Loma Prieta Ca

What is being called the biggest, deepest known gash in the earth from this week's quake is in this tiny mountain community, swallowing up the azaleas in Freda and John Tranbarger's front yard, attracting curious scientists and drawing crowds of gawkers. The 4-foot-wide, 15-foot-deep, 250-yard-long hole on Summit Road, about 10 miles northeast of Santa Cruz, continued to draw passers-by, picture-takers and tourists to the scenic, redwood forest area on Thursday.

Geologist David Schwartz strides slowly along the four-foot-wide gash through Freda and John Tranbarger's lawn just off Summit Drive in the Santa Cruz Mountains. It's chilly here, this Friday morning after the great earthquake of 1989, and gathering clouds portend an afternoon storm that may wash away some traces of the temblor. Already, Schwartz's search for clues to the quake's nature has been interrupted by three television crews and numerous reporters.

Geologist David Schwartz strides slowly along the four-foot-wide gash through Freda and John Tranbarger's lawn just off Summit Drive in the Santa Cruz Mountains. It's chilly here, this Friday morning after the great earthquake of 1989, and gathering clouds portend an afternoon storm that may wash away some traces of the temblor. Already, Schwartz's search for clues to the quake's nature has been interrupted by three television crews and numerous reporters.

What is being called the biggest, deepest known gash in the earth from this week's quake is in this tiny mountain community, swallowing up the azaleas in Freda and John Tranbarger's front yard, attracting curious scientists and drawing crowds of gawkers. The 4-foot-wide, 15-foot-deep, 250-yard-long hole on Summit Road, about 10 miles northeast of Santa Cruz, continued to draw passers-by, picture-takers and tourists to the scenic, redwood forest area on Thursday.