Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1906-04-24

day that laid many of the city's newest
and finest buildings in ruins. The
number of dead and injured could not
be estimated. Some reports limited the
dead to a few scores, while others de
clared the list of casualties wOuldreach
into the hundreds. The first reports
were that 1000 persons had been killed
or injured.
First shock Just at Dawn.
The earthquake is believed to equal
or approach in destruction that which
destroyed Charleston years ago. Many
coast cities also suffered. The first
shock was felt, it was reported, just
as it was growing light. and the dis
turbances continued for several min
utes. The earlier demonstrations were
mild. but as they continued the trem-
bling of the earth became so violent
that the whole population of the city
was disturbed and large proportion
turned into the streets. The communi-
cation with the outside world quickly
was cut off,
Thousands undoubtedly owe their
lives to the early hour at which the
seismic shocks brought their wide
spread ruin. The district most dam
aged is the business portion of the
town. At the time of the Shocks :13
o'clock a. m.-these structures practic-
ally were deserted, and their collapse
caused little, if any, loss OF life. A
few hours later and they would have
been veritable human beehives. Then
the disaster would have been some
thing almost beyond the power of the
human mind to grasp.
BY the time the earthquake reached
It's destructive period the streets of the
city were crowded with thousands of
terror-stricken persons, who rushed to
the way of falling buildings. Hundreds
were supposed to have been caught in
the falling debris and crushed to death
or killed later by the fires which sprung
up all through the business portion Of
the city.
In general it may be said that the
district lying between Market and How
ard streets. from the bay as far west
as the city hall, has been badly wreck
ed. The Call and Examiner Buildings,
as well as the Western Union Build
Ing, have been wrecked. The large de
partlnent stores in this neighborhood
also were ruined. Farther east on
Market street toward the Ferry Slips,
is a section occupied by cheap lodging
houses and hotels and here the loss of
life is reported to be great.
Fire Follows the shock.
Fire followed the crumbling of build
ings along Market street, and the fire
men were powcrless to prevent the
spread of the flames. The earthquake
had broken the mains on the big street
and twisted off the side mains, and it
was almost impossible to take steamers
through the debris in the streets. Vol
unteers brought supplies of dynamite
and began to blow up the blazing de
hris in a vain effoI: to cOnfine the con
fiagration TO the ruined area.
All power in the street car and pri-
vate electric lighting plants was cut of
Wires in tangled masses had been hurl-
ed into the streets.
Near 4th and Stevenson streets the
old red wood buildings made good tin
der for the flames. Fire swept through
the debris of the poorer buildings and
soon got beyond control of the fire fight
ers Across the street the fire swept.
licking up the debris in front of the
Winchester rooming house. Fire spread
to the buildings along the west side of
Sd street. Desperate efforts were made
with powder. dynamite and other ex-
plosives to stop the flames.
One block away The Palace Hotel
was threatened by tie sweep of the
flames. With no water to extinguish
the fire. the big hostelry seemed doom
ed Calls were sent to the Presidio for
soldiers TO help save the business dis
trict from being entirely swept by the
confiagration. POwuer. dynamite and
other explosives We're tried on the blaz-
ing piles of debris.
On Market street merchants stood in
their doors calling loudly for wagons
and offering big sums to the drivers
who would load up with their goods.
Water Front in Flames.
Carried by a strong breeze. the
brands from the Market street fires
landed on the water front and threat
ened the lumber oil and steamship
docks. On Fremont street one of the
worst fires of the early morning threat
ened to destroy block in the whole
sale district. Small fires appeared in
the debris on California and Pine
streets. Soon the flames. unchecked by
water or explosives. gained such head
way that all the wooden buildings as
Ear as Ssnsome street were attacked.