Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1906-04-28
PLUMMER'S EARTH.
QUAKE EXPERIENCES
Participant Graphically and Clearly
Describes Occurrances in San
Francisco.

Fred G. Plummer q special agent
|of The division OF forestry and who for
some time was stationed in this city
on official business, was in the very
midst Of il during the earthquake in
San Francisco last week and has writ
ten the following interesting letter to
the New Mexican:
Los Angeles, Cal, April "a, 1906,
cat the time of the San Francisco
earthquake, on April 18th, | was
asleep in my room at the Occidental
Hotel on the fourth floor, and was
awakened by the very violent rocking
Of the building. Immediately lighted
the electric lamp, and as my watch
was lying on the bureau, together with
some stationery, | was able to note
the duration and amplitude of the vi
brations at that height above the sur
face of the ground. / received no in
jury in so doing, although the plaster
ing fell from the room and the bureau
rolled around more than three feet,
stopping, however, within fourteen
inches of it's original location. Upon
the cessation of this first and most
destructive Of the tremblers, opened
the door and put chair against it,
for fear that second shock might
jam it so that it would not open.
then went to the room of my assistant,
Mr.. Bradley, who crawled out from un-
der a covering of pastering to inquire
ii such things were common occur
renee in San Francisco. On the day
previous we had spent some time dis
cussing the various kinds of struc.
lures used which are supposed to be
earthquake proof, and the number of
seismic disturbances along the Pacific
Coast, as, catalogued by Professor Hol-
den OF Lick Observatory. and which
catalogue contains all of the compila-
tiOnS made by me since 1854 We
then dressed and left the hotel, after
ascertaining that there was no mail
for the forest service in the hotel of
fice None of the passageWays or
stairways were blocked, although the
plaster was very deep and the air was
full of dust. At this time the hotel
was practically deserted Mr.. Bradley
and started for the Raja Yoga
school, on Bush Street, to assist the
lady teachers if help was needed.
After an inspection Of the neigh
boring buildings, an improvised seis-
mograph was set up and during the
day sixteen shocks were traced upon
smoked glass and notes were taken of
time and intensity. Later in the night
it became necessary, owing to the ad-
vance of the flames, to move the party,
which had increased to twenty-one in
number, including three elderly ladies'
who needed help. A gradual retreat
was made before the flames, ending at
the Preside on the evening of the
10Th. Teams were used when avail
able, at an expenditure of about so
per hour.
"The relief work under General
Funston was we'll organized and there
was both shelter and food. For the
preservation of order and cleanliness,
| requested that Mr.. Bradley be made
a sanitary inspector, and had my
friend Sergeant Iverson detailed to
police the Cantonment Of which our
tents were a part. AS danger from
fire disappeared, the party diminished
in numbers, finding homes on the out
lying districts, and | then escorted
three of the ladies to their home at
Point Iona.
This morning, / was informed by
one of the officers OF the International
Brotherhood League, whose headquar.
ters are at Point Iona, that its presi-
dent, Mrs. Katherine Tingley, who is
now at Santiago de Cuba, had cabled
requesting me to institute some relief
for homeless children, funds were
placed at my disposal for this purpose
and l am now en- route to San Fran
cisco to act upon this offer. In the
meantime Mr.. Bradley is continuing
relief work and keeping watch for the
time when the vaults of the Mills
building may be opened and the papers
belonging to the forest service recov.
cred. / also had a desk at the U. s.
Treasury Building and am unable TO
learn if anything was saved All OF
my camp outfits stored in warehouses
and in the hotel were burned, as were
also all of my private effects and some
government property contained in my
trunk. intend to make temporary
headquarters for the receipt of mail
and kilograms in care of Dr.. Allen
Griffiths, 1917 Willow Street"
RTIccIAN assassin