county courthouse, one or two large cracks appeared high up on the outside of the building but County Commissioner A. J. Coty said, after a detailed inspection had been made, the building was found to be in good shape.
Inside a large quantity of plaster was torn loose. Portion of the high chimney on the east side, fell to the ground.
The state capitol and the federal building were two outstanding structures that apparently escaped damage other than cracked plaster and other minor items.
Extraordinary precautions were taken to protect life and property and the more heavily damaged sections of the city were roped off.
Loss will be considerable at the Shrine temple where large sections of the coping was shaken down on several sides and much damage was done inside.
The Larson block and apartments at the N. P. depot was so badly torn that it will have to be evacuated by stores and tenants until it can be partially rebuilt. Lehman's market on East Sixth avenue was almost demolished. Much brick was shaken down and all of the walls are bulging. It was indicated yesterday that it probably would have to be torn down.
At 67 South Main the front wall of an old building fell into the street, and the rear wall onto Jackson. It was here that Dave Harris, negro, was caught under an avalanche of bricks and killed.
At the A-A garage, the west part of the upper front wall was cracked and buckled so badly that it must be pulled down and rebuilt. Part of the side wall of a building at Wood and Jackson streets also came down.
As early as 8:30 o'clock a crew of men, under direction of Councilman Noble P. Evans, commissioner of streets, was busy clearing away the debris.
Several South Main street front walls, considered to be dangerous because weakened by the quake, will be roped off to protect the public, Chief of Police Roger Smith said.
Buildings on State street likewise were damaged, several of them considerably.
Already making plans for rebuilding and with crews at work tearing away the completely lost structure, officials of the H. Earl Clack company took first steps yesterday to erect a new building at the intersection of Helena and Lyndale avenue's.
With the walls gone and the roof held up only by a huge Northern Pacific transport bus and a truck belonging to the Capital Commission company, not a one of the eight or 10 other automobile garaged in the structure were damaged in the least.
Two men, C. Oakley Brown and Larry Burdett, were in the building at the time of the big quake struck. Both, however, were working under the N. P. truck and neither was injured.
"A horrible noise, with bricks falling everywhere and the truck going ahead and sideways at the same time," was the way Brown described the crash this morning.
He and Burdett stood in the doorway until the bricks ceased to fall and then escaped to the open, neither injured.
Every brick building in the yards was twisted and sprung, and about half of the huge chimney fell to the ground.
The boiler room suffered considerable damage as the roller twisted and flopped the pipes and flues around.
In the railroad repair shops, machinery was tipped over, rails were bent out of shape and benches lay scattered in confusion over the room.
Most of the roof of the Christie Transfer and Storage liquor house, west of the Northern Pacific depot, fell in and pushed the walls out. One of the walls fell on a freight car loaded with whisky, which was being unloaded into the warehouse and nearly struck Ray Howe, employee, who was doing some office work. A considerable amount of whisky was lost.
[Helena Independent; October 20, 1935]
CAMP SET UP AT GUARD GROUNDS
Emergency relief for those made homeless by Helena's devastating earthquake Friday night was organized swiftly Saturday and during the afternoon a refugee camp was opened at the national guard grounds west of the city.
The American Red Cross and the FERA joined in establishing the camp. Nearly 100 national guard tents, obtained from the armory, were set up and bedding was provided. Kitchens and first aid stations were established and the camp was prepared to take care of all demands. Approximately 400 persons spent Saturday night there.
The work was accomplished under the direction of Sam A. Roberts, chairman of the Lewis and Clark chapter of the American Red Cross, and F. H. Marvin, director of emergency relief for the FERA.
Temporary headquarters have been opened here in the offices of the Montana Livestock Loan company in the old National Bank of Montana building at Main and Edwards, and Saturday afternoon, the entire city was canvassed to determine those in need of help. The survey was conducted by employees of the Union Bank and Trust company, the First National Bank and Trust company and the Federal Reserve bank.
Persons forced from their homes who need quarters at the relief camp are requested to call 1279 and they will be advised what to do. Others who know of persons needing assistance are asked to obtain full details of the cases and needs and phone 888 or 2507.
Chairman Roberts announced today that the camp would be maintained as long as there is any need for it, although the efforts of the officials will be directed toward getting people back in their homes as rapidly as possible. Workers will be delegated to clear up debris and make inhabitable the dwellings that are not badly damaged. Other accommodations will be provided for the persons whose homes are so badly wrecked that they cannot be made livable except by extensive repairs or rebuilding.
Parents are also urged by Chairman Roberts to keep their children home, particularly from the downtown streets which would be the most dangerous place they could be should walls be shaken out of business blocks.
"Preliminary survey of earthquake damage shows very heavy property damage running into millions of dollars but few injuries of serious nature and comparatively small amount of personal distress. stop In cooperation with FERA, we have set up camp at national guard camp grounds with shelter and food. stop Have over one hundred and fifty people there now and expect substantially greater number tonight. stop Principal problem will be housing and furnishing assistance for home rehabilitation to people who have no ability to handle work for themselves or through existing agencies. stop We urgently need National Red Cross assistance for such work. stop Temporary assistance to people in distress condition will require more than ability of local chapter to pay, but impossible to make any accurate estimate now but think will require several thousand dollars. stop Need disaster representative immediately."
Mr. Roberts also stated that sufficient Red Cross and federal funds had been assured to meet every demand for relief that might be made.
[Helena Independent; October 20, 1935]
During the serious quakes of Friday night, the Mountain States Telephone company handled the situation capably and every local and toll position was occupied the entire night as the greatest volume of business in the history of the state organization took place, it was announced by Walter C. Fallon, Montana traffic superintendent.
The telephone company, particularly the girl operators and the plant force, was highly commended for its splendid work during the quakes. When the first major shock took place Friday night about 9 o'clock several of the operators not on shift volunteered and at 10 o'clock when the serious tremor occurred every operator had volunteered and a full force of 55 girls was at the switchboards, Mr. Fallon said.
As soon as the power stopped, the plant put on it emergency lights and worked without any more difficulties in that connection. Operators were called into Helena from Great Falls, Anaconda, Bozeman, Livingston and other nearby points, the traffic superintendent said. The full force will remain in the city until the earthquake tremors subside.
During the night, special preferential service was given to hospitals, police and fire department, relief associations and the like, Superintendent Fallon said. Special equipment made this service possible.
The superintendent thanked the people of Helena for their cooperation and tolerance with the operators during the quake period. He pointed out that often during the greatest rush on the switchboards calls were a little slow in coming through but Helena people "didn't kick." Since the Friday night shocks, the company has received a countless number of calls commending it for loyal community service.
Radio broadcasts of an exaggerated nature were partly responsible for the mad rush on the switchboards, as relatives and friends of Helena people in all parts of the country made frantic efforts to reach Helena by telephone to verify the radio broadcasts, Superintendent Fallon said.
The plant force as well as the operators were praised by the traffic superintendent. He said that the operators refused to quit their posts, and when their time was up slept in the rest rooms until called.
[Helena Independent; October 20, 1935]
All persons needing relief or assistance by reason of the earthquake are requested to call any of the following numbers, Sam Roberts, chairman of the Lewis and Clark chapter of the Red Cross announced today.
Direct appeals by refugees may be made by calling 1270 888 or 2507. Persons knowing of others who need assistance should call 888 or 2507. They are urged to obtain full details regarding the reported cases.
[Helena Independent; October 20, 1935]
LOSS MAY REACH A HALF MILLION
Earthquake damage to Helena's public schools centered on the new high school building and the Bryant school as far as devastating damage is concerned, according to Superintendent R. O. Evans.
Superintendent Evans yesterday estimated the damage done to the new high school at approximately $150,000, but did not set any amount on the damage done to the Bryant school as he considered that building a total loss.
St. Mary's school and parish building in the Sixth ward, a parochial institution, was wrecked beyond repair and probably will be a total loss, Rev. Peter Marnane said today. It will be abandoned and rebuilt.
Classes have been discontinued until further notice. The school portion of the building was especially hard hit. One wall of the building was stripped of one layer of brick and the auditorium and church were badly damaged.
The Hawthorne, Kessler, Broadwater, Emerson, Jefferson and Central schools received only slight damages from the crumblers.
