Omaha daily bee., 1906-04-23
SURVIVORS TELL OF HORROR
o, @, Kendall Of Omaha Tells Of Picking
His Way Over Dead Bodies.
THROWN FROM BEO IN PALAcE ANNEx
DR.. Brown of Rochester, n. ", says
Loss Of Life VIII Reach Many
ThOusands-Hack Fares
at Auction.

at Auction.
DENVER, April 22.-Every incoming train
from the west brings refugees from San
Francisco who tell narrowing stories of
their experiences and give graphic descrip-
tions of the horrors following the earth
quake and FIRE.
II climbed over dead bodies, picked my
way around flaming debris and went over
almost insurmountable obstacles to get out
of San Francisco" said c. c. Kendall an
Omaha capitalist. upon his arrival here last
night. Il arrived in San Francisco the
night previous to the earthquake and 1
was awakened in the morning by being
thrown out of my bed In the Palace annex.
l rushed to the window and looked out.
The houses were reeling and tumbling like
playthings. hurried on clothing and ran
into the street. Here L saw many dead
and the debris was piled up along Market
street.
Il went to the Office Of the Palace hotel
and there men, women and children were
rushing about. crazed and frantic. in their
night clothes. The first shock lasted only
twenty-eight seconds but it seemed to
me hours. A few minutes after reached
the Palace hotel office the second shock
came 1t was little compared with the
first, but it brought to the ground many
of the buildings that the first shock had
unsettled
Fires were breaking out in every direc-
ton. Market street had sunk at least four
feet. 1 started for the ferry. 1t is only a
few blocks from the Palace annex to the
ferry but II took me from a. m. until
1O:15 a. IN. to cover the space
Men and women fought about the en-
trance of the ferry like band of infuriated
animals.
II made my escape-I do not remember
how, for / was as desperate as any OF them
As the boat pulled over the bay the smoke
and flame rose sky high and the roar of
falling buildings and the cries of the peo-
pie rent the air." e
The groans and cries of those pinned
under the pillars OF the collapsing buildings
were pitiful to hear and the worst of It
was that nothing could be done to save
them"
Big Fares for HacIxmen.
Arthur woodson Of Chicago. who was
in the Palace hotel at the time OF the
earthquake, said:
After breakfast 1 hustled around to get
over the bay to Oakland. A few hacks
were in commission and regular auction
was held over the seat sold to each pas
senger The prices charged ranged from
| $50 to 800. I got a seat on one Of the
hacks for $S5. There were three other
men in 1t that paid $50 for seats We had
to 20 to the ferry in roundabout way
and when we had covered several blocks
two men hailed the driver. They offered
500 apiece for the priyiiege Of riding 70
the ferry The driver took ene up on the
box with him, handed me my Ss5 and made
me get out so that his 800 passenger could
| get into his carriage.
Il hailed the next hack that came along
and got up on the box with the driver.
Another fellow from the sidewalk called
| out that he would give SIS to be taken to
! the ferry. but told the hack driver that
| / would throw him on the box II he stopped,
as he had no room either inside or out for
another passenger"
o. NJ. Nichols, a New York travelling
salesman, fed from the Palace hotel leaving
a vest behind in a pocket of which was
! 500 He paid $50 to ride two blocks to the
| ferry in an automobile and was one of a
party who paid $50 for tug TO take them
! to Oakland.
Tugs, launches, row boats and every
! conceivable kind of a craft was weighed TO
the waters edge by frantic people trying
to get away from the burning city" said
| Mr.. Nichols.
Through Three Disasters Unhurt.
| ]. B. Fiske of Chicago was sleeping in a
room on the third floor Of the Terminus ho-
tel when the earthquake came. The second
flight of stairs gave way when he was
going down and he fell to the hotel lobby.
'I have not a scar to show for the fall
Of two stories, but fey bruises make
my body sore and tender" he said.
'I guess I have my lucky stars to thank
that / came through the Johnstown food
the Galveston disaster and the San Fran.
cisco earthquake without serious injury
w. r. Atkinson and Joseph Strong who
were stopping az the international hotel, q
four-story brick structure in San Fran
cisco, when the earthquake occurred
passed through Denver today on their way
TO Lamar. Kan, where they live.
Thousands of Persons KILLED.
Los ANGELES April III witnessed
the burning OF Chicago in 1871 and was tr
Charleston when an earthquake created
great destruction there but the San Fran.
cisco horror far outshadows those dir
calamities." said DIR. Frank Barker Of
Rochester, n. Y, who arrived in the city
on .he owl train today.
He continued: II cannot believe that tht
loss OF life I'm San Francisco was con
fined 70 mere hundreds. I would be thI
last TO stretch the facts. but 1 am con
vinced that several thousand persons suf
fered death. The soldiers and citizens arr
doing heroic work everywhere, Thieves
and looters are dealt with summarily
personally witnessed the sudden demis'
Of several ghoulish men. 1 saw a fellow
cutting rings from the hands Of a deaC
woman on Bush street There was a rusi
OF men and within few minutes the rob
ber was dangling from pole. One limo
cent man met his death at the hands o.
the military. He was cashier OF a banl
and refused 10 obey the command to hal
but continued TO run into the bank build
ing. He was shot.
Another fellow robbed a cofiee stor,
and was found selling his spoils on tn,
street by a policeman He ran, but wa
halted by a bullet. l don't know wheths
he was killed or not"
Awful Suffering of Children.
A fragmentaTy account OF the terribl
sutferings endured by the little children o
San Francisco I'm the earthquake hre wa
brought to this city yesterday by Mr.. anS
Mrs. Henry Huskey and Mrs. Kate Land
who lived together on Pine street
Under our own observation" said Mrs