, 1906-05-03

Mr.. and Mrs. A. e. Hutchins of New
York are guests at the Union Pacific
They were on their way home from
California, when Mrs. Hutchins became
too i'll to proceed and her husband left
the train with her here, placing her
under the care of DR.. Ballard. Mrs.
Hutchins is suffering from an attack
of nervous prostration, due to long i'll
ness in San Francisco and the horrors
of the earthquake there a couple of
weeks ago, she being in the city at
the time. In fact, she was just recov-
ering when the shock came, and had
been out of doors the day before for
the first time in many weeks. Mr.,
Hutchins was see by a reporter for
The Republican this morning.
Wife Was Greatly Shocked.
1--WE have been living in San Fran,
cisco for the past two years." Mr.,
Hutchins said, although we were
planning to return to New York in
June. l had retired from business, and
while we both believed that we should
return to New York to live in time,
we were greatly pleased with the eli
mate at San Francisco and stayed
there. We had apartments in the old
Croker house, one of the best built
in the city, and were asleep when the
shock occurred.
Furniture Barred the Door.
my wife was sleeping on the large
room of our suite and | in a smaller
room some distance away. l felt the
shock of the earthquake and sprang
to the floor, my first thought being of
my wife. A heavy chiffoniere which
stood in my 20 moved across the
floor in an incredibly short space of
time and blocked the door. Before /
could that and gain the hall Mrs.
Hutchins had reached my door and was
calling to me. / opened the door and
took her in my arms, and together we
made our way from the building with
only the clothes we wore at the time.
l saw not a dollar Of my belongings
after that.
Followed by the Fire.
81 went to the street, making my
way from point to point, being driven
forward each time by the fire that fol-
lowed and licked up everything in
sight. 1t was an awful experience, and
it is small wonder that my wife is
alive. She was greatly shocked, being
i'll and weak, and l had great trouble
in quieting her. Finally, by practically
bribing the driver of a hack, | giving
him SIS to take us to the ferry, | man,
aged to reach the water front and
thence to Oakland, where we remained
until the next day. From Oakland we
went to Sacramento and left that city
for the east a day or two ago. shall
! keep my wife here until she RECEIVERS
sufficiently to withstand the fatigues
of the journey, when we shall proceed
to our home in New York. She is very
tired from the trip so far, but is rest
ing easily today, and l have hope she
will soon be much better"
The Horror of It All.
Mr.. Hutchins said words failed him
when he tried to describe the horror
of the seismic shock. 1T felt just as
though the floor was coming to meet
you and that you would be squeezed
to death. The building swayed and
rocked, the chimneys fell, and there
were great cracks in the plastering
The heavy piece of furniture slipped
across the floor as though it had beer
nothing but a chair, pinning the doc
fast, so that l vas a long time gettin!
out of my room. Building after build
ing was blown up, in the hope of stop
ping the flames, but you know all abou
that. l have had enough of earth
quakes for all time. Sometime the
whole of the water front will slip inc
the ocean n hat will be the end. II
will be years before the city is rebuilt
if it ever is, which sometimes seems
doubtful"