Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1906-04-20


swept away nearly the entire business
section of the city and large part of
the residential streets The catastrophe,
all things considered, is unprecedented in
this country. The number of lives lost
may never be determined definitely, but
the estimates for San Francisco alone run
from 500 to 700, with more than a thou
sand seriously injured. The property loss
in the city is thought to exceed $2OO,OOO,-
600 and more than 100000 people are home
less. The city is under martial law, with
1000 United States troops from the pre-
sidio under command Of Gen. Funston and
n regiment of the state national guard as
sisting the policemen.
The devasted area in the central part
of the city covers eight square miles.
Among the structures destroyed were
the imposing city hall which cost $780,
900; the Palace hotel the most famous
hostelry on the Pacific coast erected at
an expense of $3,000,000 the Call building
ID stories high, the slightest block in the
city, and all of the leading opera houses.
The fearful earthquake shock came
without warning at 5.13 o'clock, its mo-
ton apparently being from east to west.
The upheaval of the earth was gradual at
first but in few seconds 1t increased In
intensity, but its force was gone quickly.
lChimneys began to fall and buildings to
crack and then to totter on their founda-
lions and collapse. People who ran into
the streets were met by showers of fall
ing timbers, bricks, cornices and walls.
Many were instantly killed, while others
were fearfully mangled. In the China
town section the theatres and joss houses
were destroyed and rookery after rock
cry collapsed, covering alive hundreds of
Chinese. The Japanese quarter was de-
stroyed by fire. Thousands of men, wom-
en- and children fed from the Latin quar-
ter to the hills, fearing that another
earthquake would follow or that the
flames would encircle them before they
could escape.
A second series of severe earthquake
shocks about o'clock greatly increased
the terror and many people left homes
that were not in danger. Scarcely had
the earth ceased to tremble when fire
broke out simultaneously in many places.
The fire department responded promptly,
but 1t was found that the water mains
had been broken by the earths tremors
and that no water supply was available.
Famed by breeze the flames spread rap
idly and soon jumped from block to block.
The only recourse of the firemen was in
destroying buildings with dynamite hop
ing thereby to check the flames, but this
work was of little value.
In Oakland directly across the bay, the
damage was not particularly serious, al
though five people were killed by the col
lapse of one building. Sacramento felt
the shock, but 1t did but little damage
there. Great property loss was sustained
in San Jose, Berkeley, Alameda, Santa
Rosa Salinas and other towns. No nor
ticeable effect of the shock was expert
enced in Los Angeles and other cities in
Southern California, the disturbances ex-
tending south only as far as Santa Bar
bara- A large part of San Jose, so miles
south of San Francisco, was leveled to
the ground and it is reported that 50
lives were lost there. while one despatch
says that 200 to 300 persons persisted at
Santa Rosa.
A frightful story comes from Agnews in
the Santa Clara valley, where the state
insane asylum. containing 700 inmates
collapsed. It is reported that $50 of the
demented people persisted in the wreck
age and that many of the others are run
ming at large about the country in great
state of terror.
One of the very regrettable features OF
the disaster was the destruction of the
beautiful buildings of the Leland Stan
ford, jr., university at Palo Alto. The
dispatches indicate that only one build
ing there is entirely intact and that the
memorial church, which was fine anC
costly specimen of architecture, was de
stroyed. There were but few fatalities 81
the university.
Gen. Funston wired promptly to thu
war department, asking that thousands
of tents and that all \the rations posi-
Die De IOTWdTueu 10 HlHs Inc lii
House, the famous show place and re
sort, was swept from its rock founda
lions into the sea.
Help was summoned from all the larg
cities on the Pacific coast. For tim
on Wednesday only one telegraph wir
connected the city with the outside world
The electric power was stopped so tina
the street cars could not run and the rail
roads ceased operations. Trains now ru
from Sacramento to San Francisco VII
Stockton, as one section of the railroa
track three miles long is sunk
The tall steel frame structures stoo
the strain better than stone buildings, Blu
the bigs11-story Monadnock office build
Ing, in course of construction near tn
Palace hotel was an exception, as 1t
rear wall collapsed and many cracks ar
peared in its front wall.
The greatest destruction from tn
earthquake was in that part of the cit
reclaimed from San Francisco bay, whic
was formerly marshy ground covered b
water at high tide. When the fire wa
under full Roadway banks and commercit
houses of modern construction, suppose
to be fre-proof, were swept away seem
ingly as quickly as the wooden struC
lures
Commissioner e. Myron Wolfe ar
nounced Wednesday that the so odd II
surance companies interested had d.
cided to pay dollar for dollar to every
one insured and to make no discriminf
quake.
AS fast as bodies were recovered frol
the wreckage they were taken to Nj
chanics' pavilion and large numbers
wounded were carried there Within
short time $50 people had received trea
ment In the hospitals of the city.
New York observer of seismic di
turbances claims that there has been I
month since the beginning of 1905 whe
the earths surface has been free frol
disturbances. On April of last year IS
lives were lost in an earthquake in Ind
and the city of Lahore was shaken b
the severest earthquake ever known thei
and 400 soldiers were killed by the co
lapse of the barracks In Septemb'
more than 1000 people were killed in SiC
fly and recently the eruptions at Vesl
Vius took place while on March IS SCI
eral thousand persons were killed ar
three towns destroyed by earthquakes
Formosa.
Gen. Funston, realizing that steI
measures were necessary, ordered that a
hooters be shot on sight and within
short time Wednesday four men WEI
summarily executed,
Many firemen were injured by fallir
buildings and Fire Chief Sullivan WI
taken in a precarious condition to a no
pital where his death took place. III
buildings destroyed included nearly all
the famous landmarks Of San Francisc
Earthquakes have occurred many tim