The Hawaiian gazette., 1906-05-11

OAKLAND, California, April 1s.-At
5:1S o'clock this morning Oakland was
visited by the greatest earthquake in
it's history. Many people were killed, |
three millions of dollars worth of dam |
age done to property.
Three persons are known to have
been killed. How many others have
lost their lives, and the news not reach
ed the morgue or the police, is not
known.
Many houses collapsed under the aw-
full strain and 1t is probable many per-
sons are buried beneath the ruins of
their homes. 1t will require many
hours for the full extent of the damage
TO he determined
Every home in the city was damaged.
Walls were cracked bric-a-brac brok-
en-, windows smashed and general
havoc raised with anything portable.
Through the business district plate
glass windows forming the fronts of
stores were broken and great damage
done.
The big Metropole Hotel was badly
damaged. With the first shock plaster
tiiS W ldIi. anu thN
many guests could depart from the
building the floors were covered with
plasterng, and the guests were forced
to wade through the debris.
The new school building at Thirty
ninth and Market streets was wrecked.
The building was to cost SS7, 900 and
was nearing completion the roof having
been placed in position only few days
ago.
AS a result of the earthquake the roof
caved in and portions of the pressed
sandstone brick side walls fell away,
leaving the building in a bad state of
delapidation. 1t will take fully $4,000
to repair the damage.
KEY ROUTE BLOCKED.
The big brick chimney arising from
the roof of the shops of the Key Route
system was thrown down and in falling
passed through the roof of the build
ing, and damaged the machinery to
such an extent that all traffic over the
Key Route had to be suspended. Street
car traffic was also impaired through
out the entire city and on some lines
stopped completely.
Telegraph and telephone lines were
damaged. All means of rapid COM
muncation with San Francisco have
been cut off. Not a telephone connect
ed with Oakland office of the Sunset
Company is in working order.
The earthquake of this morning far
outdoes the shock which old residents
remember happening October u, 1868.
The shocks then occurred as follows:
7:54, very heavy, direction northeast
and southwest, rolling motion. AL
most like a continuation of this came
a whirling notion S:26, a slight shock;
S:44, heavy shock with rolling motion;
9:l1, slight shock; 1915 heavy shock,
with rolling motion, and UP and down
movement; 1912, slight shock; 3:17
slight shock; 4:OS, double shock up and
down. 1t is said there were thirty
two shocks in all during the day, but
these mentioned were especially notice
able. In comparison to the desolation
sustained in the neighboring towns
Oakland did not suffer much damage.
Crockery and glassware were broken
and many chimneys were laid low.
Oakland also suffered shocks June IL,
1903, and August 8, 1908.
THE SECOND SHOCK.
After the terrible shocks at 5:19
~ ClOCh lillS hoptu
the earth would quit its terrible rock
ings, but again, three hours later, or
at S:14 o'clock another temblor came
1t was mild in form, continuing for
scarcely more than a second, but was
enough of a reminder of the horrors
of three heurs before to cause great
uneasiness.
Fire broke out in the home of Mrs.
-I,.-a ND
street as the result of the earthquake,
and so rapid was the spread of the
flames that Mrs. Martin had to jump
from a second story window to save
herself from death. The fire started
from a gas range which the jarring
disconnected.
An alarm was promptly turned in
and the firemen arrived on the scene,
but there was no water. Until the
building had been razed to the ground
the owners of it were forced to watch
1t burn.
The home of Policeman George Ely,
at No. 440 Edward street. caught fire
from the Martin home, as did that of
S. c. Brown. at No. 446 Edward street.
Both these fires were controlled before
they had done great damage.
APPALLING DAMAGE.
The damage and devastation in the
fashionable residence district was APP
palling. There is hardly house along
the lakeside that has not been more or
less damaged. Interiors suffered the
most, the finest paintings were thrown
to the floor and costly bric-a-brac, the
collection of years, have been demol-
ished.
While the windows and chlmneys of
almost all of the buildings are down
and broken out there is but little dam
age TO frame work, owing TO the fact
that most of them are wooden struc-
lures. Along the lakeside great assures
were opened In the ground, and In
many places the water mains have
been broken and the streets are being
Hooded.
Across the Twelfth-street dam the
flood gates sunk and the water of the
lake Is running out OF the canal The
street along the car tracks was opened
nm ana the Hon Ton hOathOuse was