The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1906-05-21

my bed and at the same time by being
completely buried in plaster. The
| hotel was rocking and creaking like a
| ship in a storm. The heavy furniture
was being tossed like toys. | could see
the flash of lights in the hall and be.
| lieved the hotel to be on fire. It'was a
| difficult task to reach my door, scream
ing frantically for help. The door
would not open. AS I jerked it, the
whole transom came down with broken
| glass cutting me. Oh! it seemed that
| would go mad with terror! Others, like
| myself, were imprisoned. It seemed so
I long before the door could be opened!
A lady helped to push it finally. Then
| heard people calling Earthquakes"
| and rushing to the stairs. One mass of
humanity was tumbling down the fine
| flight, over plaster, broken glass and
palms. About seven hundred white and
] agonized faces looked pityingly to one
| another. We expected every moment
another shock The building might
collapse, or if in the street, there was
! danger Of falling brick, then add to
this the cry of 'tFirei''
I We rushed to the street and even at
this time fire had broken out in many
places. They told us it would not reach
the Palace, and after nearly an hour L
ventured to my room and grabbed a
dress and my Hawaiian hat and my
steamer rug and fastened to Union
Square. | was also worried about Mr.
and Mrs. o. n. Strong of Oil City, Pa,
who had been on the Islands with us.
They were still at the st. Francis and
soon found them out in the Square by
the hotel.
[ never went back to the Palace A
gentleman friend of mine, who found
me so frantic, said he would 90 to the
Palace and try to get my trunk l gave
him the wrong floor and the wrong side
of the house, so he lost time and only
got hold of my steamer trunk, which
had but little in it. My souvenirs and
all pictures and press clippings were
burned. It makes my heart sick to
think of every strand of beads given me,
my yacht club button. in fact every
thing but my hat. I would not have re-
GREETED losing my clothes, Easter bon
net or anything that was burned, if
only my pretty things from the Islands
could have been spared All my native
jams and preserves, excepting one jar
that happened to be in my small trunk,
were gone, and that I gave next morn
ing to some children crying for food.
| was saving it for some special occa-
sion-little realizing that it would be
used under such terrifying circum-
stances
All day Wednesday I witnessed such
heartrending scenes. The dead and
the dying were on every side, faces APP
pearing at windows vainly calling for
help, flames sweeping down on helpless
beings who were caught beneath fallen
buildings, women carrying dead babies
in their arms, thousands fleeing for
their lives toward the parks and hills.
With not drop of water, there was
not ray of hope that the fires would
cease until everything was burned out.
Late in the evening the fire spread
across Market street and toward Union
Square. Mrs. Strong and [ had rolled
up in a blanket and were sitting in the
Square. when the guard quickly ordered
all to leave. In the general rush we
became separated and 1 never saw them /:
any more. I worried so much, until a |
week ago I received letter from them,
written at Sacramento. They lad |
walked to Golden Gate Park, reaching !
there at one O'Clock and nothing to put |
around them. They lost every bit of |
l had determined to pull my trunk as
far as I could therefore, was mixed with |
the crowd of hundreds and hardly |
knowing which way to go. When only |
a few blocks from the St. Francis L
met Mr.. H L. Pittock of Portland. |
N.Y. how glad / was to see him. He |
had arrived that morning from Los An |
geles. Mrs. Pittock had remained in |
Southern California. He and / joined
the procession and walked on and on, |
between two fires which were fast ap- |
preaching. Oh. that dreadful sight of
hurrying people! Some were pulling
their dead and dying along on blankets
and mattresses; women were confined /
on the streets; children cried for lost
parents The old and lame were being
led, and some in rocking-chairs being
drawn by ropes. There was nothing to
eat all day and night and not drop
of water None can imagine the condi-
tions and the pen is powerless to de-
scribe.
Occasionally we would sit on the
curbstone and rest. My feet We're bis
tered and cut from broken glass. At
nine O'Clock we reached the Preside,
where We had two bareback crackers
and a drink of water. So often | met
those I knew, and we would travel to-
gether. then become separated. 1t
seemed that 1 met and talked that
night with tourists from every state
many we're from the Palace.
Mr. Pittock left US about seven
o clock that morning at Preside |
Heights to find a friend s house. He |
reached them, but that afternoon they |
were all compelled to abandon the |
place. Thursday night L reached Berke- |
ley and the home of my cousin, Rev. |