Copyright 1989 Warren Publishing, Inc

October 19, 1989, Thursday

SECTION: Vol. 9, No. 202; Pg. 3

LENGTH: 1040 words

HEADLINE: All Shook Up;
USTA SURVIVES EARTHQUAKE IN GOOD SPIRITS

DATELINE: SAN FRANCISCO

BODY:
On 40th floor of San Francisco Hilton, in BellSouth's hospitality suite, Nynex Senior Vp Ivan Seidenberg was standing on balcony looking at Bay Bridge when room began to sway. At Candlestick Park, where sellout crowd was waiting for 3rd game of World Series, U S West Vp Laird Walker was in upper deck and Pacific Telesis Vps Thomas Moulton and Ronald Stowe were in lower deck when stadium began to shake. Centel Regional Vp James Kropid and about 100 partygoers were boarding AT&T-chartered boat at city marina when boat was tossed around. AT&T's John Fischer was hurt when his wife fell off steep gangplank to boat and he jumped in after her. (He later returned to hotel.) National Exchange Carrier Assn. (NECA) attorney Richard Askoff, who was in Muir Woods, north of San Francisco, was barely aware anything was amiss. It was 5:04 p.m., Pacific Daylight Time, Tues., Oct. 17.

Throughout those experiences, and many others, telephone industry executives and others managed to get through worst earthquake here in 80 years in remarkably good spirits, with less than handful of reported injuries. In fact, USTA was luckier than most. FCC Comr. Barrett, who had finished participating in panel discussion about hour earlier, said he was crossing street when quake hit. Comr. Marshall, who was to appear on USTA program Wed. morning, was in L.A. touring movie studios. Diane Cornell, Marshall's legal asst., telephoned Marshall and told her not to bother coming to San Francisco. Although no official announcement was made, most assumed program for Wed. would be canceled, and it was. Board gathered at 9 a.m. to elect officers, but it couldn't be learned how many members attended.

While city was dark, most telephones still were working, although Pacific Bell was shifting line capacities throughout city to make certain that all areas had service. At Pacific Bell hq on New Montgomery St., only apparent damage was few broken bricks in parking lot. Building recently had undergone multimillion-dollar refurbishing to bring it up to earthquake-proof standards. Across street, many older buildings were in much worse shape, as large cracks appeared in brickwork and windows were shattered. On Union Square, I. Magnin store appeared hit hardest, with sidewalk around it covered with glass.

Downtown, Hilton was virtually only hotel with lights or emergency power. With Clift and Westin St. Francis Hotels dark, Hilton's lobby and virtually entire first floor became impromptu campground for USTA from when quake hit until about 11 p.m., when guests began drifting up to their rooms. Despite intensity of earthquake and massive damage to some buildings, roads and bridges, atmosphere in Hilton was decidedly relaxed. Hotel staff gave away dinner and drinks. Small band played in lobby lounge. Every chair or sofa on first 2 floors was taken up as those who didn't go upstairs to rooms tried to make themselves comfortable for night, while wondering whether there would be aftershocks and whether they would be able to find transportation out of city in morning. Remarkable performance of hotel staff continued through Wed. morning, as breakfast was served, beginning at 5:30 a.m. Central information desk, which functioned throughout night, gave out and posted information on status of airlines, airports and roads from city.

To those who hadn't felt earthquake before -- and that included most of USTA attendees -- experience was one they won't forget soon. Programs at convention had ended for day, concluding with afternoon panels on common channel system signaling 7 and Open Network Architecture, and most conventiongoers had spread across San Francisco area for relaxation. Stowe had just finished his afternoon's work -- tour of Pacific Bell's emergency facilities.

At Candlestick Park, Homestead High School band had finished playing and had marched off through center field fence. Oakland Athletics had just come onto field and begun to warm up as groundskeepers were putting finishing touches on infield. Noise from jet airplane flying overhead disguised advent of quake, as many at first thought rumbling was caused from above, not from below. Spectators then thought that shaking in stadium came from enthusiastic fans who were screaming "Go Giants." But rumbling didn't stop, and for about 15 sec., entire stadium, from foundations to upper deck, swayed back and forth.

Walker and others were bounced around in upper deck. "You could see the stadium rocking," he said. Moulton, Stowe and others were afraid stadium would come crashing down on them. Before power went out entirely in first aftershock, P.A. announcer told crowd that those in upper deck should leave and those on lower deck should go out onto field. Lights went out and scoreboard went blank. ABC's telecast of pregame show suddenly went off air, but resumed as network's cameras in Goodyear blimp provided first dramatic coverage of disaster unfolding in city.

At Hilton, Seidenberg, who was out on balcony, quickly came in as bartender shouted instructions. "It really shook," Seidenberg said. Andrew Caverly, Rochester Telephone dir.-govt. relations, was on 42nd floor when chandeliers began to sway. Security guards went to each floor to escort guests on long descents through darkened stairwells. Ironically, guests checking in had received instruction sheets on how to react to earthquakes. Few knew they would be needed, and most thought of them as local humor.

Convention wound down earlier than had been expected. As night wore on Tues., inside Hilton some guests carried pillows and blankets from their rooms and tried to sleep in ballrooms, hallways, banquet rooms. Scattered snores indicated some were successful. Under spotlights, other little groups talked and listened to radio, waiting for latest news developments on when power would be back and when airport would reopen. Two-year-old Sarah Sparks wouldn't go to sleep, despite efforts of mother Judy and dad, Northern Telecom's Steve Sparks.

And outside was most remarkable sight of all -- stars usually obscured by groundlights from active downtown shone brightly on darkened city as Goodyear blimp floated quietly over it all.