Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1906-05-03
Personal EXPERlENCE.
Conclu led fr I'm fl rst rage.


their st >ck, a ID being driven away bv
the fam as, almlessly ione the crowds
OF floating men and BOYS and became
aooters themselves. In most cases,
however, they turned the goods, liquors
and groceries taken from the stores into
{ I. han is OF the peop VITO had charge
o the Commissar Department.
At this time drunkenne-s was ram
drink, and therefore being Obliged to
satisfy the cravings of thirst with beer
and all kinds of Qun,s. However,
when the soldiers would run across II
pa ty having in It's possession ialee
Qusnti les OF iqTn.. they would rescue
it and knock tn bead OF 'h4 barrels in.
saw six men, moving piano from
a saloon near ire New Git, Hal hjeti
ousiy dru k and sea,e', upon the piano
which was upside ,wn.
During the afternoon the most incon-
sistent reports began To be sp'ead
among the p p7pulace These We're t
the effect that water had been turned
on. that they 4 one bundled streams
playing on the ii G, nd that beyond a
doubt the fasbioEnhle res deuce section
OF the city would be save Son these
reports would b. denied bv men ftes-
from the scene Of action.
We also heard that Nav York was in
practically the same fix that we were,
that Chica-o was under water, ard
Seattle. Salt Like and Los Angeles
burned 70 the ground
Hundreds and hundreds cf property
owner. on Van Ness Avenue and at
vicinity, ID 'olntely refnsed to rpetd
the night in their homes, pc ferriI Z to
cit on the curb tones IN chairs, and 10
sleep On the lawns in front of Their
residences.
To add horror to the night and its
fatalities, the sick ami old began to
succumb to disease and fear, and many
died of heart trouble. The most hor.
rible aspects of the catastrophe were
the aged and decrepit men and women
who wee OF eve V corner in an tx'
hausted and starved condition, and the
little babies in arms who were cryii g
Tor nourishment Enemies of long
standing met and emby yaced each other
on common footing. There were hun
dreds of acts, of charity, ard chiyalry,
such as dividing the last morsel OF food
end artic es Of wearing apparel and
shelter, with one another
The rising generation among the
better class seemed to accept the loss OF
homes, money and everything in life, IN
the same spirit in which they lived.
Common expressions were "We are
pretty lucky to be alive" Eat, drink
and be merry" etc.
1t had it's ludicrous. as we'll as it's
serious, side. People saved the most
valueless sort Of things. saw man
at the Presidio who had phorog,aph
horn and coffee pot, insisting on taxi
ing both articles onto the tug.
| saw three women carrying large
oil painting OF Mt. Hood down Van
Ness Aveoue to a place OF safety. Any
thing and everything that had wheels
vas put at a value that money would
hardly bny. Bicycles, Morris chairs,
baby Carriages. sewing machines and
chlidren's wagons we're common We
hicies for moving effects.
saw family save their hous ehold
eff cts-amoug tn m being piano--in
sWisl wagon. Tie express men would
charge from tive to fifty dollars a load.
Bread started at TIVE tnty-tiye ceuts loaf,
and went steadily up.
met a poor hackman at the PTesidio
who, it was said, had moved families
down to the waterfront all day long and
refused 10 accept cent. One of his
pas elgers told me that few hours
alter the shock this poor man hao
bought go loaves OF breed, and had
given them 10 the Old Ladies' Home.
An1ther man who ran market on
Polk Street refused to accept any money
whatever for his food and provisions,
giving everything free of charge to any
one who would take it away. A few
doors above him bakeryman was SELL
ing cookies, two for cents.
4 small bottle of wood alcohol
which was in great demand for spirit
| mps, brought 81 and So
AS the fire began to take hold OF the
residence portion of the city and to eat
up Van Ness Avenue, the people began
10 retrea' block by block toward the
Park AID the Pres dio.
Soon it was reported that there were
barges running to Oakland and across
the-bay points. Thousands got out Of
the city in this manner, going aboard
the barges and tugs at the foot OF Van
Ness Avenue, and being carried thence
10 the ferry slip, and in that manner
making the ferries to Berkeley, Ala
media, Oak end and San Rafael.
| personally landed in Berkeley and
they were doing noble work for the
homeless ard sufferers. Idora Park in