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Earthquake



To: types@theory.LCS.MIT.EDU
Reply-To: John C. Mitchell <jcm@polya.stanford.edu>
Date: Wed, 18 Oct 89 08:47:54 PDT



Several people have sent messages asking if Stanford is
still standing, so I thought I'd post a message to this list.
Although the epicenter of the quake was closer to Santa Cruz,
the main damage seems to be in SF (since there are bigger
buildings). In the Palo Alto area, the main overpass off of
HWY 101 into the city has apparently collapsed, and several
miles of the other freeway, 280, have buckled and are closed.
Many people have undoubtably lost glassware and other breakables,
but I do not know of any serious injuries or reported deaths
on the Peninsula. There is a gas leak somewhere at Stanford,
and so everyone is encouraged to stay at home (as I am).
It is possible that some of the local aqueducts have been
damaged, and so we are trying to conserve water, even more than
usual.

At the time of the quake, I was giving a slightly technical
talk about typing object-oriented programs to an audience of
not-quite-specialists. The talk started at 4, and at 5:04 I
was trying to wrap up the question session when the walls
started shaking. Several of us ran to the doorway, and others
dove under the large conference table in the middle of the room.
I gather the quake lasted about 15 seconds, but it seemed much
longer. Margaret Jacks Hall has a number of internal  reinforced
concrete pillars, about 2 feet in diameter. The two in the
corners of the conference room shook and swayed. Needless to say, 
there were no further questions about the talk.

John