All public schools in the city were ordered closed for at least a week by Mr. Evans yesterday. Each building will be given a thorough technical examination to determine the exact extent of the damage, and to consider the possibilities of repairing the structures in the near future.
"Until this wave of temblors has subsided, and it is absolutely safe for children to attend classes, there will be no school in the public schools," Mr. Evans stated.
The school board will try to find buildings suitable for use of the high school students and the Bryant school pupils.
The north half of the high school appeared to be completely ruined. In this end of the building are located the auditorium, and the auto-mechanics, chemistry, commercial drawing and other departments.
The walls of the north wing were only partially standing, and were bulged underneath the sagging roof.
Looking through the gaps, spectators saw the interior of the building filled with fallen plaster and broken supports. Portions of the roof had fallen in and daylight could be seen through the gaps.
Possibility that the school would be closed for the year and the students returned to their homes was expressed. This created a tremendous housing problem, however, as many of the resident pupils are orphans and have not homes.
Other parts of the valley also felt the shock with distinct force.
[Helena Independent; October 20, 1935]
Says Federal Help Is Needed
Senator James H. Murray Saturday evening telegraphed Mayor C. J. Bausch that he was not only taking up with federal relief agencies the necessity of acting promptly in aiding the homeless of Helena as a result of the earthquake, but that "I am on the way to Helena to render all the aid in my power to assist in the crisis which Helena faces."
That there will be much need of federal help Senator Murray fully realizes and if there was ever an opportunity for work relief, Senator Murray declares it exists in Helena.
[Helena Independent; October 20, 1935]
One of the first to act in the emergency created by the earthquake was Montana's junior representative in congress, Joseph P. Monaghan, who early Saturday sent two important wires to Washington directing Secretary of War George P. Dern and the federal housing administrator to take immediate steps to relieve conditions here.
Mr. Monaghan's wire to Secretary Dern follows:
"Many hundreds homeless tonight as result of terrific earthquake, Helena, Mont:, last night stop. Visited city today find people in streets in desperate condition stop. Please arrange for camp stoves, bedding and tents and army emergency relief equipment as needed stop. Act promptly tonight and advise.
JOSEPH P. MONAGHAN,
MC, First Montana Dist.
In his wire to the federal housing administrator Congressman Monaghan urged that steps be taken for expeditious loans to all stricken people so that the work of rebuilding could go ahead as rapidly as possible. His wire read as follows:
Mr. Monaghan sent the same wire to the federal home loan administrator at Washington.
[Helena Independent; October 20, 1935]
Congressman Joseph P. Monaghan was one of the first public officials to arrive in Helena Saturday to see what if anything he could do to be of assistance to the people of Helena and vicinity to aid them in repairing and rebuilding. He was accompanied by his brother and spent several hours looking over the situation.
Early in the afternoon the congressman telegraphed Relief Administrator Harry Hopkins:
"Visited Helena today: damage done by earthquake inconceivable. More serious damage threatens unless relief workers from other parts of the state can be ordered here immediately to assist in removing shaky construction and bolstering up infirm walls and chimneys, also direct relief necessary for helpless and homeless people. Please act quickly and advise.
JOSEPH P. MONAGHAN, M. C."
[Helena Independent; October 20, 1935]
Seismograms--records--of the Helena earthquakes are being sent to the geology department of the Montana School of Mines for a study into the causes of the earth movements.
The records were made on the Montana State college seismograph, located in the sub-basement of the engineering building there. It is the only instrument of its kind in Montana and shares honors with one in Spokane, Wash., as one of the only two in the Rocky mountain region.
The Helena quakes were clearly recorded on the machine and required for minor shocks, 20 seconds to reach here. They moved the recording needle one-seventy-fifth of an inch.
"Every earthquake of any magnitude that has occurred in any part of the world since the instrument's installation has been recorded here," Professor Therkelsen, who has charge of the recordings, said.
"We have recorded quakes in both India and Madagascar, the former taking over half an hour to reach us here after it had occurred."
Three impulses are usually recorded. The first received is the direct impulse, the second is one reflected from the core of the earth, and the third is an impulse which follows the earth's crust.
[Helena Independent; October 20, 1935]
No broken gas mains and uninterrupted service was the splendid report which officials of the Montana Power company were able to issue this afternoon following one of the most severe quakes in the history of the American continent.
Officials of the company announced today that an extra crew of expert gas and electric men had been put on here and that a check of all lines, both gas and electricity, showed no serious damage. They also lauded the wonderful spirit of cooperation on the part of the property owners and customers who did everything in their power to make the task confronting the company as easy to cope with as possible.
Hundreds of requests had been received by the service department for inspections and turning on gas which had been wisely turned off by property owners following the shock of Friday night. These calls were being taken care of as fast as all available employees of the company, who had been pressed into service, were able to make but keeping pace with them was almost impossible. They were, however, taken care of with amazing speed and reliability. With the exception of gas heaters and stoves, which danced about during the giant shake, few leaks developed and these were confined to houses which were almost totally destroyed. These were in many instances taken care of by property owners.
Mr. Bernier explained that the gas company cannot inspect chimneys, a work that should be done by a builder, brick mason or engineer.
The quake did virtually no damage to the power company's offices on Main street or the substation on Jackson, but the walls of the garage in the rear of the offices were badly bulged.
Extinguishing of street and house lights during the shock Friday night was attributed to the burning off of two transmission wires near East Helena, a damage that was soon repaired.
In addition, city transmission lines were broken when walls fell at the old Family theater on South Main, the National Biscuit company plant on Boulder avenue and the old state armory on North Warren street. These breaks were also taken care of promptly.
[Helena Independent; October 20, 1935]
Unestimable loss was suffered at St. Helena cathedral by earth shocks which caused the beautiful marble cross surmounting the crucifix scene high above the main altar to tumble and break. It was made from the finest Italian marble imported to the country when the church was first constructed, according to Father Hugh Faley, assistant pastor of the parish. Also destroyed were the altar steps, also composed of the imported stone.
One small spire fell on the outside of the building while at least two pillars were loosened on the interior of the building. The parish house was not damaged.
Cracks appeared in the walls of St. Paul's Methodist-Episcopal church on Broadway where openings of from one to three inches were plainly visible at the point where the walls and roof joined. Some of the walls were also pulled outward.
No damage was reported at the First Christian church at the corner of Benton and Power on the west side, while the First Presbyterian, located close to the center of the danger zone on the east side suffered no damage, according to the pastor Rev. James Robertson.
Plaster was cracked from the wall of the First Lutheran church and one entire wall in the parsonage fell in, according to the Rev. Emil Ziegler, who stated that considerable plastering work will be needed to repair the building. No one was injured.
The undertaking parlor at the corner of Rodney and Broadway suffered severely from the shock. Walls of the building cracked and sprung and the stucco exterior scattered all over the premises and streets surrounding it.
Many brick buildings of the duplex type scattered about the city, received serious injury through sprung walls, falling brick walls and falling balconies and porches.
Helena's new half million dollar high school, finished only two months ago, and occupied only since the beginning of the fall semester, was extensively damaged by the terrific earthquake here Friday night. The above photo shows the east wall of the auditorium, which was badly shattered by the tremor. Contractors and architects who built the structure said that the entire auditorium wing would have to be replaced, at a cost of between $100,000 and $150,000.
The lower picture shows the effect of the quake on one of Helena's older buildings. The National Biscuit company warehouse, on Boulder avenue which was seriously threatened by the tremor a week ago, was destroyed beyond repair last Friday. The warehouse is located where the quake did its greatest damage in Helena, the Sixth ward.
[Helena Independent; October 20, 1935]
President Jesse W. Bunch Asks Meeting Of The Board To Consider Course To Be Taken With Damaged Buildings
A meeting of the board of trustees of Intermountain Union college was to be held today to determine if class work was to be continued at Helena hall, main building of the campus. The call was issued by the Rev. Jesse W. Bunch, president of the institution.
Damage to the school buildings was impossible to estimate but was confined chiefly to the new gymnasium and Helena hall, both of which were badly cracked. It is believed both will have to be at least partially rebuilt.
