The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-04-29
BUILDER OF U, P.
HURT IN QUAKE
Gen. John Easement Had Three
Ribs Broken in the Up
heayal.
PINNED DOWN IN
BED in VEND0ME HOTEL
He Makes a Brief Visit in Salt
Lake, En- Route
East.

General John easement. famous cavalry
leader of the Civil war, builder of the
Union Pacific railroad from Omaha to
Promontory Point. prominent builder or
railroads In other countries and lastly a
hero Of tho California earthquake ut san
Jose. is in the city and registered at tho
Wilson hotol, with Mrs. Easement and
members OF his family. They are on
route east after having spent the winter
in California,
General Easement and family had spent
the winter at Los Angeles and other
towns OF Southern California. They had
started for tho East by the way or san
Francisco, with stops at Santa Cruz ana
San Joso- Upon arriving ut tho latter
city Gen. Easement and family went to
the Vendome hotel. whore they. were
spending their last night before depart
Ing fer San Francisco.
Experienced 'Quakes Before.
At the yendome the General and his
family had suite of rooms In tho 'front.'
part OF the house. which was so greatly
damaged. When the shock came, Mra,
Easement. who was thrown from the bed
and who had passed through number
OF earthquakes in Costa Rico, where she
had been with the General for six years.
where he had been constructing rail-
road for the government, immedlntely ran
10 the Joining room where her cousin was
and Informed her that 1t was 'only an
earthquake"
General F1nneQ III ocuA
Mrs. Easement succeeded in getting out
OF the room, but the General was not go
fortunate, and tho ceiling and two stones
Tell, pinning the General In the bed, Mrs.
Easement quickly secured help and cut
tho debris away so they could get the
General out. who was found to be suffer
ing with three broken ribs and 4 slight
injury TO his lungs. The best available
veteran railway builder and within a
short time the party was able 20 travel.
which they did. coming to Salt Lake by
the way of Oakland Tho Nendome hotel
is complete wreck.
His Part in Civil War.
General en- i' Easement s%i enlisted in 1851
and served four years. He WAS in COM
rnend OF the Seventh and Second divisions
troops in his division. At ths battle of
Shenandoah with General Phil Sheridan
mis- division played prominent part In
the Civil war General Easement and his
cavalry figured in number OF important
engagements
Built the Union Pacific.
At the close OF the war in 1865 General
Easement came west to Omaha where
laying OF the track OF tho Union Pacific
from that city west 10 Utah. of which
he built about three-fourths. In the fall
Of 1855 the General and his mon started
grading and track-laying in the Platte
Valley, but early in the Following spring
preparations for pushing the work west
cuted, The contract taken by General
Easement from the owners called for the
building OF three miles Of track per day.
which was done.
There were two winters after the build
ers had reached the mountains that they
could not work. but during the last thir-
track were laid Promontory Point was
reached in Nav. 1869. where the builders
OF tho East, under General Easement met
those from the West under Stanford,
Huntington and others.
Interesting Experiences.
General Easement relates somo interest
ing experiences he passed through during
tho three years he was engaged in rail-
road construction, He met all the pioneers
and founders OF the State OF Utah. In
Guiding the late Brigham Young, John
Taylor and others. During one winter
when the General had his headquarters
was making trip from the East to Salt
Lake, was snow-bound and spent q week
in the camp with General Easement.
The past six years General Easement
has spent on the island OF Costa Rica,
where he built railroad for that gov
ernment, which was completed about
VIII Rebuild City.
In speaking of the future of San Fran
cisco, General Easement said that the
Golden Cato stands in the way for a d.
rect line OF the trade OF the world and
although the present disaster Will ma
terally injure many during tho present
generation, that II will help the city In
The long run and that within another gen.
Grafton there viii be q better and larger
city, The people OF the world are be-
ginning to realize that there is trade in
the Far East and that It is valuable and
Is now only In its infancy and will grow
70 great proportions in the future. aSd
that this country can't help but trade
there. and the most natural and most
convenient way to the Orient is through
san Francisco. which has one OF the best
harbors in the world. The Callfornians
are a plucky GLASS OF people and Will not
suocur1b to the disaster, but will go etiead
and rebuild a greater San Francisco, and
Will start In upon It right away,
Are on Way East.
General Easement and family will visit
With his son in Colorado and then Will
proceed on east to his homo in Paines.
Vile. Q. While here General Easement
was met by his old comrade and staunch
in ono OF the Generals cavalry troops in
the Civil war. The two gentlemen spent
some very enjoyable hours talking and
'.toshipg" about the days and incidents OF
the war. Many other veterans of the
war. some OF whom were from Ohio
called upon their old oomrede. who. in
spite OF his three score and seventeen
years, is as young as many half the age
He Is one of those fine. clean-cut Amcrt-
cans. whose splendid military bearing
commands the respect of those who meet
him He is one OF the boys" and always
has timc for a pleasant word with the