The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1906-05-02
MISS PERRAULT
TELLS A TALE
FINE DESCRIPTION OF DISASTER
Gives Careful Account of Her Jour
ney Through the City After
the Shock.


in the Inflated city OF san Francisco
during the recent earthquake disaster
She is a sister of Miss Florcstinc Per
rault of this city.
Miss Perrault was in Il roomine hots,
at the corner of Bush and Powell streets
on the morning the disaster occurred
Following is her story in her own words
II was awakened from sound sleel
early in the morning. There was 4 low
rumbling sound and Il terrible shaIl-
ing and tumbling OF the buildings
All at once was thrown out OF my BE-
on the floor / didn't know what was
the matter. ] looked out OF the window
and saw the people streaming out onto
the streets. Then dressed quickly and
rushed out with my life policy certif-
cate in my hand and the streets were
Literally covered with people.
"The first thing I saw was big build
ing tremble and fall, killing man and
MS NAlC III ltSS lIIun nan All uDui dIlcl
the first shock there We're % fires bum
ing fiercely in every direction. There was
no water available. The water pipes
were broken by the shock.
Il rushed back into my room to get
some of my things, but just as | got
in the room there came another shock
1t was such Il funny sensation, | can't
describe it. l grabbed one or two little
articles and rushed out. When | reached
the street, buildings were falling and
bricks were hurled away out in the mid
die of the street. 1t was the most awful
sight that l ever witnessed.
Il walked the streets all day and all
night without anything to eat from in
the morning until at night. | met one
old woman who weighed about 300
pounds. She was scarcely able to walk
l helped this poor old lady along We
walked about miles to the Preside
Thursday morning they began giving
out little canned food. The first loayes
OF bread were given out by the Saliva
ton Army Friday night.
1T was an awful sight to see men,
women and children running about on
the streets half naked and half starved
The children We're crying and logging for
bread. Mothers We're wringing their
hands and trying to peacify their hungry
children. There were $500 tents given
out on Friday.
Il went TO Golden Gate park and there
| found thousands upon thousands of
people. They used quilts. sheets and
old clothes of every kind for tents l
went from Golden Gate park to the GEN.
etery and there were countless numbers
OF people camping on the graves. They
were making clothes of all kinds out of
sheets and every available piece of cloth
Saturday it rained. Everybody was
drenching wet. Oh, how the poor people
suffered from the cold in the cool Of the
night. Everybody seemed to lose their
sense of taste. They were all sick TO
the stomach and everything we ate
tasted alike
1T was reported down there that
there we're 1000 people killed but l don't
think there were that many There were
lots Of people buried in the ruins that
we will never know anything about. I
stood looking at one rooming house
when it collapsed. In that building alone
there were l03 persons killed On Mark
ct street there were lots of sma' build
ings that fell and it is known that many
lives were lost there.
Il saw horses and dogs fall dead on the
streets of starvation. ! saw dogs dig
up the bodies of human beings from the
debris and eat them. The dogs We're then
ordered shot.
THE people Of San Francisco were
brave and courageous They didn't
seem to realize the danger they were ex-
posed to. In all directions the fire was
raging and the throng of people kept
only two blocks ahead OF it, They
would keep moving back as the fire adj
vanced. The air over our heads was
lighted up with sparks and burning Gin
ders. Many of those flying brands of
fire would drop on the crowd Of people
II saw the Palace hotel fall What q
terrible sight it was to see that mag
nifcent building 90 to ruin. This wa.
not the only one that l saw tumble t.
the ground People actually wept wher
they saw those beautiful structures
that adorned the city and made it ono
of unspeakable splendor, topple over
as if they were made Of wax The only
big buildings that remained standing ii
the business section are the Call. tn,
Paramount hotel, the st. Francis hote
and the new postofice building. The
buildings are standing but not as they
were. The mason work is there but