The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-04-27
ALL newspapers
WERE WRECKED
Every Plant in San Francisco
Was Completely Wiped
Out.
TELEGRAPHERS STUCK TO
POSTS UNTIL EXHAUSTED
Realized Awfulness of Calamity
and Anxiety of People to
Hear From Relatives.
TRIBUNE HEADQUARTERS
425 Ninth Street,
Oakland, CAL. April 26.

Oahauu, SRl., April 70.
No calamity in history worked such
generalization to newspapers as did the
san Francisco disa ster Not one OF the
great papers OF the Golden State me-
tropolis but was completely wrecked.
Tho earthquake happened at time
In the morning when the reporters and
employees of the mechanical depart
ments. excepting In the press rooms. were
OF duty and at their homes The disaster
seized all with one desire, and that was
to save their families and such parts OF
their property as could be carried from
the wreckage. When this had been done
1t was found that the newspaper build
inss had been destroyed, and there was
no place to report for duty
Heroic Task to Reorganize.
1t was heroic task to reorganize these
fragments, and one Of the chief workers
In this effort at reorganization was
Charles All Williams who until a wear
ogo was managing editor of The Salt
Lake Tribune. Mr.. Williams is night city
editor on the San Francisco Examiner
Up TO Saturday night he had succeeded
In bringing together about a score of
reporters and editors, and these we're
housed in temporary headquarters in Oak
land endeavoring to get out paper with
the assistance of the Oakland Tribune
ALI Suffered Alike
Other newspaper men of Frisco had
similar experiences. There never was q
time when a disaster completely wiped
out every newspaper plant The rule has
been that some have gone unscathed, and
| the suffering papers have been extended
| aid by their contemporaries who had been
more fortunate. Not so In San Francisco.
All suffered alike.
Many Weeks to Equip Plant.
1t Will be long time before any Of
the San Francisco papers will be running
normal 1t requires many weeks to equip
| great newspaper 1t will require many
| weeks to reorganize tho scattered forces
| SO as TO enable the publishers to attain
| anywhere near their former perfection OF
| newspaper making.
Telegraphers Like Others.
Ono reason why the telegraph com
panes were unable to make proper re-
ports Of the disaster and to handle the
thousands Of incoming messages was the
fact that the operators. like the news
"a
after their families and securing
temporary quarters for them. They could
not be rounded up for duty.
Heroes at the Key.
Those who were on duty were worked
like slaves. Their shifts were almost end
less, and many OF these faithful operators
| actually fell exhausted at their posts OF
duty. They realized the awfulness Of the
calamity and the anxiety OF the people
for information as TO the whereabouts OF
friends and toiled away hour after hour
In an endeavor to relieve the congested
conditions of the already overworked sta
tions.
Long Lines of People.
The long lines of persons trying to OBJ
tain admission into the few telegraph
offices that were In operation told the
story of worldwide anxiety that i'm
pressed every who gave thought 20
II. 1t required vigorous methods at times
In order to restrain those who frantically
sought for informa tlon from friends or
endeavored to fle messages calling for
relief from their temporary embarrass-
ments
Newsboys Not Stampeded.
The only class that seemed not to have
stampeded was the newsboys. They were
present everywhere. and while thou
sands of these little fellows must have
fairly coined" money many OF them
would call out their paper and say.
'If you're broke 1t don't cost you a cent
This generosity on the part Of those boys
was appreciated by many who deserved
these small acts OF charity at their hands.
for there were thousands of we'll dressed
men and women without a cent in their
pockets,
Kept Vigil for Forty Hours.
On the corner OF one of the busiest
sections OF Frisco Sunday morning
stood Il man who had been keeping vigil
there for almost forty hours, He said
he had placed an advertisement In
Oakland newspaper almost two days be-
fore asking his wife to meet him at this
particular place He knew that II she
saw it she would certainly endeavor to
ton him there, and fearing that he might
miss her he did not leave his post even TO
secure food and shelter
Escaped Sockless.
Race whitney son Of one OF the new
nnostles was one of the newspaper men
OF San Francisco who suffered In the
earthouake He escaped. sockloss and
with but meagre clothing. and late sun
day evening had not laid down to rest.
JokIngly he said he believed he would
see If he could not talk some fellow out
Of a pair of socks as II was very incon-
ycnient 10 be running around as ne hao
since the first shock OF the earthquake
On q Southern Pacific train out OF San