The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1906-04-27
AWFUL CALAMITY
San Francisco Destroyed by an
Earthquake.
AND THE FIRE FlEND.

Death Ia The Streets CT Thelr
Wrt cked Homes. Fire
Adds to Horror.
Earthquake and fire on "Wednesday
caused the greatest. calamity Caltfor'
MIA has ever known. Ssn Francisco
was almost destroyed and thousands
of people In that city were killed OF
hurt. A dispatoh from San Francisco
ssys the dreadful earthquake shock
came without warning at precisely
6.13 O'Clock its n otion apparently
being from east to vest. at first the
upheaval OF the earth was gradual,
but In q few seconds 1T increased iD
inter sity. Ch!mnels began to fall
and buildings to crack, tottcring on
their foundations. The people be-
came panic sticken and uHh,d tntc
the streets, most Il them III their
night attire. Tht2 were met by
showers Of falling buildings, corr tees,
bricks and walls. Many were instant
ly crushed to death, while others were
dreadfully mapglad. Those who re
manned IL doors generally escaped with
their lives, though scores were hit by
detached plaster, pic.uicsa AID articles
thrown to the floor ty the hn, TX. l
Ia believed that mere or less lts5 Waa
Sustained by nearly every family IN
the city.
The tall steel frame structures
stood the strain better than brick
buildings, few OF them being badly
damaged. The big eleven story Nc
nado Cfflce building. in curse of con
structjon, adjoining the Palace Hotel.
was an exception, however, It's rear
wall collapslng, mary CRACKS be1nR
msde across ils front. Stme OF the
docks and freight sheds aiong the wa
ter front slid int the bay. Deep
assures opened in the filed. in grcuno
near the shcre and the Union ferry
depps was INJURED. lts high togeS Sss'IE
IsioS 81 q pos ZION Ok 3tne lsew Sjtsy
{Abtflky FslkiOIA aAfsAitD''
dollars, collapsed, the root sliding into
the court yard and smaller towers
tumbling down. The great dome was
moved but did not fall The lev post
chloe, one of the fee { il. tie United
States, was badly hhatstied, TIE
Valencia Hotel, a four story woCd5n
building, sank into the basement a
pile Of splintered timbers, unocr whicl
were pinned many dead and dying Cc.
cupants OF the house. The basement
was full Of water and stme Of the
helpless victims were drowned.
Scarcely had the Garth ceased tC
shake when fires broke Uu5 simultane
ouBly In many places The fire de-
p2rtment promptly responded to the
first call for aid, but IL WaH found Iat
the water mains had been rendered
useless by the underground move
ment. Famed by a light bie,z,, the
flames quickly spread aud soon many
blocks were Sc Ell TO 10 UoonGd. T!lt Il
dynamite &as rcsorttd To and tht
sound OF frequent expo ions sddod uC
the terror Of The popuaLion. All
efforts to stay the progress Of the fire,
however, proved futile. The south
side Of Market stleeG from Ninth
otreet to Bay was soon abb. zo, the fire
covering belt two blocks vide. Ga
this, the main thorouRhfate OF the
city, are located many OF the Hnes,
edihces In the city, Including The
Grant, Parrott, Flood, Gail" lex
aminer," and MonadnUck buildings,
toe Palace and Grand Hotels, and
pumerouB wholesale houses. AT the
came time the commercial establish
ments and banks north Of Market
street were burning. TIE burning
district In this section OF the CITY 6X
tended from Sansome street to the
water front, and from Market street
to Broadway. Fires also broke out IN
to be In flames.
The flames, famed by the rsipQ
breeZa, swept down the main street.
until within few hundred feet Of the
ferry depot, the high tower Of whict
stood at dangerous angle Tie b!p
wholesale grocery establishment o.
Weelman, Peck g. Co., was on FIRE
from celler to roof, and the heat wa
so oppressive that passengers from tht
ferry boats were Obliged TO keep close
to the waters edge In order to ge
past the burning structure. 1t wa
impossible to reach the center OF thu
city from the bay Without skirtini
the shore for long distance so as t.
got entirely around tho kurninR dis
Griot.
At 8 O'Clock the Southern Pacih
offiolals refused TO allow any mOr
passengers from Trans bay points tt
land and sent back these already o,
the boats. The ferry and train ser
vice OF the Key route was entiroi,
abandoned, owing to Gamage Gone th,
power house by tho earthquake a
Emery vile.
At 8 o'clock "Wednesday morning
thousand men from the PrsSidio ar
rived down town to patrol the CIT
streets. The Thirteentn infantry
LOCO strong arrived from Angel In
land, o little later, and went on pat
rol duty. The soldiers have been or
dored to shoot down thieves caught ii
the act OF robbirg the dead and Z
guard with their lives the millions 0
dollars' worth OF property which ha
been plaCsd In the streets that It ma
escape from the ravagss OF the flames
Mayor Schmitz, who has establlshe
his Lffice at police heat q Glartcra; ha
named o commit ttee OF safety, CON
prlsing many piominent citizens