Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1906-04-21
EARTHQUAKE
And FIRE RAzE
SANFRANCISCO
Whole City Rent by Shock and
Flames Now Raging.
AT LEAST 500 PERSONS DEAD
Property Loss Already Placed At
S2oo, 900, 900.
THOUSANDS ARE HOMELESS

THOUSANDS ARE HOMELESS
The Entire Business Portion o. the
City Is In Ruins. and the Flames.
Owing to Lack Of Water, Cannot Be
Checked. and Are Sweeping Through
the City, Which Is Under Martial
Law - Outside Towns Suffered Sc.
vereIy-stanford University Badly
Damaged.
San Francisco April 10. - Earth
guakes and fire have put nearly all
OF San Francisco in ruins AZ least
500 persons have been killed 1000 in
jured and the property loss will eX-
coed $500 900 600 Thousands are
homeless and destitute and all day
long streams Of people have been flee.
ing from the stricken districts TO
places Of safety. II was 5.l3 in the
morning when a terrific earthquake
shock shook the whole city and sur
rounding country. one shock appar-
entity lasted two minutes and there
was almost Immediate collapse OF
nimsv structures all over the city. The
water supply was cut of and when
fires broke out in various sections
there was nothing 10 do but let the
buildings burn Telegraph and tele'
phone communication was shut OF for
a time. Electric power was stopped
md street cars did not run. Railroads
and ferry boats also ceased operations
Fires ragged all day and the fire de
partment were powerless TO do any.
thing except dynamite buildings
threatened All day long explosions
shook the city and added to the terror
OF the people.
Second Shock Not SO Severe.
Following the first shock there was
another within five minutes, but not
nearly so severe. Three hours later
there was another slight quake. Re-
ports from districts outside Of san
Francisco indicate widespread damage
San Jose. 81 miles south. lost many
buildings and from 10 to 20 persons
were killed The annex OF the Ven
dome hotel collapsed and fires broke
out. stanford University and Palo
Alto suffered greatly At stanford
many of the handsome buildings We're
demolished and two persons were kill
ed One OF them was Julius Robert
Hanna. OF Bradford Pa. and the other
was otto Curtis. a fireman. The mem
orial church. one OF the finest Of its
kind In the world. is a mass Of ruins.
Six other students are lying In the
Palo Alto hospital with bruises, cuts
and internal injuries.
The court house al Redwood City and
other buildings collapsed Menlo Park,
Burllngame and other fashionable
splace suffered greatly
The greatest destruction occurred in
that part of the city which was re-
claimed from San Francisco Bay. Much
OF the devastated district was at one
time low. marshy ground covered by
water at high tide As the city grew,
Il became necessary 70 I'LL in many
acres OF this low ground In order 70
reach deep water. The Merchants Ex
change building. a History steel struc-
ture. was situated on the edge Of this
reclaimed ground. II was just com
pleted. and the executive Offices OF the
Southern Pacific company occupied the
greater part Of the building
The damage by the earthquake to the
residence portion OF the city, the finest
part Of which is on Mob Hin and Pa
cific Heights. seems 10 have been slight.
on Mob Hill are the residences OF many
OF the milionaires who In the early
seventies became wealthy through
mining investments or the construction
OF the Central Pacific railway They
include the Stanfords Huntingtons.
Hopkins. Crockers. Floods and others.
The offices OF the three morning pa
pers, the Chronicle, the Call and the
Examiner are situated within 100 feet
OF each other The Chronicle building.
at Market and Kearney streets. is a
l0-story steel frame building. and is
one OF the first buildings OF It's charac-
ter put up in San Francisco. The
spreckles building. in which was the
business Office OF the Call is iG stories
high. They were nearly all destroyed.
Just across Third street from the
spreckles building il the some Of the
Examiner. seven stories high with a
frontage Of 100 feet In Market street.
The postofice IS a fine gray stone
structure. and has been completed less
than two years. The city hall. which
was partly wrected. is mile and a
half from the water front u was an