Smyrna times., 1906-05-09
SMYRNA BOYS EXPERIENCE
DURING FRISCO EARTHQUAKE
LETTER FROM HERBERT FARRELL TO HIS
AUNT MRS. CARRIE FARRELL, THIS TOWN
His Residence Ou California Street, a Few
Blocks From the Burned District Escaped
Although 1t Was Badly Shaken Up.

more or less concern over former
Smyrnians who lived there. W. Nj.
Bell has heard from his children and
grand children and learns that they
were at Oakland at the time and that
all were well. Herbert Farrell, son of
the late Edward Farrell of this town,
is located at San Francisco and
many of his friends will be glad to
know that he survived the awful ordeal
without any injury. Mr.. and Mrs.
Farrell live at 1924 California Street,
a few blocks away from the burned
district. Mrs. Farrell. in a letter to
their aunt Mrs. Carrie Farrell of this
town dated April goth, has the follow
ing to say of their experience:
II shall try to write you to-day. 1
am sorry we did not write you immed-
lately, but although Herbert and 1 suf
fered no great loss and were both safe
and well, we were pretty we'll un-
nerved, and are not ourselves yet, by
any means. San Francisco would not
have been such wreck of itself, if it
had not been for the fire, which ragged
for three days, there being little or no
water. Herbert and lay in bed dur
ing the great shock, too paralyzed to
move, thinking each second, and there
were but 47-the little house would
fall on us. The vibration was awful,
the house swinging from side to side,
but suffered remarkably little damage
itself The chimney fell, as did every
chimney, almost without exception, in
the city, and good part of the plaster
ing was cracked. The book case and
side board fell over and the piano was
moved to the center of the room, so
you see it was pretty good shake up.
We have had quakes ever since the
1Sth-we had 40 on that day--of course
all minor ones. They say one can get
used to anything, but we were all so
thoroughly frightened that any shake
frightens us. 1t is not so bad during
the cay but when they happen at night
they unnerve one. Men of science in
the state try to tell us we shall have nc
more heavy shocks, but no one feels
fully assured, as we all think no one
knows anything about it. l shall quote
from a letter Herbert has written tC
John.
Been Cleaning Bricks Ever Slace Earthquake
Don't come out to grow up with the
country. am cleaning bricks. Beer
doing the same ever since the quake
and there are still lots of uncleaneC
bricks. San Francisco, dear old Frisco
a Frisco you could hardly imagine ii
had grown so much) is a wreck of it
self. From the water front to Val
Ness, Market Street to Valencia, and
nearly all of the Mission is gone. Moth
ing is left OF this area of seven square
miles but burned horror. As to tn
rest of the city--the unburned distric
1T is a sight now. Hardly chime,
left standing, whole walls and fronts
of buildings torn away, houses com
pletely collapsed in every street an,
still the people do not rave. As to oil
land marks, you will remember th
Palace Hotel is about the only on
that will survive. 1t is burned insid
but the walls are said to be sound
Chinatown is blotted out for good an
with Chinatown went Mob Hill. Al
the swell mansions are gone. Nc
simply damaged, but gone. If 70
had seen them blotted off the cart
completely, those half-block squar
mansions, with one blast of dynamit
you would have gotten sick, as 1 did
The old City Hall is a good imitatio
of ruined castle on the Rhine. Th
records repose safely in a vault in th
Masonic Cemetery. You wouldn
know there was such a place as th
Lick House. Every theatre and forty
four school buildings were burned
Herb Farrell and Others Save Valuable Silly,
Two others and myself, on the fir
morning of the fire, saved $4,000
worth of sterling silver belonging 1
Reed-Barton. We were working Oh
block from the fire and they were d,
namiting the building on one side
the fire. Every time 1 rushed to th
window for air, blast would go off
an auto or express wagon would 2
tearing by like mad with poor mai
gled form bobbing abouti in the botto
of it. The dead and wounded we
hurried to the Mechanics Pavilion ii
first day and when it eau ght fire Il
dead were left behind. We must fir
another name for autos besides "de,
il wagons" All street cars being sto