The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-04-24
STORIES TOLD BY REFUGEES.
DRUMMER TELLS HOW HE
HELPED TWO ACTRESSES.
Babes in Toyland" Girls Escaped From
Hotel Lightly Clad-One Walked the
streets BAreroOted-Happy Camps In
Golden Gate Park-Men Put at work.

OUIuNh poNV . So
OAKLAND, April 23.-Leon Kahn, a drum
mer for a New York jewelry firm, had an ex-
citing time. He lost all his valuable sam
pies.
Il was awakened" said Mr.. Kahn, by
the chandelier falling across my legs while
l was asleep. When l got out OF bed the
plaster falling around me made 80 much
dust that l could not use a thing in the room
The bed rolled like aship and could hardly
get up, but finally / managed to put on my
shoes without socks, shirt without collar
and my clothes.
Il tried the door and found 1t sprung SO
could not open it. l started to kiok ana
some one out in the hall remember the
man was big and powerful-broke the door
In with a shove. All this time l thought 1t
was an explosion. On second thought, re-
turning to my room, / looked out the window
where l could see buildings down the street
rocking 10 and fro and some falling into the
street. l realized then it was an earth
quake, grabbed my grip and overcoat, ana
made for the stairs.
Going down / met three girls, memoers
OF the Babes in Toyland' opera company
When we reached the street people we're
running about everywhere and / noticed
the girls were but partly dressed. lhey
refused to return to get more clothes ana
as none would venture in the building there
was nothing TO do but seek safe quarters.
One Of the girls, a Miss Pearl Sargent OF
New York, had nothing on but her night
dress and was barefooted.
"We made for Union Square, where
hundreds were already gathered, ana
thought we were safe until the top OF the
Dewey Monument began to topple over
then we started further up the hill. Miss
Yale started up the hill, still barefooted'
tramping over the rough streets.
"In the meantime | rustled something
to eat for the party. All morning we kept
retreating from the flames and tnaliv
reached the residence district where some
ladies gave Miss Yale a pair of knit slippers
and some clothing, which she wore until
she left San Francisco. That night we
found Quarters at a Mr.. Webb's house at
Bush and Baxter streets. A number OF
women had gathered inside and | remained
on the porch all night. The flames soon
drove US out again and we made for the
Preside, where we stopped the next night,
"On Friday our party started for OAK
land and had hard work getting down to
the pier. When we reached the shore
Iney were hunting " hth w thiN"N 'HN
tug boats. A big sergeant started for
me and / thought it was all off. l gave
nv Trip TO the girls, turned over what
money | had to them and expected to be
kept busy for the next few hours. Here
| was in luck again. just at this moment a
troop of about 100 Cinnamon came wander
ing along, and that soldier captured the
whole gang and put them to work.
au'o not QUAR- tn Oakland in n Govern
ment tug, and there the whole party re-
ceived free tickets to Ogden. In Oakland
l left the girls on their way to New York
b. S. johnson, a wholesale coal dealer
of Hudson, n. Y, with his daughter and the
Rev. C. w. Fritts as travelling companion,
is a broken down man, having taken the
Western trip for his health, and having TO
pass through the ordeal Of the three days
in San Francisco.
E. M. Wyckof and wife of Canandaigurs
y. Y, and j. l.. Wyckof and wife OF Hol-
woke, Mass, were fortunate in that they
saved their trunks. They were in the
Wyckoff says that when the first shock
occur ed he thought it was 2 bellboy KIN OK
ing on the door, but when the second shock
came he saw there was business ahead
That night the party slept in the Odd Fell
lows graveyard. 1t was necessary to stand
in line for some time before PROVISIONS
could be obtained.
BAKFRsFIEIp, April 22-H. W. Thomas, a
evening and related some heartrending
tales to The Sun representative. Mr.
Thomas was ordered TO work by the soldiers
and PIT in one day digging trenches and
carrying dynamite. Men were not com
pelled TO labor indiscriminately.. said MIR.
Thomas. blu every a~blebodiedI man was
/ obliged to go into the streets and .carry
bricks and clear away debris for al few
hours. Not a drop of liquor can be ecur"d
in all San Francisco. .
Il feel very certain that the records of
the CITY have been lost, because when |
passed the Hall OF Records on Friday after
noon the structure was white from heat.
| saw a half clad young man walking down
Market street carrying a pair roller skates
slipped into a ladies' corset: On Market
street. beyond Haight and Valencia, sew
eral persons had erected a tent and at
tached an American flag TO the canvas.
AS groups OF weary pedestrians drew
near the occupants of the tent cheered
them repeatedly. The salutes were re-
turned and JOY prevailed all Friday in that
vicinity. .no
homeless in Golden Gate Park. They
had secured two monographs and numer-
GUS records and we're amusing all that
came near with the music, 1t looked like
a big family, everybody trying to cheer
CHICAGO, April 2s.-All overland trains
arriving in Chicago to-day carried parties
OF refugees. Many Of these had lost every
thing in the fire and earthquake and were
returning to their Eastern homes.
tAThat thousands might have escaped
from San Francisco the first day of the
great earthquake had it not been for false
reI orts as to the destruction of trans
portation facilities that were spread
throughout the stricken city. Is the opinion
5 OF h. A. Kendrick of the Buffalo Express.
sThe ferry to Oakland was in operation
. an usual all Wednesday, he said. Thou
sands could have used it to escape, but
3 a report went out among the people that
! the approach to the ferry and the ferry
, sheds had been destroyed.
= THE result was that few attempted to
cross by ferry to Oakland. The ferry
. was really the only available means Of
exit from Frisco. / crossed On it twice
49, L.. stonninG ut Ika Rerl-