The Topeka state journal., 1906-04-30
LOOK Ar JUDGMENT DAY.
Topeka Boys Description Of his SEN
sation in San Francisco Earthquake.

D. c. TilIotson's son, Luther. who was
at 832 California street at the time of
the earthquake, writes to his mother
from Los Angeles He gives a descrip-
tion of his experience and says: THE
morning of the earthquake I awoke
about o'clock and was simply waiting
for time to get out. Suddenly the house
shook violently and I could see day
light between the dresser and the wall.
started to get up butas the bed moved
so violently for d few minutes, not mo-
TnentS I waited till everything was still
when I ventured to the window. Every
one, men, women and children were
clear out in the street in their night
clothes, looking frightened. The earth
shook so that no one had heard the
chimney come down on the roof Of the
house. dressed Immediately and went
to the street where could see that the
stone buildings were cracked, the street
was open in long riffs and sunk below
grade, the church steeples had fallen
to the ground. Presently a fire started
on the south water front and in a
short time fires were burning in several
places in the business district I walked
toward the place where I was working
in the provision house section only to
see more fires, more heaps Of wreckage.
1t was the hour when teams were be-
ing loaded for early market, and many
horses were killed or injured in the
debris. Near the new custom house, on
which I was employed, six men were
buried alive, three were rescued and
the others perished. I took the night
watchman's place so that he could
hunt for his wife and staid until the
fire was within about so feet of the
custom house. A block away a fire.
works factory was burning and MAX
ing noise like the Fourth of July,
boys and men rushed by carving
cigars, gloves and other things. every
thing but eatables, some bore eff cases
of liquors, one little half starved italian
urchin lugged SO pound sack Of pea
nuts.
I turned lust in time to see a man
escape from a ruined house. wild-eyed
and crazy. who had to be held for half
an hour before he could be released
with safety On a heap of ruins on a
corner stood an Italian preaching a
sermon He was stark mad. His rea-
son had fed With the earthquake. The
Italians were all very much excited
either by z. belief that it was the second
coming Of the Messiah or the break
forth of another Vesuvius One fellow
repeatedly said that such shocks had
lasted for six hours near Vesuvius.
The fire departments soon reached our
region from all directions. trying ne
hydrants without success. The night
watchnan told me that the earth had
sunk In a tVinKling carrying the water
mains. Pistol shots We're continually
heard in rapid succession telling. not
of looteTs being shot. but of the shoot
Ing Of injured horses. Troops of T. S.
cavalry soon began to arrive and I re-
allied that martial law prevailed. The
fire was burning on three sides of me
famed by stiff breeze, so I gathered
up the transit, level, blue-prints and
specifications and trekked before the
troops stopped me. These I took to my
room on the slope of the famous Mob
Hil. I then attempted to reach the
office but the fire and the dead line
kept me back; and I simply watched.
As if in a dream I saw the Cal building
burst into smoke and flame high above
the surrounding office blocks. I realiz-
ed then that san FTanciso would burn