The lower floor of Helena hall is not severely damaged although it looks bad as the plaster is cracked and fallen off in quantities. Class rooms upstairs and the chapel are the most severely damaged. The large cracks extend not only through the plaster but through the outside walls and the class rooms appear unsafe for use.
Mills hall, the dormitory and residence hall, looks badly damaged but most of the ruin there is of a surface nature. Unofficially it was said that the substructure of the building is not damaged but an official appraisal has not yet been made. There, chiefly on the first floor, pieces of plaster from five to 10 feet in diameter, are knocked off with some damage to fixtures and room furnishings. The building was completely repainted and refinished during the summer and that work is completely lost. The lower portion of the building will have to be replastered completely.
President Bunch said students at the college were calm during the quake and seemed to have control of themselves at all times. Only a few boys ventured to sleep in their dormitory rooms last night, the others either carried their mattresses to the campus and stayed there, rode around the city in autos or stayed in the new lodges being constructed on Eleventh avenue. The lodges were not hurt.
A few students had gone back to their homes for a few days but President Bunch said he expected they would return and he anticipated no loss in enrollment.
[Helena Independent; October 20, 1935]
With cooperation and patience on the part of people of Helena and the public service companies, normal conditions will soon be restored in Helena in safety.
The damage as a result of the earthquake is widespread, even in places where from outward appearance, there is little or no sign of the weakening of chimneys and walls.
While chimneys have been shaken heavy fires should not be started in coal burning furnaces or stoves until the flues are thoroughly inspected and all obstructions removed. This is even more necessary where natural gas is used. As the weather is mild it is safer to turn off the gas entirely until the flues can be examined and brick or soot removed. Many who depend on natural gas for their principal heat, also have fireplaces. It is safer to use the fireplace than to turn on natural gas until it is made positively certain that the flues are not obstructed in any way.
Officials of the Montana Power Company hastened to Helena from Butte early Saturday morning and they have as large a crew of experts on the job as possible. They reported no breaks whatever in their gas mains, and said they would hasten inspections as rapidly as possible but customers must not depend on them entirely and any reliable person who can inspect and clean chimneys should be employed when the Power company will make the inspections as soon as their crews can reach places where damage has been reported.
[Helena Independent; October 20, 1935]
No looting of homes following the quake Friday was reported in Helena except at the home of Patrolman Martin Foley, 1538 East Lyndale street, where a pocketbook was taken containing an undetermined sum. This morning, the police station reported that there had been no thefts over the two-day period except an automobile. There was no evidence of other lawlessness in the city.
Although the whole house was in ruin, an electric refrigerator in the apartment of Tom Mooney, 1601 Lyndale avenue, continued to operate and keep the "groceries" from perishing. The refrigerator was hardly moved from its base and nothing inside of it was tipped over.
Because of the great damage at the county hospital, a mile or so north of Helena, the institution has been abandoned, it was announced by the superintendent, R. D. (Dick) Tobin. He said that the buildings were not safe, and that the inmates would go either to the I. O. O. F. home or to the transient camp at the fairgrounds. The only injury at the county hospital was an aged woman whose face was wounded.
Although none of the equipment was damaged, including several army trucks, the state arsenal on N. Warren street was almost completely wrecked by the Friday night tremor. Colonel E. H. Williams, adjutant general of the state, said that most of the equipment was well-packed and therefore escaped damage. Major Sol Peterson, disbursing officer at the arsenal, was severely cut about the head and face when a ceiling in the structure crumbled.
Jacqueline Schrapps, young daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Earle J. Schrapps of 043 North Montana avenue, barely escaped injury, perhaps death when she jumped from her bed and fled to the front of the house during Friday night's quake. In a few seconds the house was practically in ruins, with the young girl's bed left hanging in mid-air, partially in the house and partially outside. Her bedroom was on the second floor.
One of the calmer witnesses of the earthquake was Charles Simpson of Helena, who yesterday morning paid a visit to Intermountain college to register. The girl at the desk at first believed him to be jesting but was later seriously convinced that Simpson meant business. His registration was taken.
Cracked walls and partitions of a minor nature were reported at the federal building, which withstood the Friday night rocker in good shape, Postmaster Harry Hendricks said yesterday. Officials at Washington D. C. inquired about the damage, if any, and Hendricks said that, although none was in evidence, he recommended that a construction engineer be sent here to make an investigation and survey.
Mrs. Albert Goede went to a card party Friday night and for that reason she was alive yesterday. Huge boulders ripped from the walls of her bungalow crushed every object of furniture in the house and flattened her bed.
Dr. L. H. Fligman, president of the Montana Medical association, dropped off a train from the East Saturday just in time to join his colleagues in extending aid to the quake victims.
St. John's hospital as well as St. Peter's quickly emptied of patients who could walk, but a new list soon occupied their beds. A nurse was assigned to each at the former place.
Freaks were not exceptional in the grinding of the earth for in several blocks but one dwelling would show appreciable damage.
The Helena meteorological station believed the 60th and climaxing quake was a northeast to southwest motion.
The Western Union office was besieged throughout the night and most of Saturday dispatching messages from Helena persons to anxious relatives elsewhere. Manager William War estimated more than 1,000 messages were sent out to all corners of the nation during a rushing three or four hours. To care for the overflow a cable station was opened in a tent on Helena avenue.
One aged Negro who ran from his home on Ewing street just as it collapsed, called a taxi company and forthwith posted $10 for the privilege of merely sitting in a cab in front of the shambles of his home.
Lamp posts throughout the city swung dizzily about as first one and then another tremor shook them. Most of the twisted lights continued to function.
One family, the Edward Reinigs, whose home was sheered of its brick front, retired to the rear seat of a car parked in a darkened garage in the rear. They admitted they didn't sleep.
The Great Falls-Helena highway was laden with cars parked by occupants who were determined to get away from the rocking city. This continued through Saturday.
One of the most amusing incidents of the tragedy occurred at where the keeper of the spigot was filling a flagon when 9:47 arrived. Without any adieu he dashed for the street but forgot to turn off the beer. When he finally returned several inches of brew covered a good portion of the floor.
As some merchants waited on jittery customers Saturday they reached to the floor for wanted articles for the shelves had been emptied by the tremors and no attempt was made to refill them.
When W. E. Maughan, meteorologist, arrived at his office Saturday and prepared to consult a clipping list telling of the many quakes, he found a heavy bust of Julius Caesar reposing on the papers.
While students were clearing the debris late Saturday at Intermountain Union college a prospective student entered the dean's office to register.
The state arsenal on Warren street housing much of the Montana national guard equipment, was a mass of wreckage but fortunately a new caravan of trucks had been removed.
President Jessie W. Bunch of Intermountain Union college summoned a hurried meeting Saturday of the college trustees to consider the condition of Helena hall and to determine if classes could be resumed in the building, badly torn.
Helena was plunged into darkness at the outset of the terrifying tremor when a falling wall carried down a transmission line. There were no serious gas line breaks, however.
With the dust arising periodically as a new tremor struck, the H. Earl Clack company Saturday began removing the debris of its service station preparatory to rebuilding.
A $50 plate glass table top at the O. A. Hargrove residence was broken into hundreds of pieces but there was little other damage there.
Only one case of looting or pilferage was reported to police Friday night or Saturday, although countless show windows were shattered. The one depredation involved the theft of a purse from the wrecked home of a policeman called on emergency duty.
That scores of people were not killed was the expression of wonder by Walter Beck, assistant state patrol officer, after he had surveyed the damage.
Fifty-five men and women were attending a meeting in the Kessler school when the place was plunged into darkness, but there wasn't even a hint of panic.
Several tons of rock crashed down from a hillside burying the Yellowstone Park-Livingston highway and tearing down communications lines near Chico Hot Springs, it was reported here.
Twenty-seven prisoners in the Lewis and Clark county jail narrowly escaped serious injury when sheet steel from the ceiling, plaster and tile showered their cages. J. Brown, night warden, suffered a cut hand from a flying brick, but he was the only casualty. However, the sturdy old jail building was badly shattered, the east wall bulging out several inches.
Of several Helena homes willed to Mrs. W. C. Crum by her late husband, but two remained intact Saturday, and the others were wrecked beyond repair.
Carroll College will remain closed a week and should reopen October 28, Dr. Emmet Riley said.
