The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1906-05-07
FROM MISS IVY GIRvIN.
University of California.
Rarkalau r,rii 10 II

| Berkeley. April 10, 1906.
| Dear Folks: l dc not know When this
| can go for everything is so upset that
| the steamers will not get off on time.
| BY this time You have heard of the
awful disaster which has overtaken
all California
| The terrible earthquake which came
yesterday morning at 5:13 walked us
all up, breaking every chimney in
Berkeley and a great many buildings.
The University of California buildings
! escaped unframed, although some are
rot considered safe and no classes will
be held
A great cloud of smoke shot up from
San Francisco Immediately after the
shock. From our house We can sec
the whole bay and cities around. San
Francisco has been shrouded in smoke
all day but terrible news has beer
coming. Earthquake shocks continued
all day. but not so severe
All telephones. telegrapHs and cars
We're stopped. Buildings in Oakland
were badly damag ed. but the worst
news was brought from San Fran
cisco by refugees After the early
trains no one was allowed to go to
San Francisco, but people We're brought
over here
The earthquake tore up the streets,
wrecked many brick buildings, the Oc-
cidental and the City Hall We're de-
molished. Then an awful fire broke
out in the manufacturing district and
swept all the business part of the city.
Last night it was a. raging furnace.
The water mains were broken. SO the
only means of fighting the fire was
by dynamite
To add to our horror in having to
sit quietly here and watch the city
burning. there We're constant crashes
as building after building was blown
up in hopes of stopping the fire But
no effect was had on it. AT the last
news all the business part was gone
from the waterfront to above the En-
porium. The fire swept furthest on
the Mission side of Market street, and
all the hotels and the postofffce are
gone Is now up to about Eighth
street. Then it leaped across and is
spreading on towards North Beach.
The newspaper buildings are all gone.
so we can get no news except by word
of mouth. The refugees are fleeing to
The park. as ii is impossible to get to
the Ferry building. which itself is a
partial wreck
The University of California students
are called on to help. The boys all in
uniform. went on last night fully arm
ed to aid in controlling the riot, 400
last night and the rest this morning,
The girls will have to help feed and
sew for the refugees as fast as they
can be brought on here
No water can be got in the city, and
as all warehouses are burned and rail-
read tracks impeded by landslides,
shortage of food faces even the bay
cities now. while the poor people in san
Francisco have nothing.
No telegraph is open TO the East, but
I suppose the Governor will organize
means of relief as soon as possible.
we are all placed on short rations.
The earthquake shocks were SO Sc
we're all day that it was not considered
safe for US to stay upstairs last night,
SO we packed our grips and camped
out on the first floor, not getting much
sleep as we could hear the roar of
dynamite and see the awful glare in
the sky all night.
This mornings bulletin was that
there was no hope of saving the city.
No water and no wind To carry away
the flames from the residence portion
makes it impossible to do any effective
work. No one here can get news from
friends. | hope our friends are all
right and suppose they have had time
to escape. as the fire has not got ou'
SO far yet.
IT is the most awful thing L ever
heard of and we feel SO helpless with
terrible reports constantly coming in
los Angeles had a slight shock, but
San lose suffered very much and all
but one of the buildings in stanford
are demolished.
The great brick High School in
I2erkelev is A total wreck and yet the
shock here was the slightest of all.
some people came TO the house last
right who had y walk all around the
burning district to get to the ferry
II took them three hours TO get from
Van Ness TO Larkin. All the great
lunches and hotels are gone and the
Grand opera House. The opera sea
can had inst set in and thousands OF
reonla had paid for their seats in ad-
80 hut of course, nothing can be
done about it.
viii try and send You all the pa
ana more news in hopes of some
t.ossa1 Getting off. but meanwhile You
10 nrobablv getting all sorts of news
L. c.. April "a, 1906.
kaer, on writing, although suppose
-. ,,-iII he no steamers leaving for
lttCAS Of no Is