The Hawaiian gazette., 1906-05-22
1911 Bancroft Way.

ccived by Secretary Wood, of the Pro
motion COMMITTEES:
1911 Bancroft Way,
Berkeley, Calf, May 4, '06.
Dear Mr.. Wood Have been wanting
to write ever since the great disaster
and advise YOU of my present address,
| for you will probably be wanting to
send me those documents for the Ma
| tional Editorial Association and the
slides. You see it requires nothing
short of death for me to give up a
proposition after having once launched
it. OF course i realize now, that it will
be quite impossible to- handle the mat
| ter for the coming winter, on account
of not having ample accommodations
in San Francisco, and the steamship
companies will not be in position to
handle the crowd. However, it is my
intention to present the invitation as
previously arranged.
About the last thing | did on Tuesday
evening, April 18th, was to mail letters
to Honolulu, and my last article was one
to the National Printer Journalist, pub
lished in Chicago, telling of my trip to
the Islands and giving pen picture of
what was in store for the members,
should they accept the invitation. 1t
was Just twelve clock when / finished
this. l had been writing all the even
ing. Miss Sallie Madigan and young
lady friend of hers had been spending
part of the evening and reading my
manuscript.
About midnight the people had begun
returning from the Grand Opera (sec-
ond night, the safe was filing and the
music was waiting out through the
Palm Garden and up the halls. |
walked out of my room and looked
down on the gay throng and beautifully
gowned ladies. then returned to my
room and retired.
4 / had slept soundly and was suddenly
awakened by being thrown almost from
my bed and at the same time by being
completely buried in plaster. The
hotel was rocking and creaking like a
ship in n storm. The heavy furniture
was being tossed like toys. i could see
the flash of lights in the hall and be-
lieved the hotel to be on fire. 1t was a
difficult task to reach my door, scream
ing frantically for help. The door
would not open. AS | jerked it, the
whole transom came down with broken
glass cutting me. Oh! it seemed that !
would go mad with terror! Others, like
myself, were imprisoned. 1t seemed so
long before the door could be opened!
A lady helped to push it finally. Then
] heard people calling Earthquake
and rushing to the stairs. One mass of
humanity was tumbling down the fine
flight, over plaster, broken glass and
palms. About seven hundred white and
agonized faces looked pityingly to one
another We expected every moment
another shock The building might
collapse, or if in the street, there was
danger of falling brick, then add TO
this the cry of "Fire!'
We rushed to the street and even Mt
this time fire had broken out in many
places. They told us it would not reach
the Palace, and after nearly an hour !
ventured to my room and grabbed a
4. dress and my Hawaiian hat and my
steamer rug and FASTENED to Union
: Square. | was also worried about Mr..
: and Mrs. o. n. Strong of Oil City, Pa,
| who had been on the Islands with us.
They were still mt the st. Francis and
soon found hem out in the Square by
/ the hotel.
! / never went back to the Palace. A
+ gentleman friend of mine, who found
, me so frantic said he would go to the
: Palace and try to get my trunk. i gave
, him the wrong floor and the wrong side
of the house, so he lost time and only
. got hold of my steamer trunk, which
had but little in it. Ny souvenirs and
: all pictures and press clippings were
burned. 1t makes my heart sick tc
. think of every strand of beads given me
. my yacht club button, in fact every
/ thing but my hat. would not have re
+, GREETED losing my clothes, Easter bon
, net or anything that was burned, il
only my pretty things from the Islands
D could have been spared. All my native
jams and preserves, excepting one JIM
that happened to be in my small trunk
. were gone, and that / gave next morn
ing to some children crying for food
was saving it for some special occa
sion-little realizing that it would b.
a used under such terrifying circum
: stances.
n All day Wednesday / witnessed sue
= heartrending scenes. The dead an
s the dying were on every side, faces az
pearing at windows vainly calling 70
n help, flames sweeping down on helples
y beings who were caught beneath talle
o buildings, women carrying dead babe
e in their arms, thousands fleeing TO
their lives toward the parks and hills,
: With not drop of water, there wa
t not ray of hope that the fires woul
cease until everything WAS burned on
= Late in the evening the fire sprea
- across Market street and toward Unio
!: Square. Mrs. Strong and had role
5, M in "A blanket and We're sitting in tn
d Square. when the guard quickly ordere