The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1906-04-25

lamity California has ever known. In
San Francisco alone it is estimated
that a thousa and persons have per.
ished, while as many or more are suf.
fering from injuries. The entire bust
ness portions of the city are in
ruins and the flames, owing to the
lack of water, cannot be checked ~.
cept by the blowing up Of buildings.
The first shock came q 5:l3 this
morning. The earth seemed to sink
for q moment and then thel. buildings
tottercd and seemed to rise. Then
there was a sort of sinking1 a second
time, the like of which no mortal has
ever experienced. Target buildings
rocked and wobbled like q frail tree
in q storm. Three minutes after the
earthquake the town was q mass OF
torn streets. A sforce Of volunteers
and rescuers, leaderless, yet energetic,
appeared and the work Of rescuing the
dead and injured began without de-
lay. The shock Of the trembling earth
was followed by a multitude OF fires,
which swept the water front and the
southwestern portion of the city, de.
stroying within half an hour over $780,
600, 900 worth of tenements and bust.
ness property.
The city is under martial law, and
all the downtown streets are pa
trolled by cavalry and infantry. De.
tails of troops are also guarding the
banks. Most of the principal build.
ings have already been destroyed and
others are in imminent danger. Over
all the scenes Of desolation hangs the
dense pail of smoke.
Communication with outside towns
is almost cut off, but the report comes
from Palo Alto that all but one of the
buildings of the Leland Stanford, Jr.,
university have been wrecked, and
that the splendid Memorial church,
one of the finest structures OF its kind
in the world, is q mass of ruins. One
student is known to have lost his life.
In Oakland, five persons were killed.
San Jose and Sacramento, Berkeley,
Alameda and other places heard from
suffered severely, but report no loss
OF life.
The tall, steel frame structures stood
the earthquake better than the brick
buildings, few Of them being badly
damaged. The big history Monad.
mock Office building, in course of con.
struction, adjoining the Palace hotel,
was an exception, however, the rear
wall collapsing and many cracks be.
:, ing made across its front. Some OF
the docks and freight sheds along the
water front slid into the bay. Deep
assures opened in the 6lled.in ground
near the shore, and the Union ferry
depot was damaged. It's high tower
still stands, but will have to be torn
down.
A portion OF the new city hall, which
cost more than go 000, collapsed,
the root sliding into the court yard
and the smaller towers coming down,
the great dome being moved but not
falling.
The new postofice, one OF the finest
buildings, was badly shattered. The
Valencia hotel, a four.story wooden
building, sank into the basement, a
pile of splintered timbers under which
we're pinned many dead and dying oc
cupants of the house. The basement
was full of water and some OF the
helpless victims were drowned.
Scarcely had the earth ceased to
shake when fire broke out simultan'
eously in many places. The fire de-
partment promptly responded to the
first call for aid, but it was found that
the water mains had been rendered
useless by the underground movement.
Famed by q light breeze, the flames
quickly spread and many blocks were
seen to be doomed. Then dynamite
was resorted to and the sound of fire.
Aquent explosions added to the terror
of the people. All the efforts to stay
the fire, however, proved futile. The
south side of Market street from Ninth
street to the bay was soon ablaze, the
fire covering a belt OF two blocks wide
On this, the main thoroughfare OF the
city, are located many OF the finest
ediices of the city, including the
Grant, Parrot, Flood, Call, Exam
liner and M%onadnock buildings, the
Palace and Grand hotel and numer'
Gus wholesale houses.
From the Cliff house m word
that the great pleasure resort and
show place Of the city, which stood up
:. on a found alton of solid rock, has
been swept into the sea. Not a thing
stands to tell where the monster stone
building once stood. II has beer
leveled to the found alton, and onl!
tha rock lining the sea coast remain: