The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-04-22
Tells His Experience.


ventures
Tells His Experience.
II was stopping In a room on the third
floor of the hotel" said Dr. Fleming,
when the first shock occurred. An earth
quake in San Francisco was no new SEN
saton to me. | was there in 1868 when u
boy 10 years of age, when the first great
earthquake came But that was a gem
tie rocking of a cradle to the one of
Wednesday I awoke to the grooming of
tmbers, the grinding, creaking sound.
then came the roaring. Plastering and
wall decorations fell.
The sensation was as though the build
ing was stretching and writhng like a
snake. The darkness was intense. Shrieks
of women, higher, shriller than that of the
creaking timbers, cut the air. l tumbled
from the bed and crawled, serambling
toward the door. The twisting and with
ing appeared to increase. The air was
oppressive. | seemed to be saying to my
self, will 1t never, never stop?' L
wrench& the lock. the door of the room
swung ck against my shoulder Just
then the building seemed to breathe stag
ger and right itself
But fled from that building as from
Il falling wall. | could not believe that
1t could endure such a shock and still
stand.
Laughing at Half-Clad Man.
1.-THE next | remember | was standing
in the street laughing al the appearance
of half hundred men clad in pajamas-
and less.
THE women were in their night robes;
they made better appearance than the
men. The street was a rainbow of colors
in the early midnight. There was every
stripe and hue of raiment, never to be
seen outside the boudolr.
Il looked at a man at my side. He
was laughing at me. Then for the first
time, / became aware that | was in
pajamas myself. 1 turned and fled back
to my room.
There | dressed, packed my grip and
FASTENED back to the street. All the big
buildings on Market street toward the
ferry were standing, but | marked four
separate fires. The fronts of the small
buildings had fallen out into the streets,
and at some places the debris had broken
through the sidewalk into cellars.
Il noticed two women near me. They
were apparently without escort. One
said to the other, What would not | give
to be back in Los Angeles again. That
awakened a kindred feel, and proffered
my assistance. | put my overcoat on the
stone steps of a building and told them
to sit there.
Seemed to Pitch Forward.
I'm less than two minutes those steps
appeared to pitch everything forward. to
be flying at me. The grooming and with
ing started afresh.
But l was just stunned. I stood there
In the street with debris falling about
me. 1t seemed the natural thing for the
tops of buildings to careen over and for
fronts to fall out. | do not even recall
that the women screamed.
1.-The street gave copvulsive shudder
| and the buildings somehow righted them
selves again. I thought they had crashed
together above my head. The two women
arose and started to walk. I followed in
kind of aimless sort of way. The street
was filed with moving things again.
Every one was walking. but there was no
confusion. We did not even seem in a
hurry. Down Market street the flames
We're growing brighter.
I'VE walked without luggage to the ST
Francis. Fires were burning down toward
| the ferry, but the fire department had
gone toward them. We had faith In the
fire department.
| Soldiers Patroling Streets.
Soon became aware that squads of
soldiers Were patrolling the streets. 1t
appeared perfectly natural / do not
| think wondered why they were there.
Men and women were all about us
| We looked at each other and talked. even
| tried lamely to Joke. But every few mo-
ments a conclusive CULVER swept through
the city. The others seemed to be shiver-
| Ing
| Il noticed that the eyes OF the men and
! women were rolling restlessly. Their
tones We're pitched high. 1t seemed to
| crate ON my nerves, then | fell to Won
dering whether l was talking shrllly too
/ Il went to grocery without a front
and bought a few supplies, things that
would make q cold lunch. The grocer did
not even overeharge me. lie was par
tieular to give me the right change
THE soldiers came and told us to move
| on. II seemed the natural thing to do