Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-25
SCARE IN ALCATRAZ.
Graphic Description Of Effects Of the
EARTHQUAKE.

Mr.. William T. Kent has received a letter
from his daughter, Mrs. L. A. Curtis wife
OF Capt l.. A. Curtis of the 22d Infantry,
now stationed at Alcatraz Island. from
which an extract is given descriptive of the
earthquake there. The letter is dated the
18th and says:
I'VE were all peacefully sleeping at $40,
and suddenly the most horrible and rum
bling and cracking noises came, and our bed
heaved and fairly shook US out. I sat up
and cried oh. what Is itT Every second
the shaking became more violent, and this
tough old citadel seemed to be standing on
ends. Lawrence gave tremendous bound
clear over to the baby, got her UP and
opened the doors. and we all ran down stairs
In our bare feet. with only our night clothes
on. AS l left the room l heard a crash of
falling glass and thought the end OF the
world had come 1 thought it was a cy-
clone-an earthquake never occurred to me
but Lawrence gasped and said that it was
an earthquake. Miss Moore and Annie the
cook. were with US in similar garb.
DO you remember the bad earthquake
they had in Manila when we were touring
the Islands? Lawrence was there then, and
he said this was much worse When It
quieted down we all went upstairs and laid
down again. Miss Moore said she counted
eight shocks. At $50 another pretty bad
one came. and you should have seen Bar
bara, the baby. at that time. The poor little
soul sat in the middle OF the floor, as IL
rooted there. and her eyes were dilated with
fear and surprise. Since then all has been
quiet. but every one Is very nervous and
upset. and we cannot settle down at all.
China and bric-a-brac were smashed and
Mrs. Pricker was a heavy loser. She had a
beautiful large Satsuma bowl, very hand
some and expensive. and it was shattered
The frame houses felt Ii more than we did
in the citadel. All our shutters and CHM
neys are broken. and a large Chinese vase
which Lawrence brought home from the
Islands. and the globe of my blue lamp and
the blue vase that stood in the front parlor
are destroyed.
There are cracks in the earth in numer-
Gus places on the island. Capt. Humphrey
was thrown, out of bed and had his knee
hurt, and their chimney fell in They are
all giving thanks that we are safe and that
no one was seriously hurt outside of a. good
shaking up and a bad scare. Over In the
city 1t is fearful.
"All of the morning we have stood with
held glasses to our eyes watching San Fran
cisco burn. 1t Is an awful sight, the heavy
clouds or smoke and ashes rising for nun
dreds or feet in the air. We know that moth
ing can be done, for the earthquake broke
the water main, and the supply of water
Is shut off. Every few minutes there is a
heavy defamation. and we do not know
whether the fire department Is blowing up
the buildings with dynamite or whether it is
renewal of the fire which caused the ex-
plosions We sat and watched the Call
building while it was ablaze. The fire COM
menced at the top and worked down
Market street Is q mass of flames and
the latest reports say the Emporium Is gone.
All along the water front thousands of peo-
pie have congregated, homeless and camp
ing out with scarcely any shelter over
their heads. Early this morning kilograms
were sent to Mcdowell for troops to aid in
keeping order and to protect property
AS the earthquake came SO early in the
morning 1t probably saved a large number.
as a great many of the large buildings were
not occupied"