Through Mayor C. J. Bausch, F. H. Marvin, special representative of the Federal Emergency Relief administration, has offered Helena people assistance in clearing away debris from their homes. The relief workers provided by the FERA will also aid in making small repairs.
A file of all newspaper clippings concerning the "week of tremors" are being kept by W. E. Maughan, meteorologist at the Helena Weather bureau, for submission to weather officials at Washington D. C. The clippings were in good shape following the Friday night shaker, despite the fact that a bust of Julius Caeser had fallen from a cabinet and pinned them to a desk.
Bennie Jacobus, 6, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Donald W. Jacobus, 922 Eleventh avenue, was in the house alone Friday when the walls of the structure gave way. The house is a duplex. Mr. and Mrs. Horace W. Gregory, who occupy the other side of the place were at the show. Mr. Jacobus was not in town, and Mrs. Jacobus was putting the car away at the time of the quake. The little girl miraculously escaped injury.
At the Butte Post office yesterday there were numerous inquiries as to whether or not Carroll college was on fire. Others called to ask if it was true persons going to Helena had to have permits to get inside the city limits. Just before press time the Post was being flooded with a volley of inquiries as to whether or not the capitol was in flames.
Many reservations were made at the railroad offices Saturday and today by persons leaving for more stable country. Saturday night an endless caravan of cars was moving from Helena, going in all directions. Besides the customary luggage, many of the cars were packed with baby buggies, small stoves, and the like. A baby's crib was strapped across the top of one car that was 'southward' bound late Saturday afternoon.
Operators of gasoline stations and garages in the city did a land office business following the quake Friday night and reports today showed that business was holding up well. Practically every car owner in the city had the old tank filled to the brim as they "took to the motorized homes." The stations, many of which were closed, opened with the return of electricity and in many instances called the entire crew back to the job to handle the unusual number of customers. Retail firms had every tank truck available in service taking additional supplies to the stations as their tanks were rapidly emptied.
The Placer hotel escaped damages Friday night in
good shape, it was reported yesterday. A close
investigation was made of the building, both inside
and out, but only injury reported was the falling of
particles
of plaster from the ceiling. Business was being
conducted at the hotel this morning as usual.
Saturday night "celebrators," of whom there were few except those who imbibed to "forget it all," thought that prohibition days had returned when they tried to buy the "stuff" yesterday. The liquor store was closed, and several persons were reported as paying $5 a quart of whisky and gin that during normal times they wouldn't feed to the cat that keeps them awake at night.
Those who did not leave the city Friday and Saturday, but who chose to stay away from their homes at night, lined the streets with their cars in an attempt to get some sleep. One of the favorite spots was along Hill park, where hundreds of people had their rest. Vacant lots were also filled with cars.
While battling a fire in the chemistry laboratory of the new high school Friday night, Roland E. Dietmeier, instructor in chemistry, escaped injury when he stepped out in the hall for a moment. He had hardly left the laboratory when the ceiling above the spot where he was standing crashed to the floor.
Those who have experienced earthquakes elsewhere warned Helena people to take their chances inside of a building or house during a tremor rather than running outside. Doorways between rooms are supposed to be safe spots. Most injuries during earthquakes in the past were caused by people dashing madly from buildings during the course of the quake. By doing this they are likely to be struck by falling bricks or stones.
Despite the confusion, no automobile accidents
of major proportions were reported Saturday and
today. There were, however, several reports at the
police station this morning of cars that had fenders
bent or torn off.
[Helena Independent; October 20, 1935]
"As fine a spirit as was ever shown by any company of men and women in the world," was the comment of Dick Tobin, superintendent of the Lewis and Clark hospital, who removed 64 inmates, 24 of whom were in the hospital building when the earthquake hit Helena at 9:50 Friday night.
Superintendent Tobin said no one was scratched. One paraletic patient was utterly helpless in his bed when a wall caved in, covering him with brick. A window frame fell over the head of the bed and he also got a shower of glass.
"Lay still until I pick the brick off of you," said Mr. Tobin.
"Never mind me, I don't feel any pain anywhere," replied the old patient. "Go get the others out, I'm no good anyway and it does not matter if I do die."
Mr. Tobin got him out.
The inmates of the county hospital were removed to the federal transient relief camp at the fairgrounds. Those in charge down there showed Mr. Tobin and his patients every courtesy. They will be housed there for an indefinite period.
[Helena Independent; October 20, 1935]
* * * * * * * * *
Parents Show Fortitude In School House
Great fortitude was shown by a group of persons attending a Parent-Teacher meeting on the third floor of the Kessler school building in Kenwood when the hardest of the quakes hit at 9:47 Friday night, according to Chief of Police Roger Smith, who happened to be in the building attending the meeting.
The lights were extinguished and every condition necessary to promote a panic was present, yet the 55 people present remained in the building and showed great restraint in the face of impending doom but left the building in an orderly manner. They were aided by two or three persons having flashlights, and with the aid of these all left the building without injury.
"The bravery of those people and especially the women, was remarkable," Mr. Smith declared. "Every condition preceding a panic prevailed, but aside from a first-impulse rush for the door, the crowd behaved splendidly. I am certainly proud of that group."
[Helena Independent; October 20, 1935]
* * * * * * * * *
New System To Save Quake Damage
One of the South Main street "weary willies" has evolved a plan to be used in the construction of brick buildings which he guarantees will prevent earthquake damage.
Iron rods are to be run through the ends of the building, and on the ends of the rods will be placed huge rubber washers. This system will provide elasticity to the structures, the man said, and the buildings can sway back and forth to their hearts' content without any damage.
"Yes sir, that's just about the best plan I've ever thought up," said the rambler. "Say, by the way," he added, "would you like to buy a petrified tree?"
[Helena Independent; October 20, 1935]
* * * * * * * * *
Couple Decides Not To Honeymoon Here
Rob McAlister, former resident of Helena, and Anna Olerich, both of Great Falls, decided to get married. If wed in times like these, they thought, and where the quakes were the toughest, their married life should never get to rough to weather.
They came to Helena to have the knot tied. While they were in the courthouse Saturday morning one of the medium-sized rollers waved up the floor and jiggled the counter holding the register book.
The bride-to-be turned and fled the building. Following her came the groom-to-be, carrying the register book and the seal, and Ed Jasmin, the clerk, carrying the pen and ink.
The license was written out on the courthouse lawn, much to the delight of many bystanders. Then they set out to find a priest to marry them.
Monsignor Victor Day was located and agreed to administer the nuptial oath.
After the marriage, the couple decided that they had had enough of earthquakes and would rather spend their honeymoon in a more restful spot, so they went back to Great Falls.
[Helena Independent; October 20, 1935]
* * * * * * * * *
Boys Say Girls Need Not Pay Again
Once each year, according to tradition, the co-eds at Intermountain college must take the men of the college to a dance and pay and pay and pay.
Last night was the night. The girls called for the boys, paid their way to the dance at the Intermountain gymnasium, filled out the programs. And then the end!
It was the end of the fifth dance. About 300 students and friends milled in the middle of the floor waiting for the music to start again. Then the floor shivered. The students remained calm. The walls started to rock and some ran for the protection of arched doorways while others remained in the middle of the floor.
Someone cried, "Anybody hurt?" There wasn't.
"Take it easy, plenty of time," others said calmly and the dancers filed slowly out through the door. The men lighted matches for the girls to see their way down the steps. Everything was calm and orderly and had there not been bricks all over the floor the dance might have gone on.
Outside girls gathered up their formals so they didn't drag on the ground, tucked protecting arms around the boys and surveyed the damage.
Said the boys: "You needn't take us to any more dances."
[Helena Independent; October 20, 1935]
Spirit Good
Loan Corporation Is Organized; Funds Are Pledged
Reconstruction plans took definite shape in Helena yesterday afternoon with the organization and incorporation of the Montana Reconstruction Corporation, and today that agency will be prepared to receive applications for loans from individuals, commercial enterprises, school districts, hospitals and various other private and public institutions.
The Montana Reconstruction Corporation will receive funds from the Reconstruction Finance Corporation and will in turn loan these to approved borrowers at 4 per cent interest. Application was made yesterday to the RFC for an initial allotment of $150,000 and it was indicated that the transfer of the money would be made today.
