Show destroyed by an earthquake on the morning of december 8 1812 all without warning camo came a great bakits catastrophe while the church was crowded with kneeling worshipers a shock of earthquake parth quake visited the valley and toppled the great stone tower over upon n the roof crashing through which it burled the congregation beneath the wreckage of learns beams tiles and stones atones and upward of forty human beings being lust lost their lives in tho the twinkling of an eye this earthquake ranks in severity with that of oc charleston in 1886 so 80 great was waa the disaster alsa ilar that although tile tho mission continued to bo be conducted conducted PM 1 RAI i OLD IN THE COURTYARD COURrY ARD for twenty two years cara longer no atti tIll inapt pt bogins to have been made by tho the padres mil to restore tile tho church edifice and it and its adjoining buildings and cloisters have remained to this da day y an imposing anil and beautiful lulu touched kently gently by times liand hand dignified in outline and rich in ill aloi lot it Is IB replete with subjects sub JiB for foi tile llie artist and is the ad nu ration of overy traveler tia veler with the restoration ur tile tho buildings the jil in lenti oll is to create here heio a college for ahe i priest priesthood hooI is as at santa barbara Har baia and to make of san sail juan capistrano tit important factor in the work voik of tho the roman catholic Cat holle church in South thern cru california |