Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1906-05-29
VOLUrlE XXI.
Alamo Square Camp Tent No 30
Sunday April 20 1906.
Dear Father, Mother and Family.

To-day for the first time since the
great shake down something of peace
and calm have settled down over what
was once San Francisco and | will try to
Use this lull to give you few items Of
news,
On the 2Oth sent you a telegram
and letter telling you of my salty but
have no idea whether either reached you
have had no mail Of any kind since
before the quake.
San Francisco is destroyed and the
situation is worse than indicated by the
dispatches sent out from here. MOdi-
fled reports are sent East so Eastern
capitol may not be scared away.
am thoroughly informed as to the
real conditions and am as able to judge
as any one, my estimate of the number
of killed is between 1900 and 20O0.
Hundreds are dead and utterly con.
sumed and will never be reported or
herd from, all the busines section is bur
ned, and Of the residence section there
is left only part of the Mission part of
the western addition and the Richmond
district. The various railroads and 5 S
Companies report that they have carried
away over 800, 600 people, probably
about l59, 600 remain all being support
ed by public aid, 1 say 100000 probab-
ly remain but doubtif quite that mum.
Der are here, though all estsmates indi-
Gated 100000 people here before the
Earthquake. Anew city will Ge built
but it will take many years and it will
not be the old San Francisco we see
now, but an entirely different place,
Secretary Metcalf on arriving here said
Eastern dispatches gave no idea of the
awful devastation of the Earthquake
and fire, and even who saw it all, or as
near al as any one person could see,
can hardly realize it yet. a view from
the top Of Mob Hill, showing half the
burned district aud including the burn
ed out ''sky scrapers" is something neve
effaced from ones mind. Nothing like
Il was ever seen before.
OF my own experience | do not feel
much inclination to write but suppose
you wish to know something of them,
The Eulwoods strong frame and
heavy walls wthstood the shock but it
balanced first on one side then the other
undecided whether to 60 over or back
ON its foundation, | was in the office
which was on the I'd floor, had made
the s O'Clock calls and then lay down on
the carpet to wait till $50, so when the
shake came / was doing and opened
INV ewes lust ii time to catch the first
shower of plaster. ! had turned the
kew In thedoor and the iammed max
ing me prisoner, it was almost imPys-
sble to walk. the house rolled so, and
the lights went out at the first jolt, l
finally reached the side window and
started to jump out, but it occurred to
me that would land just in time to
have the house fall on me so sat in
the window and waited and meditated
Various thoughts fitted throgh my
mind one being that now | would
know how It felt to have house fall on
me. hardly expected to get out The
whole earth seemed going to pieces
"a Above, beloNson all sides was tha
fearful unearthly roar, punctuated
with the crash of falling buildings whil'
the Earlwood building seemed to b.
grinding to powder, behindme the oifc'
furniture was going to peices, while II
front was rain of mortar and pieces 0
brick, once looked up and caught m!
ewes full, when the vibration lessened
Jumped out on the back porch Of al
adjoining building and made my wa,
through the wreckage TO the stree
where | saw through the binding clou'
Of dust people in night clothes and n
clotes running wildly through the street
of awrecked and ruined city. ON a
sides we're collapsed houses filled wit
dead and dying the idjured and impr
sonei we're screaming and calling fc
help, help destined in most cases nevt
TO reach them for fires spfinging up !
many places soon converted these ruiz
into roaring furnaces which browne
every other sound
By a. m. the EArlwood stood abov
the wreck swirling mass OF flames an
later went down in the general run
at no place in the city was the destrua'
ton more complete Than IN cur imme'
cate neighborhood.
mi 4 Ia