Princeton by the Sea

“Purple and red sea urchins

Strongylocentroutus purpuratus and S. francisanus, regarded as enemies of abalones, are in many areas vigorous competitors. In most localities, abalones and sea urchins are not intermixed but the edge of one population will overlap that of the other. At these contact points there is competition for food and living space. Once sea urchins have gained a foothold, they seldom leave. Although both feed on algae, sea urchins are more intensive grazers than abalones and they crop the rocks almost completely bare. When this occurs, the abalones are forced to move to another are to find food.

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Mr. R. Guy Smith
Secretary-Treasurer
Half Moon Bay Airport
Operator Incorporated
Moss Beach, California

Please find enclosed Stock Certificate for stock in the Half Moon Bay Airport Incorporated which I am sending as per your request as of August 23, 1955.

Please mail check to me at ……., Sharp Park, California.

Very truly yours,

Jack L. Shaw

Time Travel Map from NOAA, click here

Each color band boundary represents a 1 hour tsunami travel time increment

from NOAA click here

April 1, 1946 Eastern Aleutian Is. Tsunami Damage along the Alaska, British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, and California coasts

See References for information sources.

Location	Amplitude (m)	Damage Summary
Unga, AK	0.8	Dock and boats washed away.
Ikatan, AK	?	Several homes washed away, Pankof light destroyed.
Sanak, AK	6.1	Boats beached, some houses destroyed.
Scotch Cap, Unimak I., AK	35	Five drowned. Lighthouse destroyed. Antenna 105 feet above sea level washed away. Radio station flooded.
Dutch Harbor, AK	?	Ferrys carried away, docks damaged.
Nikolski, AK	up to 12.2	Nine baraboras washed away
Taholah, WA	1.5	Five foot surge up Quinalt River swamped boats and damaged fishing nets.
Seaside, OR	1.2	Boats and log float swept away in Necanicum River.
Gold Beach, OR	?	Sixty-foot float endangered. Slight damage at Winchuck River.
Noyo River Mouth, CA	1.4	Many boats broke from moorings, several near drownings.
Drakes Bay, CA	2.6	Crab pots rolled over, rowboat capsized.
Princeton, CA	2.6	Much damage. Houses flooded, quarter mile inundation, boats beached, dock damaged, $20K damage.
Santa Cruz, CA	1.5	One drowned. Minor damage.
Port Hueneme, CA	0.8	Sand swept over railroad tracks.
Santa Catalina I., CA	?	Baseball field inundated, pier swept away.

Thank you John Vonderlin for sending this…(email John: benloudman@sbcglobal.net)

From “United States Tsunamis”

1946, April 1, 12:29. A magnitude 7.8 earthquake in the Aleutian Islands generated a 30-m tsunami on Unimak Island that destroyed Scotch Cap Lighthouse. In California the tsunami caused a rise above normal tides of, 2.6 m at Half Moon Bay, 2.6 m at Bolinas, 2.4 m at Arena Cove, 1.5 m at Morro Bay, 1.5 m at Santa Cruz, 1.4 m at Noyo, 1.3 m at San Luis Obispo, and 1.2-m rise at Avila.

The Santa Cruz Sentinel reports confirm the unusual heights at Santa Cruz, and at Half Moon Bay, California. At Charleston, Oregon, near Coos Bay, 3 meter waves were observed, and 1.8 m. waves were observed at Clatsop Spit, Oregon, at the mouth of the Columbia River. The wave was 1.5 m at Newport and 1.0 m (range) at Siuslaw River. Other localities reported runups of less than 1.0 m.

At Noyo River, California, 100 fishing boats were thrown 1.8 m up bank. At Half Moon Bay where $1,000 in damage occurred waves swept into the unoccupied Coast Guard barracks loosening the building from its foundation. A house was flooded to the window sills. At nearby Princeton huge boulders weighing up to 70 kilograms were washed as far as high highway and some residences were flooded. Water was about 1 m deep on the road. A shack had a wall cave in, and it was moved 0.6 m from its foundation.

Also, at nearby Granada a 10 m boat was washed onto the highway….”

Tuesday, April 2, 1946

From the San Mateo Times:

“Princeton. April 2–Coastside residents today were taking the cycle of total waves in stride. Consensus of opinion was that there was nothing they could do about it, individually or collectively. After reading newspaper accounts and hearing radio reports of what happened in the Hawaiian Islands and elsewhere, local residents took the viewpoint that they were lucky with no lives lost and comparatively small property loss.

“Fearful that a high tide at midnight last night might result in more damage, a number of persons gathered at the Nerli restaurant to keep a midnight watch on the tide. Shortly after midnight, the restaurant closed and all departed.

“Several telephone calls were received at the coast guard station asking if a special watch were being kept and if a warning could be issued. Advised that Twelfth naval district orders had put the coast guard complement on the alert over night the persons, thus assured, apparently went to bed.

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DEAR JUNE-YOUR PRINCETON BOOK WILL ARRIVE TODAY OR MONDAY.MEANWHILE YOUR TWO EXCELLENT WEB SITES HAVE GIVEN ME MORE OF MY DAILY “COASTSIDE FIX” THAN I EVER IMAGINED RECEIVING.

I’M GLAD TO SEE TWO OLD FRIENDS,MIKE POWERS AND PETE DOUGLAS ARE STILL OUT THERE,I WILL HAVE TO LOOK THEM UP NEXT TRIP.I’M SORRY THAT RICHARD ENGLISH IS GONE,WE CALLED HIM “ORPHAN ANNE” AT THE DISTILLERY,I’LL MISS CLAY FOUNTAIN AND HIS WIFE TOO,FOR YEARS WE THOUGHT THAT THEY WERE THE LAST “WOBBLIES” (IWW) LEFT,UNTIL I FOUND OUT THE IWW IS STILL MEETING IN BERKLEY.

CLAY.ON OCCASION,USED TO PLAY HIS AUTOHARP,AT THE MIRAMAR. AND SING LABOR PROTEST SONGS.CLAY MIGHT HAVE HAD THE ONLY VOICE ON THE COASTSIDE WORSE THAN MINE.JOE DOSHER USED TO GIVE ME FREE BEER NOT TO SING ON WED. “SING ALONG NIGHTS” AT THE MIRAMAR,AS I HAD THE GIFT TO THROW A WHOLE ROOM OF DRUNKS OFF KEY.

I GOT TO THINKING AFTER MY FIRST MESSAGE TO YOU ABOUT “GENE’S BEER AND PIZZA,THAT GENE HAD PROBABLY MOVED TO OREGON BY THE TIME YOU MOVED TO EL GRANADA IN 72. By THAT TIME THE MIRAMAR,AND A YEAR LATER THE MOSS BEACH DISTILLERY HAD BECOME THE MAIN WATERING HOLES FOR THE VILLAGE LOCALS.

AS I NOTED BEFORE.I WISH I HAD SHOT MORE PICTURES OF PEOPLE AND PLACES,AND KEPT A JOURNAL.THANKS AGAIN FOR YOUR WEB SITES,THEY ARE REALLY APPRECIATED.

MERRY CHRISTMAS-GRAY GARDNER
EXCELSIOR SPRINGS,MO.12/21/07

(Photo: Paul Schraub)