Ripley County democrat. (Doniphan, Mo.) 1905-1920, 1906-04-20


otuKe odr, spresu WIN great raplurty.
Without water to fight the flames, the
Gre department resorted to the use OF
dynamite. blowing up buildings.
The quake was accompanied by a
tidal wave, which swept up into the
city as far as Battery street at some
points, and, recedlng, carried away bod
fly great warehouses. ferry buildings
and shipping. Hundreds Of persons are
thought to have been swept out into the
bay, and all the buildings left In the
area assaulted by the wave are in dan
ger OF collapsing.
The Southern Pacific depot, east OF
Portsmouth square, and me Oakland
ferry were entirely destroyed by the
tidal wave.
The First. shock.
The FIRST shock was at $40 a m. II
came with roll Buildings tottered
and fell. Shrieking humanity poured
into the streets, some escaping the fall
Ing walls only to be creshed to death
In the streets by debris
I The first wave passed, and a minute
later another wave folded the earth;
q minute later slighter wave flowed
In the same direction, and for an hour
the earth trembled from slighter and
slighter shocks, until the force was
spent. .
Another shock CAME at 1915 a. m,
but 1t was of short Duration
The earth wave flowed from the bay
southwestward over the city, but lost
its destructive force on passing the
low lands on which are located the busl-
ness and hotel district.
The shock was plainly felt In the
residence section, which Is on the hills,
but small damage was done in that part
Of the city.
The Flames. {"
A fire In the ruins of the wholesale
houses north of Market street spread
with great rapidly. From Market
street north and from Montgomery
street east the sentire district was soon
In flames.
Soon ghouls, that portion Of humanity
that robs the dead and dying, and loots
burning and wrecked buildings, were
at work. A regiment Of soldiers
from the Presidio was detailed to watch
the business districts.
The flames spread so rapidly that thu
aremen resorted to the use Of dynamite
To check the onward march Of the fire
buildings were blown up
Gas works Blew Up.
The gas works, south Of Marke
street, blew up, end. an immense flr'
raged in that vicinitF
To check the tlow OF gas from broker
mains, huge bags OF sand we're used u
cover the points where the escape o
vapor is the greatest. Numerous smal
; fires started az the result of gas NIL
INK the houses, and many were iniure
: or killed by the explosions which fol
: lowed.
: Fire spread up Market street, an
there were no means to check 1t.
No attempt was made to queli tn
smaller blazes. and the buildings wer
, left to be consumed like SO many snla
, bonhres. Rich and poor alike devote
their energies to delaying the progrei
Of FIRE and sayIns the injured.
= The three buildings occupied by Il
: Call, Chronicle and Examiner newsp'
: pers are 50 badly damaged that the
= are vacated. The Palace hotel, Il
, Grand hotel, the Occidental hctel q
E, others in the immediate vicinity Al
: uninhabltable. While most OF the wal
: Of these buildings remain upright, Il
: windows are broken stairways a
= wrecked, plaster has fallen and cornict
are wrecked
> city. Hall Wreck.
d The city hall, recently completed
e cost OF $7,o0o,0oo. is sad mush
e wreckage. principally caused by the Il
4 Of the tower.
4 The Valencia hotel, between Seve
y teeuth and Eighteenth streets, on v
Il I.encia street, a five-story frame bull
d, Ting, toppled over into the street, bur
y ling rs people in the debris, only I
Is top story remaining intact,
,e A lodging hcase on Seventh sire
4. between Howard and Mission known
- the Kingsley, entirely collapsed. It To-
q Hre. and rs to 80 people are believed
be buried in the flaming ruins.
On Market street. the main thoroue
n fare CT the city. bI5ck after block
IL substential BUILDINGS were DESTROYED
4 Iafs.
.- A Great CONDENSATION Ragged.
"a As the hours passed the excitems
"a grew intense A great oonfasrati
was raging. Every few INMATES |
plosioas were heard as buildings w
:. blown Up 20 stop the progress Of
!, flames. The Gre spread, and San Fr
!. cisco experienced the srsstest cont
!. grafton In rs history.
war Department Gives Ala.
Z. Washington. April fs.--Upon hsarl
:. lof the san Francisco earthquake.
!. Isistant Secretary Of War Oliver, ID |
sbsence Of Secretary Taft. telegraph
lhfaj.-Gen. 0resiy. commanding the
IT lciic division, With headquarters At |
~ IFrancisco. instructinG him to cooper