Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-05-01
ASSIST In RELIEF.
c. A. ORR AND FAMILY AND 9TH.
Err FORMER oTTUMWANs
HELP SUFFERERS
In Letter to Father Oakland Resident
Gives Vivid Description OF Condition
In Western cities-ottumwa ReIa-
tives Hear From the Coast.

~ - y y. = q z
vivid description Of the work Of
relief going on In Oakland, and an In
teresting narration of the experience
himself and family went through at
the time of the earthquake, is con.
tanned in letter from Cal A. Orr to
his father, DR.. G. M. Orr. Mr.. Orr has
charge Of the commissary department
in Oakland, while his wife and daugh-
ter are assisting in the relief work in
the churches. In his letter Mr.. Orr
referred to ira Breedlove and Orlando
Stevens, who are doing police duty.
f The letter is tn part as follows:
Oakland, CAL, April 81, 1906.
Dear Father:
Thanks to kind Providence, we are
all safe and in fairly good health. I
am not going to try to describe the
terrible disaster, nor the awful condi-
ton Of affairs now in existence. This
is Saturday night, and / hope to get
some rest, the first since a. M Wed.
nesday morning, when we we're awak-
ened by the shock Our house was
rocking like cradle, pictures, chairs,
lamps, globes and dresser flying
around the room, piastering falling and
walls cracking. BY the time got the
family together, and rushed down
stairs the shock was over. But such
a sight. Every floor covered with brok-
en- plastering and furniture Of every
description. All water pipes burst,
electric and telephone wires broken.
There Is not a house In Oakland that
has chimney standing. and not a
house that Is not damaged do not
know Of a brick building that is not
badly damaged. We hardly had time
to realize our disaster when the APP
palling news Of the great destruction
OF life and property in San Francisco
came. Then the fire started and we
forgot all about our loss here. The
situation in San Francisco is beyond
description. The loss of life can not
be estimated. Oakland Is now caring
for the refugees in the churches, pub
lie buildings, vacant lots and parks,
! and there are many pitiful and heart
rending sights.
Is On Police Force.
I'VE have not one pound or can Of
anything in the store, and Ira fBreed-
love- and are both on the police
force. have charge of the commits
sary department, and have over 100
cars Of supplies to unload, with train
after train more coming, which shows
how noble and generous the American
people are In times OF suffering. The
government sent me car OF salt pick
led hams yesterday and I had to get
company Of soldiers to draft men
and force them to fill the smoke
houses,
Had to guard them until hams
were done. We are feeding ana car
ing for thousands, but they won't
work, SO martial law is a fine thing.
took the captain and company and it
didn't take two minutes to round up
a dozen. Am going to round up some
more now to empty the smoke houses
as the hams are done and they need
them badly. It Is all relief work and
no one seems to think Of finances II
we can ever get things in shape, we
will be thankful. The worst feature
now is that 1t has rained hard all morn
ing and do not know how In the world
the thousands who are sleeping out
will live. Cannot think or write; we
are On the jump all the time.
| Wife and Daughter Busy.
Don't see my wife and daughter
except at bed time. Both of them are
at the churches. Hattie has charge
of clothing, sizes six to sixteen, and
Irene is waiting on table We are
thankful for our lives and are trying
to show appreciation of same by doing
all we can for the suffering. I had a
ham and piece of bacon at the house,
which | divided today with Orlando
Stevens. He is on guard in San Fran
CISCO Shoes burned from his feet
and his face is all blistered. He is an
old Ottumwa boy"
Writes From Napa.
| The following interesting story of
the Pacific coast disaster was written
by William Crago of Napo, Cal, who is
employed in the hospital lat that
place, to his aunt, Mrs. Mary Bennett
who resides on Grand avenue, in Fair.
view.
'Napa. Cal, April 10, 1906.
"My Dear Aunt:
II tried to telegraph you yesterday
but the wires were all down. The
earthquake occurred here yesterday al
SIS a. M. When it began I sat up In
bed, which was swaying like a shiI
at sea- My reasoning faculties seem
j ed to be suspended, but dlmiy real
lied that my safest position was tc
remain where 1 was, which was mex
the inside wall. was not frightened
but just waited in terrible suspense
for the big tower to crash. The quake
| lasted about two minutes here. The
: building was badly wrecked, but nj
tower fell. The big tower will have tt
be pulled down and the central portion
Of the building is being vacated to
day Agnew's asylum is total wrecl
About $50 patients and one of the doc
tors killed. We will get about 200 pa
t tients from there today.
1.-THE destruction of San Francisco
exceeds any disaster >ancient or mod
ern The quake lasted nearly fou
minutes there. And almost immedi
ately afterward fifty fires broke out il
: different parts of the city. The waite
1 supply was cut off and dynamite wa
. the only weapon that could be use
3 against the fire. Buildings worth $40
. 000 900 we're blown to atoms. TIL
/ obiof and obiof IF noIina uar