All loans made by the corporation must be secured by real property and must constitute a first lien on the property. If the property is already mortgaged, it will be necessary to get the mortgage holder to waive priority before the new loan can be obtained.
The funds allotted by the RFC are from an appropriation of $5,000,000 made by congress specifically for earthquake disaster relief. Loans of this type are meant solely for individuals, business concerns and institutions which are not in a position to borrow directly from a bank, because they must repay them over a longer period than a bank may loan for, but which still have good security to offer.
City Engineer Oscar Baarson and a staff of four architects, two engineers and a contractor started the work of inspecting buildings to determine if they are safe for occupancy. A certificate of occupancy is issued in each case where a building may be occupied without alteration or repair. With the others, a summary of what must be done is prepared and given to the owner.
Mr. Baarson appealed yesterday afternoon to property owners desiring inspections to be patient. There are several hundred requests on file, and with such a small staff as is available at present some people of necessity must wait for a time. Mr. Baarson has his offices in the Placer hotel building.
Indicative of the inborn optimism and unquenchable spirit of the people of Helena, already many building permits have been taken out for repairing of quake damage. Since the first shock that caused only $50,000 of damage, nearly a score of permits calling for work valued at nearly $120,000 have been issued. Included are permits for two new dwellings. City Engineer Baarson has not required permits for minor items such as removing or repairing chimneys and similar work.
At the Red Cross headquarters, funds were ready to help any who requested aid. The Red Cross is taking care of those who have no financial means to repair or reconstruct their homes. In addition, the Red Cross is prepared to provide shelter, food and clothing to all who need it.
Quite a number of persons in serious need of help registered with the Red Cross yesterday, but not as many as anticipated.
Mr. Transue urged all persons who will need help or who think they may need help to call at the office and talk things over with the officials.
"The Red Cross wants to come to the assistance of every person in Helena who is in distress or who require financial aid," he said. "We also invite those who may be interested to come in for information about the rehabilitation program consists of, whether or not they may require our help."
An indication of the feeling of sympathy and desire to aid on the outside came yesterday when a check for $500 reached Mayor C. J. Bausch from the Billings Commercial club through H. J. Coleman, its president.
In this connection it was emphasized in messages from various out-state cities tonight such as Great Falls, Butte, Anaconda and others, that they escaped the ravaging of Friday's earth movement and were willing to aid in any possible manner. Butte, where the vast mines and resources of the Anaconda company emerged unscathed, had planned an extended program of emergency assistance.
Though Helena has experienced an acute shortage of building tradesmen, Walter T. Bridges, associate director of the National Re-employment service for Montana, cautioned outsiders against coming to the city for work until they are called.
"We have an adequate number of skilled workers on our rolls in Montana," he said, "and these men will be transported here as rapidly as they can be used."
By last night nearly 170 had been supplied to various tasks of cleaning and rehabilitation.
With the city hall in unsafe condition, the mayor and councilmen considered the desirability of occupying the former public library building to carry on its emergency work. They were waiting, however, for an inspection of the latter building which also was shaken.
Anticipating another heavy demand for shelter administrative forces at the Camp Cooney refugee center prepared to ward off possible suffering from increased cold weather by the hurried installation of additional heating equipment in the tents. A suggestion also was made as a drop in the mercury to 20 above zero was predicted, that temporary barracks be erected there to replace the tents.
Though numerous additional cases of shock had been treated by physicians, there were no further injuries and the five most seriously hurt Friday night, Major Sol Peterson, regular army; Mrs. Sam Koich and daughter of East Helena; Julia Patten and Marie Kerwin, were reported recovering. A sixth victim, Miss Joan Pease of Butte, injured in an automobile accident while en route to Helena, also was improved.
[Helena Independent; October 21, 1935]
CORPORATION WILL FIND FUNDS FOR REBUILDING
WRECKED EDIFICES HERE
Emergency Reconstruction Committee Will Act; Red Cross Put In Charge Of All Work Of Relief, On Order Of Governor Cooney; Murray Will Press For Loans For City
With damaged buildings being repaired, residents returning to the city, and the quake-stricken city of Helena organized for speedy recovery and rehabilitation, the nervous tempo of Helena's citizenry steadied down yesterday as the American Red Cross took charge of the work of aiding unfortunate families rendered homeless by a weekend of subterranean tremors.
Declaring that a "great reconstruction task" confronts the people of Helena, Governor Frank H. Cooney yesterday issued a proclamation designating the American Red Cross as the official relief agency and appealing to all people of the state to contribute to a relief fund which the Red Cross is authorized to raise.
"With a view of co-ordinating relief and avoiding duplication of effort and other forms of waste, I hereby designate the American Red Cross as the official relief agency, which will deal with the problems of the individual sufferer. I ask all agencies, both public and private, which have to do with welfare in any form, to give it their full support and co-operation and to co-ordinate relief in this disaster through the Red Cross," Governor Cooney said.
In Helena today there will be established an organization known as the Montana Rehabilitation corporation, which will receive money from the Reconstruction Finance corporation, to loan out for real estate repairs, it was announced by S. A. Bingham, Montana manager of the RFC. The organization is similar to one formed in California after the Long Beach quake.
J. F. Seeley of Los Angeles, who helped in the supervision of the plan in California, arrived here yesterday and will assist Mr. Bingham in launching the program. Loans will be made with collateral to be furnished consisting of first liens on the property damaged. The forming of the corporation is precedented by an act of congress which allocated $5,000,000 for disaster relief. Since the RFC cannot make loans outright to individuals, the creation of the corporation to receive the funds from the RFC is necessary, Mr. Bingham said.
Decks were cleared in Helena for immediate action and an Emergency Reconstruction committee was appointed to supervise all work and direct and co-ordinate all activities for the rehabilitation of the city and the care of its needy and shelterless. The "steering committee" was the result of a meeting conducted yesterday afternoon in the Placer hotel and attended by state, county, municipal and government officials and many of the city's leading business men.
The Emergency Reconstruction committee is composed of S. V. Stewart, T. A. Marlow, Cecil Wilson, Hugh Adair, Harold Longmaid, Quay Painter, E. B. Benson, Oscar Baarson and T. H. Blaine.
As soon as a survey is made in the city and the scope of the damages ascertained, Senator Murray will
wire Washington and, through the Emergency Reconstruction committee and the city council of Helena, obtain loans and grants with which to place the city back on its feet.
Disregarding legal technicalities, Mayor Bausch drew up an ordinance wherein the city, in appealing to the federal government, was not itself liable but agreed to assist in the rehabilitation work. City Attorney Mahan pointed out that the resolution was inadequate and that the duties of the mayor and councilmen were defined by statute and could not be ignored. Mayor Bausch wished to place Commissioner Noble Evans in entire charge of the work, leaving the head of the police and fire department out of the picture. The city attorney drew up another emergency resolution, which was adopted.
A fairly accurate picture of what Helena will do within the next days in rebuilding its stricken city was outlined at yesterday's joint meeting. Senator Murray will, he said, stand behind every move for securing federal aid.
School boards, acting independently, will make a survey of their losses and apply to proper federal agencies for help.
The board of county commissioners, acting as an independent body, will do likewise.
The City of Helena, in addition to its statutory duties, may appeal to the federal government for financial assistance.
Business houses damaged will be repaired at the expense of the owners, unless loans are secured from the federal housing administrator or the RFC.
Property owners with means will rebuild at their own expense, or secure FHA or RFC loans.
Federal money will come into Helena from various sources, U. S. Senator Murray pointed out. He will wire Washington immediately for assistance and it will come through slum clearance agencies, federal housing, emergency relief, RFC, public works, and works progress departments of the government.
While many property owners of the city quietly went about the business of replacing their residences, the immediate problem facing Helena was that of providing shelter for the homeless. A bitter wind, carrying continuous flurries of snow, made the problem more acute. With offices established in the Montana bank building, E. S. Transue, disaster relief representative of the American Red Cross, gave out the assurance that everyone would be adequately provided for by the organization.
As far west as Spokane and from several of the cities of the state came messages of proffered assistance. Butte, Great Falls, Missoula, and Townsend, through their Chambers of Commerce, offered to aid Helena in its great catastrophe.
