The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1906-04-25
EX=DAKOTAN
In QUAKE
e. P. WELLS, FORMERLY
OF JAMESTOWN, TALKS
Mr.. and Mrs. Wells Were in the Ill
Fated City the Night Of the Shock
Escaped From Hotel In Night Clothes
Scenes Described.

Denver, Col, April 25.-After being
driven from hotel in San Francisco
in their night robes, sleeping all night
in the grass in Golden Gate Park, driv-
ing between a row of dead Bodies to
the Oakland ferry, landing and COM
ing by rail to Colorado Springs, E. P.
Wells, the Minneapolis broker, and his
wife, were surprised last night when
they walked into the Alta Vista hotel
and were met at the door by their son
and daughter who were .hurrying west
from Minneapolis in search of their
parents, fearing their lives were lost
in the San Francisco disaster
When the news of the earthquake
and fire reached Minneapolis Wednesl
day. Mr.. Wells son and daughter were
nearly frantic in an effort to gain some
news regarding their parents. They
kept the telegraph wires hot until
Thursday, when they purchased their
tickets for San Francisco and started
ia search for their parents. They ar
rived in Colorado Springs last night
at 80 o'clock and went to the Alta
Vista hotel, intending to continue west
ward this morning. ~ ...s ~ y.
While standing in the hotel lobby
half an hour later, they heard the door
open and saw their parents enter.
Neither party expected the other. and
the women wept for joy. ..-. ~ Is
Mrs. Wells said last night:
1T was an indescribable sensation
that i felt when the earthquake oc-
CURED. Beyond the terror of the mo-
ment / have no impression of what
went on z ~. t5
Mr.. and Mrs. Wells were stopping at
the Cecil hotel. at Bush and Jones
streets.
sThe first i knew Of the disaster
said Mr.. Wells. was when was sud-
denly awakened by being bounced up
and down in my bed. At first i thought
some one was joking with me, but
suddenly plaster began falling from the
walls. We were lying on a slant and
my wife, who was sleeping on the OUT
side, rolled out of the bed. The big
structure seemed to be whirling about.
/ jumped OUT of bed and, grabbing what
clothes were near, ran to the stairs and
into the street
Buildings were falling, the people
running pellmell here and there, calling
for aid for injured loved ones. The
means of the dying and the shrieks of
the hurt were sickeningI shudder to
think of it now; it was awful. will
|never forget the experience.
Clad only in our night robes, my
self and wife started for the ferry, In
tending to get out of the country as
soon as possible. But the crowd was
So immense that progress was slow. The
greater majority were bafefooted. but
my toes were trampled on so severely
Tthat persuaded my wife to return with
me to the hotel There 4 went to the
room secured the balance of our clothes
and we dressed in the hallway.
We tried to reach the ferries, but
could make no headway. Finally we
hired cab and drove out to Golden
Gate park. We made our beds under
Ia big tree that night and had nothing
to eat but loaf of bread, which pur-
chased from a small store near the
park. There were &0ylntless people
sleeping on the ground near rs that
might in the park
Thursday afternoon we. succeeded
/ in reaching the ferry building In a car
lriage. We had to drive over piles oi
lbrick, mortar and wreckage and saw
dead bodies lying along Market street
ri was an awful sight. We spent Thurs
|day night in Oakland and started for
| the east on Friday
Mr.. and Mrs. Wells were in the
| Windsor hotel, New York. when thai
famous hosteiry was burned, several
years ago, and both narrowly escaped
Ideatli.
George Griffith, the English globe