Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1906-04-27
WHEN THE EARTH
TREMBLED AT FRISCO
Grants Pass People fell of Their
Experience in the Stricken
City.

Chas. ID. Mowers: My wife, baby
and myself arrived in Grants Pass on
the delayed train Sunday morning !;
We lost everything except the work
ing clothes in which we are clad.
You people can form no part Of an
idea of the situation in San Francisco,
of the Thousands who have lost every
thing, who last week we're willionaires
and today they are wearing clothes
provided by strangers. At the first
shock we got up and rushed out Of
the house, but later went in and dress
ed. The house was a wreck and had
sunk eight feet. Later in the day we
started for the ferry and had to make
our way over several blocks of the
burnt district in the dense smoke and
with danger on every side and we
finally reached the ferry. my wife and
baby getting ride on an express
wagon and ! hanging on behind. One
Of my neighbors just escaped from
their house as it fell in but another
neighbor lost his wife and child and
he escaped with one arm crushed.
We. saw three men shot down by the
soldiers for looting. and in the park
where we were sleeping one Of the
richest women in the city was Sleep
ing wrapped in blanket the same
as the rest Of Us. ;"
Geo Merritt, who with his family
left Grants Pass for Oakland, writes
friends in this place that they are safe
but had an experience which they
hope never to have repeated Their
house was rocked like boat. dishes
in the pantry, pictures on the walls
and everything portable was thrown
down; tie chimney also falling, many
of the bricks going through the roof.
Thousands of homeless people are in
the city with no earthly possessions
more than Gun be carried in a small
grip or tied up IN a handkerchief.
Many children are there who do not
know where their parents are
whether they are alive or not. 1t is a
sad experience for California. He
says that Ed Payne, a former Grants
Pass resident, lived in San Francisco.
but they have not heard word of
them.
Mrs. F. Z. Willet, formerly Of this
place, but who has been in the hos
pital in San Francisco for some time
past, writes in private letter to
friends in this city that sne escaped
from the hospital after the first shock
of the earthquake, with a skirt and
a mans coat as her only clothing.
She is at the present time cooking her
meals over fire built in the streets,
but says it seems good to still be
under the old flag.
Miss Della Price, who was attending
the university at PaloAlto. writes that
they were badly shaken up, all the
,himneys were knocked down. and
plastering cracked and falling. The
university buildings are badly dam
aged.
Mrs. Mary B. wadsworth, who spent
thu winter in Grnats Pass but left for
California several weeks ago, writes
that she WAS not in San Francisco, as
some of her friends thought but was at
Fowler when the shock occurred. At
first she rather enjoyed the sensa.
tion of an earthquake experience but
the enjoyment was of short duration.
Mrs. wadsworth expects to reach her
Indianola home early in May.
Miss Ethel Palmer re. .urned this
week from San Francisco and has u
thrilling story to relate of her exper'
fences in the doomed city. At the first
ohn,k ana was thrown 0ut of had sha