The city engineer was assigned four men and today will commence a comprehensive survey of the city, compiling the damages and removing dangerous walls and chimneys. While the city engineer's crew is limited, he expects to be in a position by Wednesday to utilize relief labor. State Fire Marshal Arthur C. Parsons and Acting Fire Chief Martin Juhl are assisting in the survey. Many residences will be condemned and ordered torn down, the city engineer said.
As the survey continues the extent of the havoc done by the quakes is found to be mounting and the city engineer has estimated that damage done to all kinds of buildings in Helena will total not less than $2,500,000 and may exceed $3,000,000.
At yesterday's gathering in the Placer hotel the first constructive steps towards the rehabilitation of the city were taken. Norman Winestine presided over the meeting and with Mayor Bausch named the personnel of the special committee to guide all activities.
[Helena Independent; October 22, 1935]
A thorough inspection yesterday revealed that the Shrine temple was not structurally damaged by the large quake Friday night, it was announced yesterday by W. K. Converse, recorder of the Shrine, who with Joe Bossler and Al Johnson, contractor, conducted the investigation.
Brick work on the structure was damaged to some extent but there is nothing to prevent repairs being made and the temple being again used as in the past, it was said.
It was estimated that the repairs to the building would cost between $5,000 and $7,000.
[Helena Independent; October 22, 1935]
S. L. Berg, architectural supervisor for the housing administration, who had experience in architectural work in California following an earthquake, said yesterday that loose brick and stone casonry should be torn down immediately, or should be properly braced.
"What may be accomplished in the matter of rehabilitation of damaged structures depends entirely upon the construction of the brick work," said Mr. Berg. "This applies especially in the matter of solid walls of brick, as to whether they can be reinforced or should be removed entirely.
[Helena Independent; October 22, 1935]
O. C. Lamport, secretary of the Helena Chamber of Commerce, yesterday issued a call for kerosene oil heaters to be used in homes where quake damage to chimneys prevents the use of coal or natural gas.
As this type of heater can be used to give fairly comfortable heat, anyone having one which is not being used is asked to telephone the Chamber of Commerce at number 37, as it may be used by some family living in a house otherwise uninhabitable because of the lack of fire.
[Helena Independent; October 22, 1935]
When the county NRS officers were advised to vacate the courthouse on Saturday afternoon, following Friday's major quake, the offices were set up on the courthouse lawn, and a total of 150 persons were assigned employment and sent out, Walter T. Bridges, associate state director of the state NRS, said yesterday.
Mr. Bridges said that there is plenty of help available, and that his offices will be able to take care of nearly every need. Many of those registered with the NRS are skilled workmen, and can be ready for the job on short notice.
[Helena Independent; October 22, 1935]
With the buildings of the Montana Deaconess school so badly damaged that it was necessary to abandon them, arrangements were made yesterday to move the children and staff into the old Salvail residence on Madison avenue, which did not suffer from the tremors.
Since the Friday night quake, the children have been housed at The Shanty, a dance pavilion on the Great Falls highway eight miles out. The school authorities, however, were severely handicapped there by the lack of facilities. Both buildings at the Deaconess school are in a bad state and may have to be entirely rebuilt.
At the large Salvail dwelling, the faculty will be better able to take care of the youngsters but furniture and some other equipment is badly needed. The Montana Power company has donated two gas ranges and Helena merchants are contributing kitchen utensils, tableware and other necessary items.
[Helena Independent; October 22, 1935]
Force Of Earthquakes Spent
All day Monday The Associated Press and all of its correspondents in whatever city where authorities could be interviewed with regard to earthquakes, were working for the people of Helena and the readers of The Independent.
The general verdict was that Helena, having suffered its major earthquake, is now the safest city and the center of the safest area in Montana.
From San Francisco late Monday night, came a special telegram containing these statements of the theories and facts as related to Associated Press correspondents.
All of this matter was prepared especially for the people of Helena at the request of The Independent.
Harry C. Wood, research associate in seismology, Carnegie Institute, Washington, who in 1925 warned Southern California architects to be prepared for strong quakes, holds to the theory that major shocks relieve strain and likely reassure against other severe shocks for a considerable term of years.
Berkeley specialists do not subscribe to the extent of placing any great reliance on this theory by Dr. Bailey Willis, professor emeritus of geology at Stanford, who says "Each shock, large or small, disburses part of the accumulating energy. When they are numerous, the energy runs down. When they are few, the energy accumulates. Great shocks of 1857 and 1906 in California, are instances in which strain was relieved for long intervals."
The late John R. Freeman, author of a 900-page book, entitled "Earthquake Damage and Earthquake Insurance," one of the most exhaustive compilations of earthquake studies ever made, gives considerable credency to the theory.
He said, "The present writer has found no evidence in the history of earthquakes within the United States, disproving that a region of very great frequency of quakes, may be one of the very safest places in the world for writing earthquake insurance because of the relief of earth stress by these minor quakes, also there is the probability that in the weaker rocks, where many frequent quakes may relieve the earth stress before it can accumulate in force sufficient to snap back with extreme violence."
Elsewhere this high authority says "These minor quakes or vibrations, may be interpreted as revealing earth pressure which if not thus relieved, might accumulate and ultimately produce a violent and disastrous earthquake."
In other words, it was fortunate that the minor quake arrived in the Helena area in the early morning of October 12 and the force of this temblor and all the little vibrations, between 1 o'clock Saturday of October 12 and 9:50 the evening of October 18, were not combined, or the Helena area might have experienced a disaster of greater proportions. The week between the two "quakes," enabled the earth pressure to "let off steam" and get rid of its energy.
Since the major earthquake of Friday evening, the vibrations have been less frequent and of less violence, until at this writing, it is the opinion of the most eminent scientists who could be reached by The Associated Press for The Independent, that the subterranean difficulties in this area are all spent--they may flow off a little at times, but another major earthquake seems very improbable.
Cheerio!
[Helena Independent; October 22, 1935]
MAYOR REFUSED TO SIGN INITIAL RESOLUTION
With the city of Helena in the throes of its greatest calamity and with hundreds of people made homeless by major earthquakes and with the total damage indicator pointing as high as $3,000,000, it was disclosed at the city council yesterday morning that Mayor C. J. Bausch had refused to sign a resolution last Saturday night declaring the existence of an emergency, the first step the city was required to take in securing relief assistance for the city's destitute from Washington D. C.
The ordinance was drafted by City Attorney John Mahan and was presented to the mayor in his home by Councilman Amos Shellady for signature. Although Camp Cooney was crowded with more than 600 homeless persons living in tents, the mayor refused to sign the emergency resolution.
Acting on this authority, City Attorney Mahan prepared the proper resolution and delivered it to Commissioner Shellady. When it was presented Saturday night to Mr. Bausch for his signature as mayor, required to make it effective, he objected strenuously. His refusal was not learned until late Sunday afternoon.
The resolution was not passed until noon yesterday when the city attorney made it clear to the mayor that the resolution was absolutely necessary.
At yesterday's council meeting outside pressure was brought to bear, and after it had been forcefully impressed upon him that action declaring an emergency must be taken by the council, and that without further delay, the mayor yielded.
"I have been told definitely that the first thing the city must do is to declare an emergency, to assure the government of our responsibility," Commissioner Shellady said.
"I have already given the government that assurance. It is in my hands," the mayor replied.
A number of people were present at the council meeting, held in the water department offices, and disgust was written on more than one face. While the council argued over the matter, City Attorney Mahan drew up a second resolution, similar to the first drafted and which the mayor declined to sign last Saturday night, and then presented it to the mayor again.
The city attorney explained that the duties of the mayor and councilmen were established by law, and to place one man in charge would be in violation of prevailing statutes and grounds for removal from office. The mayor glowered at the resolution and then said, "You think I am jittery, but I am not. I guess there is nothing objectionable in this resolution." The resolution was introduced and passed, after two hours had been consumed in bickering.
"Although I don't get a nickel, a penny from the Bausch & Sons establishment, I want to see that my trucks are allowed to load and unload there," the mayor said.
