Oakland Tribune 6th September 1934
TIDAL WAVE THREATENS HOMES OF MOVIE STARS
LONG BEACH PIER WRECKED BY HEAVY SEA
Gigantic Breakers Destroy Structure at $100,000 Loss; Seaside Homes Endangered
SANTA MONICA, Sept. 6
The high wild waves that for two days have been battering southerly beaches today were reported piling up against Malibu Beach, famous seaside colony of the motion picture starts some 20 miles north of here.
Fears were expressed that at high tide tonight some of the luxurious beach homes might be endangered.
The swerve of the wild waves to the north in the attack upon the movie colony was viewed with alarm.
A number of men were rushed from Hollywood studios to build sandbag levees in an effort to prevent damage to the movie stars homes.
Among the movie folk having homes at Malibu are Louise Fazenda, Silvia Sidney and Johnny Weismuller.
Gigantic Breakers Batter Coastline
LONG BEACH. Sept. 6
Whipped into a roaring frenzy by some strange disturbance, the cause of which baffled scientists, the Pacific Ocean pumped huge swells against the Southern Californian coast today, wiping out a $1000,000 pier here and damaging many seaside homes.
Breaking more than 1000 feet off shore, the gigantic swells, estimated to be 30 feet high, buffeted the Pine Avenue pier here until most of it collapsed and was tossed like splintered toothpicks upon the beach. Sections of the beach covered with debris resembled the wake of a Mid-West tornado.
Oldtime seamen said they had never seen anything like it. All bathers were barred from the water but two who happened to venture out, Mr. and Mrs. Carl Bandy of Los Angeles, were battered down so viciously by waves almost at the shore that they had to be taken to a hospital for treatment for shock and bruises.
PIER BUFFETED
The adjacent Rainbow Pier, built several years ago at a cost of hundreds of thousands of dollars and stretching out into the ocean like a giant horse shoe, trembled under the avalanches of water. Thus far it has stood its ground, but officials expressed fear that it, too, might be swept away and consequently all were barred from it. Upon it are many beach concessions but all were vacated.
Down at Newport Beach, some 35 miles to the south, swells as high as 40 feet were reported. Streets along the waterfront were flooded, one house was swept from pilings and carried into the churning water, where it was ripped apart, a garage was carried to sea and the underpinnings of numerous other beach homes were slowly being denuded and protecting banks of sand.
CHILDREN IN DANGER
No casualties had occurred, other than the injuries suffered by the Bandys, but concern was felt for three children of Mr. and Mrs. William Gould of Los Angeles, who were stranded in a house at Newport Beach, the pilings of which creaked under the battering of the ocean.
One rescue was accomplished when a Coast Guard cutter, braving the towering swells, cut through them and towed the fishing barge, Rainbow, ashore after its crew had sent up rockets in a call for aid.
For several weeks, ground swells have lashed the coastline, inflicting some amount of damage to seaside houses of various beach communities but the waves were tiny compared to the swells yesterday and last night.
