The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1906-04-20


force the entire business section OF the
city swayed and toppled over with
great crash, just as though the hand
of a Titan had suddenly come up from
the bowels OF the earth and with one
sweep had brushed aside the pygmy
structures that we're IN It's way, as
though they were buildings of cards, so
swift and complete was the destruc-
ton.
Not u single business building Is left
intact Main street Is piled many feet
deep with the debris Of fallen build
lngs.
Identification Of many Of the bodies
thus far recovered is impossible.
The destruction includes all Of the
county buildings. The four story court
house, with its magnificent dome, is
an unsightly pile of broken masonry
and gnarled and twisted steel.
Simultaneous with the last great
shock came the bursting Of the water
mains. Only few moments later
flames broke forth in score of places
Within an hour the city WAS doomed
What was not destroyed by the earth
quake was consumed by the fire
AT Los Angeles shortly after midday
an earthquake disturbance was felt.
aud in the vicinity two distinct shocks
were felt, beginning at 1885, and the
office from which this message was
sent rocked like boat.
About the same time news came over
the wire from Santa Barbara that an
other earthquake shock had been felt
there. While efforts were being made
to obtain more details communication
was suddenly broken of.
Like toy puzzle railroad, the tracks
from Monterey, Castroville and Pajaro
are twisted and distorted. The country
is literally torn wide open. Great de-
pressions from which mud geysers
spout shale colored slime are frequent
For half mile stretches the roadbed
hns dropped four to six feet
One hundred and twenty bodies have
been taken ont Of ST. Agnes Insane
asylum near Santa Clara, and there
are probably 100 more oorpses in the
ruins. The magnificent structure was
demolished.
Eight dead Italians were taken out
Of the Italian hotel at San Jose At
that place the Presbyterian church. st.
Patrick's cathedral and the High
school were destroyed.
The new Hall Of Justice at San Jose,
just completed at cost of $500, 900.
was demolished
On the Pacific ocean shore the Gin
House, at the western end of Golden
Gate park. the famous San Francisco
resort. has been swept into the sea II
is understood that the hotel has been
completely demolished and that not a
stick or a stone has been left standing.
There is no knowledge to be had here
OF the number of guests in the hotel at
the dime, but the loss of life must
necessarily have been heavy.
The Clf' House was one Of the show
I
long. four story building, built of red
wood, and stood upon a high cllff over
looking the Pacific ocean. The entire
building was painted white and was
surrounded by wide verandas.
Because OF its unique location II was
Invariably visited by all the tourists
who came to San Francisco. Within
short distance OF the cliff on which
the hotel stood are the famous Seal
rocks, where at certain seasons OF the
year hundreds OF seals can he seen
lazily summing themselves.
ON the beach near by were the SutrO
baths, which are reported also to have
been destroyed These baths were the
largest in the world They were own
ed by the Sutro estate and were pat
termed on the old Roman style of archi-
lecture
!. B. lie Compile the Western Union
telegraph operator who was forced to
abandon his post at Pine and Mont
gomery streets sent message here
saying
The Western Union and Southern
Pacific are all gone. Fire is burning
rapidly in diagonal line up the hill,
commencing at McAllster street and
ending at Battery street, and in the
Mission as far as Sixteenth. The wa
ter supply has given out, the dynamite
is exhausted. The wind is rising. Pan
ic reigns. The military authorities
have forbidden any one entering the
city. The military have all they can
handle without admitting any more
people. There is great suffering and
want of food and water Thousands of
people lined one of the parks waiting
for the soldiers to distribute food and
water"
The Western Union got this message
from Oakland Point: "Seven fire en-
gines from the east going past on fiat
cars over Southern Pacific TO San
Francisco"
Later this message was received
from the same source: Fire engines
returning from Frisco Clly pracucally
doomed. No water"
The entire city of San Francisco is
likely TO be consumed by the flames
which have followed the earthquake,
The blaze ragged unchecked MI night.
Nob hill, the finest resident section of
the Pacific coast, and the Mission quar-
ter, the middle class resident section,
are in ruins. Mob hill is north of Mar.
ket street, on the other side Of China
town, from where the flames started.
The Mission quarter is south of Mar
ket street, some three miles from the
water front.
10 the horror of the earthquake aud
fire is now added the fear of famine.
f haraH IA ha