Still insistent that his emergency resolution was more significant than the one prepared by the city attorney, and that the federal government would furnish financial aid without the legal wording and character of the resolution finally adopted, Mayor Bausch said, "I am just like Theodore Roosevelt. He got the Panama canal, and paid for it afterwards."
Commissioner Shellady agreed to the purchase with the provision that the 50-horsepower pump be used to supplant the present 10-horsepower pump, and to be used in pumping water to the Woolston reservoir, the pumps there having been wrecked by the earthquakes.
The pump was purchased from the Fairbanks-Morse company. The council also approved the purchase of about 1,700 feet of pipe from the American Cast Iron Pipe company.
On several occasions Mayor Bausch disagreed with suggestions made by his colleague, Commissioner Shellady.
"I wouldn't be too sure," Commissioner Shellady told him, "The courts have backed me up so far."
The emergency resolution which was adopted following the tirades of the mayor follows:
"A resolution declaring an emergency caused by an earthquake, authorizing an appeal for government aid, directing the city building inspector to make investigation for condemnation of buildings and structures, and to authorize occupancy and repair and, if necessary to save lives and property, to level buildings and structures if in his opinion a hazard exists, and with government funds so allocated to employ, deputize and employ any person or persons in any capacity until said emergency has passed; authorizing the commissioner of streets to cope with the emergency with all the powers granted the building inspector, and authorizing the commissioner of public safety and charity to make any rule or regulation necessary properly to conduct the police and fire departments, with the same powers given to the building inspector and commissioner of streets until said emergency has been declared at an end, said emergency resolution granting all departments of the city to operate under an emergency as contemplated in section 8, chapter 121, session laws of Montana.
"Whereas, the city of Helena has suffered and continues to suffer from an earthquake which occurred October 18, 1935, with more than 300 subsequent tremors; and
"Whereas, the city and its residents are in great need of aid from the government of the United States; and
"Whereas, many walls and other structures have been weakened, or have fallen or may fall, and many residents of said city have been rendered homeless and much property has been exposed, and the residents and property in the city need emergency protection, and the usual employees of said city need emergency protection, and the usual employees of said city are unable to meet the requirements of the situation:
"1. That a public emergency exists in the city of Helena, Montana, caused by an earthquake and subsequent tremors:
"2. The mayor of said city is hereby given full authority to make appeal to the United States government for the necessary aid, and to meet the emergency in the departments under his jurisdiction by exdinance:
"3. The city building inspector is hereby authorized and directed to make immediate investigation of the conditions of buildings and structures in said city which may be hazardous to life and property, to condemn any building or structure and cause it to be leveled if in his judgment the same is dangerous, to authorize occupancy and repair of buildings and structures, and with the government funds allocated for said purpose to remove any hazard to life and property, and to deputize or employ any person or persons necessary to protect the persons and property of the residents of said city with said government aid:
"5. The commissioner of public safety and charity of said city is hereby authorized and directed to make any rule and regulation necessary for the preservation or order, and to conduct the police and fire departments of said city in any way to meet the requirements of said emergency, including the deputizing and employment of persons.
"It is hereby further resolved by the city council of the city of Helena:
"That all departments in said city will cooperate, one with the other, properly to protect the lives and property of the inhabitants of said city, and that this resolution shall be in full force and effect immediately upon its adoption and shall continue until this council declares the emergency at an end."
[Helena Independent; October 22, 1935]
Liquor Store Closed And Bootleggers Boost Prices
"Sure, we're open for business. People need stuff and we're the ones to give it to them," was the keynote of statements made yesterday by business and professional men of Helena.
Those buildings which were considered unsafe, however, remained closed to the public, but workmen and in some instances women, were actively engaged in cleaning up the debris and bringing about a semblance of order.
In the Sixth ward, where the fury of the earthquake seemed to center, building fronts were boarded up, but large signs indicated that rear entrances or entrances from adjoining buildings were open to admit customers.
The H. Earl Clack garage, completely ravished by the shake, displayed a large sign stating that the service station in front of the building was "Open for Business, We Need It."
The Northern Pacific depot, yards and roundhouse were the scene of much activity as large crews of men kept up a fast pace in the work of getting things back to normal.
Helena's main business section wore a comforting and reassuring look as people went their many ways securing foodstuffs, dry goods, haircuts, permanent waves, hardware and the numberless things which are necessary at all times.
The state liquor store remained closed, and it was reported that opportunists from other Montana cities, quick to take advantage of such a dire situation, were bringing in large supplies of the bracing spirits which found a ready and lucrative market. Low-priced brands were not lacking takers, although the price paid for them was considerably higher than that usually asked for the topnotch grades.
[Helena Independent; October 22, 1935]
BRICKS FALL FROM BIG STACK
Damage done at East Helena by Friday night's major earthquake will reach about $75,000, it was estimated by officials of that place yesterday. The principal damage was in the business district where brick and stone structures were considerably shaken and wrecked.
Four homes in East Helena, all brick places, were uninhabitable. Most of the houses there are frame, and withheld the strain of the terrific shock in good shape. Frame houses were damaged only to the extent of wrecked and near wrecked chimneys, most of which will have to be replaced.
As a result of the big quake, 45 feet will have to be removed from the top of the East Helena stack, J. D. MacKenzie, superintendent of the plant said yesterday. The American Smelting and Refining company will send a crew from Salt Lake City to do the work.
Mr. MacKenzie estimated that the damage to the smelter will amount to about $10,000. There were 10 men on shift when the quake occurred, all of whom escaped without injury.
The Anaconda Copper Mining company plant at East Helena was not damaged the slightest, officials said.
The big stack on the A. S. and R. property was shattered for about five or six feet at the top, dumping 100 tons of bricks to the ground. A hole, about three by five feet, was in the stack about 25 feet from the top, and a crack runs around it for 45 feet from the top.
Mr. MacKenzie said that the plant would be closed for about a week the last of this month or first of November to do this work.
The entire staff was at work yesterday.
When the 45 feet are removed from the big stack, there will be no replacement, but a new lead cap will be placed on top of it. The stack is 400 feet high at present, but will be cut down to about 355 feet when repairs are finished.
Two obsolete stacks at the plant, each about 125 feet high, were damaged beyond repair. They will be removed, but will not be replaced, said Mr. MacKenzie.
The superintendent said that 25 feet of flue in back of the furnaces fell in, and that a crew got to work on it Saturday morning, and operations were able to resume late in the afternoon.
The East Helena schoolhouse was damaged considerably, and will be closed for at least a week, a school official said. The replacement and repair work on the building will probably cost between $1,500 and $2,500. The building was damaged by the quake of Oct. 12, and repairs were under way when the big quake came Friday night.
In the schoolhouse, plaster was knocked off the walls and ceiling in every room, and the metal roof was torn apart. There is a large crack in the north wall of the structure, and the south wall is bulging.
An engineer will make an estimate of the damage within a few days.
All public gatherings in East Helena have been called off, although an official order has not been issued by city officials.
John Gough of East Helena said that the water department was undamaged by the earthquake, and that all of the mains were in good shape. The city office in East Helena was damaged together with other structures in the business section. The fire station was damaged so equipment had to be removed for the time.
[Helena Independent; October 22, 1935]
Trustees of Helena school district No. 1 last night adopted a resolution to apply to the Public Works administration for an outright 100 per cent grant to replace and repair damage done to the property of the school district.
A the same time the board adopted another motion, declaring the existence of an emergency, and authorizing the expenditure of at least $3,000 for the immediate protection of school district property, and for temporary building repairs.
R. C. Hugenin, architect for the new high school, associated with Norman DeKay of this city, was authorized to arrange with the various contractors on the building for repairs that will make available about 30 classrooms. Expenditure of the money authorized by the emergency resolution must be approved by Chairman E. M. Hall of the board.
After the high school is covered with canvas at the necessary places, the contractors on the building will proceed to get the heating, lighting and water ready for use. It was brought out that the building must be heated, or further damage may result.
In regard to the PWA application for an outright grant to repair all of the school buildings in the Helena system, the clerk was instructed to assemble all authentic data and figures as to the cost of the repairs and replacements in order that there will be no delay at Washington due to insufficient information.
In its resolution the board did not specify any sum, but chose to wait until definite figures have been obtained here.
