The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1906-05-07

way, so I suppose they were all right
East Oakland. April q, 1906.
| I have moved to East Oakland, as
you see. as the University of California
is closed Everything here is in great
confusion 1t is estimated that there
are three hundred thousand homeless,
You can imagine the state of things
in Oakland and all the cities around
with tents put up in every vacant lot
churches and public halls turned into
relief camps
1t is eight days since The calamity
and already the organization achieved
is wonderful. Merchants are talking
of rebuilding already, although it will
be months before the debris can be
cleared away I have not been over
to the city yet, but it is said to be an
awful sight.
The way the people of the state nave
thrown open their homes and given
help is wonderful. Train loads of pro-
visions are coming in daily Cousin
Alfred (The California Transportation
Coz has been working day and night
carving provisions and refugees in his
beats free.
Cousins Evlyn, Florence and Edith
We're brought over last Thursday. They
carried just a few clothes in sheets.
Their house was saved just block
above the fire line, but there was no
water or gas and no one was allowed
to build fires for cooking, so they had
to leave They drove down to the dock
sitting ON their piles of clothing in
little express wagon, with Alfred with
:. to no fF0n
taking the horse. Millionaires could
not get wagons. for love or money, and
had to see their beautiful homes burn
before their eyes
The death-rate if ever ascertained,
will be in the thousands, but the ter
rible suffering OF the survivors for the
first two days, without shelter, food
or water is beyond description. Tour
lists from the great hotels escaped with
the clothes on their backs and were
driven before the fire to the hills and
then had to walk miles around the
burning district, climbing over ruins
to get to the ferry. Every day we hear
something more dreadful than before.
I have sent all the papers as I can
not begin to describe it myself and nc
one. not here. can get an adequate idea
of the horrors.
FROM H. c. RAMSAY.
H. CT Ramsay, formerly With II. =
Grinbaum & Co, Ltd, left Honolulu in
the steamer China on April IS, arriving
in San Francisco the day after the
earthquake. Below are extracts from
the Fetter he wrote to F. W. Everton of
the ,Seamen's Institute:
We. arrived off the Farailones early
on Thursday morning. Long before
reaching there we could see smoke IN
the air The first news of the earth
quake and fire was brought to US by
the pilot who boarded our vessel but
the awfulness of the catastrophe we
did not begin to realize till the Customs
launch came alongside, when we heard
from the officers the most narrowing
tales of the terrible destruction that
had been wrought in the business por-
ton of The city, as well as in a large
part of the residence district. At this
time we could see with GUS own eyes
the terrible fire raging on Mob Hill and
hsw he residences of the wealthy were
being reduced 20 ashes one after the
other but 1 think the most pitiful sight
from the steamer was to see the masses
OF humanity crowded together at
North Beach with their few worldly
possessions. all they had been able to
save in their hurried flight from the
flames awaiting transportation across
the bay by ferry, tug-boat or launch,
anything to get away from the stricken
city. Our steamer remained for what
seemed an interminable length Of tine
in the stream. although everyone
aboard had passed the doctor. and we
were beginning to think that the mas
ter of the vessel had orders TO remain
where he was. However. at about $3.50
steamed for the Mail dock. coming to
an anchorage again in the bay just out
side the steamer Mongolia which had
been moved from her berth owing to
the danger of taking fire. At about
4:45 p. m. ferry-boat came alongside
to take those passengers who were
anxious To get to their relatives ashore
and hear the worst. There were
few of US tmen for the most p8rt} who
We're DESTROYS of entering with all
haste what had once been the flourish
ing city Of San Francisco. but which
was now mass Of ruins with the fire
still raging in three sections. the Mis-
sion. PTotTero and Mob Hill Myself
and four others. amongst whom were
the Lacey Bros of Frisco and Jack
Belser of Honolulu. wendell our way
up Howard street to Seventh. along
Mission to Ninth. and finally out Mar
ket street extension. The fire al this
time was raging fercely on Dolores