Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-04-25
Mr.. and Mrs. Thomas Gowling
Injured in San Francisco Hor.
ror Are Separated,
BUT ARE BEING CARED FOR
Son Receives Pathetic Message-Let-
ter Comes from Morris Lister
Relating Experiences.

in The Argus of last evening, was
at the Geary hotel, San Fran
cisco. at the time of the earth
quake. The missive is not dated,
is written on a scrap of foolscap with
lead pencil and came through without
stamp or envelope, but bearing the red
mark of the San Francisco postoffice,
which shows that it was mailed April
81. 1t is as follows:
81 am at the Emergency Park hospi-
tai, San Francisco, Cal, and your moth
er is at the government hospital at
the Presidio
THOMAS GOWLING."
These meager facts written three
days after the earthquake are all that
members of the family here have re-
ceived SO far but they pathetically re-
late what must be the conditions in
the stricken city. 1t shows that both
were evidently injured in the house
where they were stopping and were
taken TO separate hospitals in the con-
fusion that prevailed.
The knowledge that they are alive
and were placed where they would
receive care and can be reached by
telegram or letter affords great relief
to members of the family in Rock Is
land. That their hostelry was in the
midst of the district worst affected by
the earthquake all accounts indicate,
and their escape with their lives is
cause for rejoicing. although it is not
yet known how seriously either was
injured.
Mail Beats TeIegrams.
The letter indicates that mail is
coming through from San Francisco
more rapidly than kilograms, this being
due to the fact heretofore related in
The Argus news dispatches, that the
local telegraph Offices there are SO flood
ed with kilograms that it is impossible
to get them out, all private messages
being obliged to give way to press re-
ports and official kilograms. Mr.. Gowl- |
ing's brief sad note, is but one of many
which came through the Rock Island
postoffice last night written on scraps
of paper and without envelope or
stamp and shows the splendid service
being rendered by the postOffice de-
partment in rushing all mail out of the
stricken city regardless of re-
strictiOns. all the essential require
ments heretofore in vogue have been
waived, and all notes properly address
ed are stamped with the San Francis
co postmark and hurried forward. The
relatives and friends of Mr.. and Mrs. |
Gowling will await with deep snXiety
further information as 10 their condi- |
ton.
Lister Writes of the Situation.
President NJ II. Sexton of the Rock
Island Baseball association received a
letter last evening from Morris Pete) |
Lister who relates the experiences of
himself and his team mate Jack Swee
ney, both being formerly with the
Rock Island team. but now with the
Portland club. The contents of the
letter, which is dated at Fresno Sun
day, follows:
I'VE just arrived here from Frisco
last night and | tell you l was glad to
get away from there, as | was sick of
seeing fire. and people going crazy. |
It was the worst thing l had ever seen. |
We had to fight our way to get on the
train at Oakland last night as thOuS- |
ands of people were trying to get on.
All our ball team was lucky enough |
to get on it. We came this far and
are going to Los Angeles tonight, as
we are due to play there next week.
l don't know whether we will play or
not. as everybody is thinking about the
earthquake and fire in Frisco. l guess |
the league will go up, as it will be no i
good without Frisco All of the banks |
are closed and our manager had to
borrow money to get out of Oakland, |
but McCreadie has got lots of money |
and we will be all right in a few days |
Sweeney and l stuck together |
through all the hardships. We used |
good judgment on the night of the 18th |
and bought a couple of dollars worth |
to eat and Won bet we ate 1t all, too, |
before we could get across the bay to |
Oakland. Say, Mike, it was the worst |
thing | ever saw or heard of. | hurt |
my right hand little and got hit on |
the back with a brick from falling
building, but l think l am lucky to get
away alive.
when | sat at the table this morn
ing it looked like a dream to me, and
you can guess how much l ate-every-
hing on the menu. And last night l
slept in a real bed and had bath.
| felt like king.
you bet | wished more than once
the other night that | was playing ball
in good old Rock Island. Sweeney and
| had cheese and crackers and pop for
lunch in Golden Gate park the other
night We were not eating in the
good old Rock Island house, and we
spoke about it many times that same |
night.
81 have the key to my room where |
we were staying in Frisco. We were
at the Russ house, and it is thing of |
the past now
Rock Island Actor in Quake.
Another Rock Islander who was in
the earthquake and escaped unframed
was Roger Imhof, leading man in the
Empire BuHesqne company. He and /