Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-04-30
Writes to His Father, Hon. O. F.
Whitney, Graphically Por-
traying II.
MINIMIZING LOSS OF LIFE.
Declares That the Correct Figures win
Run From $500 TO 6.OOO--
Desolation Everywhere.

Francisco, and who was at one time a
member of the Deseret News staff:
San Francisco, April 25--My Belov.
ed Parents, Brothers and Sisters. In
DC heat OF the affair | managed to
ocrIbble you a line to the effect that
] was safe. The wires were belatod
The mail was worse. SO my mind was
not entirely at rest concerning you.
knowledge OF my escape until | saw
Priest. and he told me he had sent word
TO the Herald that Wally and myself
came out all right. Thank heaven he
did
! hardly know where TO begin I'm re-
lating this story. | do not want to pic
ture all the horrors that we newspaper
men have encountered, and yet / want
20 give you clear idea OF the terri
BILE situa which is not as yet re-
lleved, no matter what the reports say.
They are published with the sole view
Of allaying fear, The people here are
in a state of panic, The city IL under
martial law. over $4,000 people are
camping In the streets and public
parks, weather cold, provisions dealt
out by the government, one can at a
time, one loaf at a time, aud an oc-
casional smackering of butter, meat
ana sugar. This may not last long,
however. Thousands OF trainloads of
stuff are coming this way but tho
problem Is how to get It to the people
with the limited number of teams at
the disposal OF the relief forces,
Meanwhile, Wally Young and | are
sleeping in comparative luxury. We
found furnished fiat that had been
deserted by "A terror-stricken family,and
have the privilege of using It until
they return from their place of refuge,
wherever that may be. Gene Lewis Is
with us, and several others for whom
we had room and whom we found
homeless. (By the way, get word to
Genes people. don't believe his name
was mentioned in the reports to Salt
Lake,
DREADFUL CONSEQUENCES.
Between all OF us we exc out fine
existence--appointin daily committees
on grub, on cooking, on Homework, etc.
Cooking all done in the street. No
fires, nor lights allowed in the houses.
We have had dozen earthquake
shocks since the destroyer but none of
them very dangerous. The great fear
now Is an epidemic as the result OF
sanitary conditions The sewer sys-
teni was wrecked. Garbage holes and
closets have been dug in the middle OF
the principal streets by the score and
the military authorities are doing ev-
frything possible to avert the epidemic.
but nevertheless. there are probably 80
hospitals filed 10 the doors with pa
TENTS. one of the most horrible fea-
lures of tho whole thing was the con-
iinement of over 100 women the Sec
ond night of the disaster In Golden
Gate park and the Preside, the COM
mon camping grounds. The mothers
We're without shelter or medical nj.
tentlon, and many OF them died with
their babes Literally scores OF
men have been shot dead for
stealing or for refusing to
work when commanded. One Of
Tense is quite as grave as the other
in these times II soldier tells you
to do thing and you hesitate It is as
much as your life is worth.
MINIMIZING LIFE LOSS.
| understand the first reports sent out
placed the loss of lie at 300. Absurd!
That many were crushed in two hotels
that know of. The exact number may
never be known. hut II cannot possibly
be under 5000, and may run as high
as 5000, The streets are filled--or were
until couple of days ago--with wom-
w "i'N NhliNl'h VI lux tltuu LOT lntIl
loved ones, and men went through
town half-crazed searching for their
families. II Is difficult to understand
how so many families were separated
when the earthquake occurred at tho
respectable hour of 5:I5 a, m, but there
We're thousands. The people are only
coming TO their senses now. The pa,
pers are devoted almost exclusively to
personal advertisements OF friends in.
qulring for friends and registry stations
are maintained I'm all parts of the city
for the benefit OF the seekers
ALL EQUAL NOW.
\ striking feature of the calamity is
the good nature which prevails an1onL
the saner classes. Men who were m
afnuent circumstances a week ago to-
day are on level now with the hun.
blest laborer. | have seen multi-mil-
llonaires. dressed IN long frock coats
and silk hats-all they saved, perhaps
standing in line two blocks long BE-.
hind Chinese or Italian laborers, await
ing their loaf OF bread for the children
az home They take II good -naturedly,
They realize how hopeless any Other
course would be.
We're all even now" they say;
wen start again and see who gets tn,
money"
IL was common TO see an army car.
tain dash up To a mansion on Nai.
Ness avenue (which was. of course, tn,
most fashionable residence street, ana
tell the owner he had 10 minutes to
clear out before they dynamited the
house.
But" he might say don't you know
man, that this represents the savings
Of a llfetime?"
Fifteen minutes. | said" And the
officer would spur on his horse to the
next mansion. Millions of dollars were
lost to dynamite in the effort 10 check
me raging fire The fire itself Is be.
yond description. II you can imagine
mass Of buildings extending from
Fort Douglas 10 the Jordan river, ana
from Mil Creek to Anderson's tower.
all burning, you have some idea of tn,
fearful, yet inspiring, sight.
WHEN CRASH CAME.
Wally and myself had been working
a the Chronicle office late on Tuesda,
night q was regularly employed there
as YOU probably know, and after work
decided to do some work on the opera,
10 II was about . o'clock when we
started home. We were standing In
front OF the Auditorium hotel when the
crash came. Instinctively we started
Tor tho middle Of the street, and wher
we mad stood less than one second be-.
lore there was Il pile OF bricks seven
Ieet nigh The whole top of the struc-
lure had fallen down. 1t had -four
stories to run and we had about 80
rect We won. II was the first earth
quake | had ever experienced, and be-
ueVe me. they ere very unpopular with
your eldest son. While was writing thin
paragraph the house shook slightly, but
we arc rather getting used TO Il now.
ne Tear of another quake IN keeping
ousands OF people out of their homes,
ou' our little group has decided that