Arizona republican., 1906-05-05
EVENTS OF A WEEK P FORMER PHOENIX BOY
Repeats the Story of the Ruin of San
 Francisco.

Oakland. Cal, April 2S.-(Special coz respondence of The Republic an.)-With your permission 1 shall use the columns of your paper, which by the way is a ] pleasant visitor every day to tell my friends in high school circles and else where in the valley that I escaped the recent catastrophe unhurt.
 Much damage was done throughout the region about the bay, San Jose, San Francisco and Santa Rosa receiv- ing the brunt of the shock. Santa Rosa, it seems. suffered the most pro- portionally from the direct effects of the earthquake. San Francisco's loss was almost wholly from the Tire that followed. The ratio is estimated at 9S to 2.
 IL is certainly sad to view the ruins of that once proud, imperial city It now lies low. Market, Kearney and California streets no longer throb with life and activity. The Emporium, famed as a bazaar where the fashion able sought the latest fad in lace or gown, has mingled her fabrics in the dust. The Zinkand cafe, where once thronged the elite with rustic or silk and sparkling jewels is no more. The Merchants Exchange, once the pride of the brokers, is now an ash pit. Van Ness, the avenue of pretty homes, and Mob Hill, the far famed villa of Crock CT, Stanford and others, are alike erased from the face of the city.
 The poor went with the rich. Three hundred thousand people now homeless walk the streets of neighboring towns and cities, the refugees Of the most direful calamity of our genera tion. It was awful. Words cannot describe the ruin. devastation and misery that now sweep the bay from one end to the other.
 All ranks of society were IeveIed in a common disaster. Enemies who had been in strife for years worked side by side fighting back the fire fiend which was playing havoc with their beloved city.
 The day before the fire the rich man scorned the beggar who stood with un- covered head at his door asking aims. The following night they slept side by side on the highway. alike homeless and penniless, brothers m the same calamity. The social queen and the housemaid bewailed a common fate and fought over crust of bread in their new hOme-the Golden Gate park.
 The child was there. Torn from it's mothers arms by the frantic tnrong,
  Caught and pushed by the moving mass of humanity it wanders. it knows not where. The mother with her sick child in her arms is jostled and pushed by the motley throng till her strength is gone. She falls to be trampIed to death by that dazed. horror stricken mass and two more victims are added to the death roll.
 For thirty-six hours this frenzied fight with ruin continued. The fury abated and the fire fiend staid it's dead ly hand. Confusion gave way to hope and on the second day the sun rose over a bIighted city all but destroyed.
 Relief was immediate. James D. Phelan. ex-mayOrEof San Francisco, and one of her most highly esteemed contributed one million dol lars for the. icity's refugees. From Washington Chicago. St Louis, Den yer and Portland came liberal oontri- butiOnsa
 So was written in a single week q page in our nations history. On one side a sad. direful calamity. the great est of our generation; on the other a responsive people, a peo- pie strong and proud in the worlds activities. fraternaI and humble in her own needs. E. G. ALEXANDER.
 Formerly of Phoenix High School.