Fergus County Democrat. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1904-1919, 1906-04-24

The Call building, at the corner of
Third and Market street, as l passed
| saw to be more than a foot out OF
plumb and hanging over the street
like the leaning tower of Pisa. l re-
manned in San Francisco until Z
O'Clock and then took the ferry for
Oakland. l again returned and at that
time the city seemed doomed. 1 re-
manned for a few minutes and then
made my way back to the ferry sta
ton. l hope 1 may never be called
upon to pass through such an experi-
ence again. People by the thousands
and seemingly devoid Of reason, were
crowded around the felly station. At
the iron gate the crawled with their
hands as SO many maniacs. They
sought to break the bars and, failing
in that, turned upon each other. Fgrt-
ing my way to the gate like the 9th.
ers, the thought came into my mind OF
what rats in a trap we were. Had I
not been strong man l certainly
would have been killed. When the fer
ry drew up to the slip and the gates
were thrown open, the rush to safety
was tremendous. The people flowed
throught the passageway like noun
tain torrent that, meeting rocks in it's
path, dashed over them. Those who
fell saved themselves as best they
could.
Il left Oakland at about o'clock
At that time Oakland was hidden in a
pail of smoke. The sun shown bright
ly upon the city without any seeming
penetration. Flames at times cleft
the darkness. This cloud was five
miles in height and it's top changed in
to a milk white.'
j. Ritter of Houston. Texas, said:
II was in the Golden West hotel
when the first shock came. When
| awoke the hotel was shaking like .
cradle. While 1 was dressing the rear
wall Of the hotel fell into the dining
| room. 1 was dressed by the time the
| second shock came and was going tt
rush out of the building. but the ap.
peal of the women on the same floor
| stopped me. With some of the other
men guests on the fifth floor we man
| aged to get the women out. 1t was nc
slight task-most of the women were
| hysterical.
THE first sight ouside was that OF
| naked and half dressed people in the
street, running about, crying, screec CHI
.ng. wild with fear, while the buildings
| we're toppling down around them and
| choking up the streets. Many Were
wrapped only in bed clothes.
1T took me two hours to get around
| fhe fire and across the bay. ! think
the entire city will be destroyed"
r. X. Cole, horseman we'll known
over the country, was at the Palace
| IL, "a mid Sf Of I.. ~
horror.
| My God, l never saw anything like
it." said he, land I have seen thous-
ands, too. l was in the ST. Louis cy-
clone and the Baltimore fire.
'They We're nothing. Man. you CAM
imagine it, 1t is indescribable 1 saw
all San Francisco staggering and rock
ing and then in flames. 1 wanted t.
rush down and jump in the bay to
| drown out all the awful sights
Mrs. Agnes Zinc, Hotel Broadway
said:
| II was stopping at 64 Fifth street ir
| San Francisco. The rear of that house
collapsed and the landlady and about
so of the roomers We're killed. l es-
capped simply because l had from
/ room, and when l got out the roof anG
| stairways had collapsed in the real
hall of the house. Out in the street il
/ wedglwnd Mkoom III, yfi oavsg fgwyT
was impossible to find clear path
way. I saw another lodging house
near ours collapsed think it mus
have been SO Fifth street-and l know
| all the inmates We're killed, for tht
wreck was complete. In ten minutes
the entire block to Mission street wa.
in flames