The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-06-01
SAN T FRANCISCO
TO Rise AGAIN
So Says Mr.. A. L. Drcndell, a
Prominent Manufacturer OF
That City.
TELLS STORY OF DISASTER
People Arc Wording Hard and
Will Rebuild More Beautiful
Than Before,

Mr., a. u. Drendel, manager Of tho
Drcndoll switchboard Company, clcctrl-
cal manufacturers of San Francisco, and
Western agents for tho Tower Blnford
Electrical Company, arrived In this city
yesterday and IS stopping at the Ricli-
mond Hotel.
IIc was seen at his room last night
by Timos-Dispntch reporter, and told
u vivid story Of the late disaster In his
city. Mr.. Drendolls homo III San Fran
cisco is ut 5l5 Church street, which is In
tho Mission District, and the fro was
checked utter 1t had como within one
block of his residence. 1t escaped the
fire, but the earthquake did not leave
square inch of plaster on the walls OF
the rooms. at tho first shock MI Dren-
dell and his wife rushed out ofa.--e house,
thinking that tho world was coming to
an end.
Words cannot describe the horror OF
the scene" he said. 'Thc fire was al
ready coloring tho enry morning Will
an angry crimson. l rushed down into
tho city to help rescue the injurSl from
tho houses before they caught fire.
noticed with pride the calmncss and bus
mess like way the entire populnce took
the disaster, and the way they went to
the rescue Of those who needed aid
II helped save twenty-seven people
and the Valencia Hotel, at Valencia and
Eighteenth Streets. We would 10
through, tho rooms Of the wrecked build
ing. and where thore was q sign OF life
In a body we would pry whoever 1t was
out from beneath the debris. Those who
were plainly crushed to death we had
no time to remove"
Not Exaggerated.
Mr.. Drendell went on to say that the
extent Of the. disaster had not been exag-
gerated by the newspapers excepting ,, the
House tumblng into the sea.
He has been away from San Francisco
Just two weeks and says that when ne
LEFT there the people were Wori1g IKE IKE
this remarkable fact "Thc Southern Pa
& cifc. Santa Fe. Western Pncinc and
ocean View Railroads have lined the city's
streets with a network OF railroads and
out OF the city and using 1t as ballast.
on their tracks,
Mr.. Drendeil showed tho reporter all
that was left t. Of his offices. which were
from the Palace Hotel
He took these remains from his purse
% mass OF nickcls and bit OF s steel which
had melted together In his telephone.
This simply goes to show the great In
tensity OF the heat ut this point oftthe
fire. Nickels in a San Francisco telo-
phone, after being dropped Into slot,
are cncased in two steel boxes. one
within the other.
Tall Buildings Stand.
I'm all the burned district" said Mr..
Drendell, taking out some brown wheat
straws and n sack Of tobacco-thc charac-
terlstic smoke OF the prince and the
pauper In the West-"there are only ten
buildings LETT which are not ruined. But
what is most happy. they are the tallest
and finest buildings in the city, which
goes to show that the modern steel struc-
ture of any height can stand the earth-
quake and fire.
There Is no question Of the city build
ing up more beautlfrk and greater than
1T was before. want to say. this, that
nothing but the highest praise can be
given to the conduct Of the State and
national militia"
Mr. Drcndell Is travelling through the
East and South buying q new supply OF
stock and machinery, and Is an example
of the Wcsterners progressiveness.
Mr. Drendell said that the Dewey
monument, standing 100 feet high. did not
fall but that each great block OF stone
in the lowering column was thrown sew
eral inches out Of place. SO that 1t looks
like irregular steps.