Msg: 4918 *Conference*

01-30-94 14:08:50

From: CARROLL LEWIS

To : ALL

Subj: EARTHQUAKE

 
    Just a short note from the current earthquake capitol of the world.
 
 Saugus, is within the city of Santa Clarita and has suffered considerable
damage. The most notable is the colapse of the highway bridges at the junction
of the 5 and 14. (This junction is 3.5 miles from my shop in Saugus.)
 
  Although many buildings have suffered, there are very few total colapases in
the valley here.... NOTHING like the San Fernando. There are however, many
"mobile home parks" and they are a MESS !!
 
  Public services have been excellent and utilities were returned in an
amazingly short time. (Power just after midnight the same day, Gas in two, and
although we are still required to boil water, both my shop and home were never
shut off. The phone service was touch and go for the first week but is ok now.)
   
 My shop (I'm a cabinet maker) is in a five acre "island" of concrete. Damage
within this complex was limited to WHAT you store and HOW it was stored. A
race-car left on jacks fell off, and rolled through the office wall of it's
shop. My next door neighbor is a movie-lighting company and the steel shelving
not securred to the floor "dominoed" and they lost thousands of dollars in
broken klieg lights. I have two 1400 pound drilling machiens that "danced" 5.25
inches south and 7.75 inches west. It was after spending almost two hours
moving them back that I realized ,they didn't dance, but when the shock-wave
hit the south west corner of this complex THE FLOOR MOVED 5.25 NORTH AND 7.75
EAST the machiens stood still! (A little bit like jerking a table cloth out
from under the plates)
 
  Anyhow I'm going home now to watch the SUPER-BOWL .
 
-CARROLL LEWIS-