Opening the meeting last night Architect Hugenin outlined the damage at the high school, stating that it was not as extensive as rumors have it.
From his examination it was apparent that the major damage occurred in the north wing, which is the auditorium. A great deal of brick, tile and partition must come down. It appeared the damaged wing will cost in the neighborhood of $90,000 to put back into shape.
It will not be necessary to tear down the entire wing and replace it.
Thirty classrooms can be utilized while the repairs are being made.
Architect Hugenin pointed out that the building is not designed for an earthquake zone, because Helena was not considered in an earthquake zone. He added, however, that "you can't keep up with an earthquake."
Rooms in the building that can be used were designated by Architect Hugenin when questioned about the matter by Principal W. W. Wahl.
It was proposed that, if necessary, the gymnasium can be used for classes, as can the cafeteria.
When school opens, high school students will probably have to study "college style" as some of the study halls will not be available right away.
The boilers of the high school are undamaged, as are the concrete floors above them.
It is possible that classes in aeronautics will be held at the airport if the arrangements can be made. The possibility of using the old ship in the auditorium for the purpose was also discussed.
Hugenin advised the board, after conferring with a PWA auditor, to close its account with the PWA make application for the grant, and then accept the building. Outright grants, he said, have been made in the past in the case of destructive fires to new buildings.
Stewart Bingham, Montana representative of the Reconstruction Finance corporation, appeared before the board with J. F. Seeley of Los Angeles, representing the RFC, to ascertain if the school district would be eligible to receive a loan from that agency for the needed repairs and replacements. Seeley said that congress had set aside $5,000,000 for such an emergency, but that definite requirements had to be met.
It will take from three weeks to a month to get the high school in shape for occupancy. Other buildings in the system, except Bryant, may be ready in from two and a half to three weeks.
Bryant school, built at a cost of approximately $80,000 is considered a complete loss. The application for a grant from the PWA will include the cost of replacing the Bryant school buildings.
At Hawthorne the damage may run about $2,000, and at Central, probably less than $2,000, it was estimated. Plaster damage was all that was done at the smaller schools.
Bryant school pupils will perhaps attend Hawthorne, Central and Broadwater schools, and some arrangements may be made for using Coburn Memorial hall, in the Sixth ward.
Architects Hugenin and DeKay will today begin a thorough investigation of repair and replacement costs of the entire school system.
Montana congressmen will be asked to pledge their full cooperation in securing the grant for the Helena school district.
At the suggestion of the architects and contractors, a competent engineer will be called in by the school board to inspect the damage at the high school and determine whether or not the injuries were caused by faulty construction or the severity of the major earthquake.
All insurance policies on the new high school and the Bryant school were canceled yesterday by the companies that had issued them. A new appraisal will be made today, new policies issued, and the difference in the premiums remitted to the school district. The new high school carried $388,000 worth of insurance on the building and $12,000 worth on the equipment.
The board requested that the works progress administration make the necessary repairs at the old high school, now occupied by that government agency, and assured the WPA that it would not ask for the use of the structure for school purposes.
All members of the board were present at last night's special meeting.
[Helena Independent; October 22, 1935]
Pasadena, Calif., Oct. 21--(AP)--Carnegie institution seismological experts said today there is nothing unusual in the aftershocks of the Montana earthquake being reported from Helena.
"The only unusual factor in the situation up there was the occurrence of a strong foreshock a week in advance of the earthquake which caused the damage," said Dr. Charles Richter.
"As to the aftershocks, if there is anything that could be considered unusual, it might be that there are less than usual after a big earthquake."
[Helena Independent; October 22, 1935]
WORK OF RECONSTRUCTION
Helena, always prideful of its ability to take care of itself and meet its problems squarely in the face, yesterday drew a deep breath of relief and settled down to take stock of its situation and to make plans to rebuild for the future.
The tension of Friday night and Saturday was greatly lessened Sunday and by nightfall many persons had returned to their homes to spend the night. Saturday night the town was almost entirely dark.
Yesterday morning, bright and early, the mopup was started and scores of men were employed cleaning up debris and making such repairs as could be immediately undertaken.
All relief clients are subject to call to go to work on rehabilitation projects should they be needed, and the county organization is prepared to meet any future emergency.
Chairman Sam Roberts of the Lewis and Clark chapter of the Red Cross announced last evening that the survey of the city to determine those who needed assistance, had been practically completed.
Mr. Roberts also stated that both Red Cross national officials now in the city would remain for some time and would be joined by two more trained workers to speed up the work of rehabilitation.
A group of public school teachers comprised the group that continued the city-wide survey yesterday. They were Phil Albertson, Roland Dietmeier, C. H. Marple, Dan Buck, George Leger, Fred Robinson, William Fahrer, Tate W. Peak and John Grosse.
The chapter chairman also announced the appointment of a disaster committee to supervision reconstruction plans. It is composed of R. E. Towle, chairman; Dick Tobin, John G. Brown, Quay Painter and John D. MacKenzie.
[Helena Independent; October 22, 1935]
Senator Murray Wires For Permission To Give It
U. S. Senator James E. Murray last evening sent a wire to Washington, D. C., to the chiefs of the emergency relief association asking for permission to hand over to the board of county commissioners of Lewis and Clark county the federal transient camp at the fairgrounds, to be temporarily utilized as a county hospital.
During the heavy quakes Friday night, the county hospital building was virtually destroyed and the inmates and patients forced into make-shift quarters. U. S. Senator Murray held a conference with the county commissioners yesterday and agreed to make the request for the transient camp in behalf of the county.
Today the junior senator from Montana will be supplied with accurate information concerning the extent of the damages, and will wire Washington accordingly, it was announced. It was hoped to have the figures yesterday but those in charge decided to wait until today.
[Helena Independent; October 22, 1935]
If buildings are not seriously damaged, people should move back into their homes, advises E. S. Transue of Denver, disaster relief representative of the Red Cross, who arrived here yesterday to conduct a survey of the quake losses in the city. He said that slight tremors would perhaps continue for some time, but none should be serious.
After touring the city he issued the following statement:
Home owners who are not in a position to make their own repairs are urgently requested to register at the Red Cross headquarters in the Montana Livestock Loan office at Main and Edwards streets.
"Anyone having bedding or stoves they can spare are asked to call 888 or 2507 and advise where same can be picked up.
"Red Cross officials and the local committee of the organization feel that if people will move back into their homes, one of the biggest problems will be solved."
The local Red Cross is urging those who are unable to meet their needs to register there right away. In order to properly give out the relief desired, it is necessary that family heads register.
A survey is also being conducted by the Red Cross to determine the total damage of the quake to Helena homes. High school teachers are doing this work.
Yesterday Secretary O. C. Lamport of the Helena Chamber of Commerce received the first call from a family without a home, and the six people were taken to the home of Paul Flint, 502 Monroe avenue. The family was that of George W. Langdorf, 821 Eighth avenue.
Lamport said that the chamber of commerce is in a position to help other families who call telephone 37.
At the state FERA offices yesterday, F. H. Marvin, special representative of the FERA from Washington, said that the agency is in shape to handle those on relief rolls. He said that funds can be expended to help those on relief who were made homeless, but that the FERA cannot provide money to repair homes. The FERA arranged for the housing at Camp Cooney.
FERA workers will also help in clearing away debris around homes.
[Helena Independent; October 22, 1935]
A. E. Cramer, representing the Farmers' Union Trading company, yesterday offered the use of the Green Meadow farm warehouse to the Salvation Army for an emergency relief station, it was announced yesterday.
Immediate action was taken to make the building adequate for temporary quarters for refugees of the earthquake, and several families were transferred there last evening.
The Salvation Army's regular quarters are in the stricken area on South Main street, so a temporary field office is being established in the Green Meadow warehouse.
The army is working in conjunction with local FERA officials who are anxious to establish a safe, sound and warm shelter for many persons who are suffering from exposure because of the inclement weather.
Clothing is also being transferred to the warehouse from the army building, and will be available for those who have need of same.
Persons in need, or knowing of others who are in distress, are requested to phone the FERA, 1279.
[Helena Independent; October 22, 1935]
Return to the Newspaper Summary for Articles 1-49.
Return to Helena Earthquake Summary.
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