The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1906-04-25


were destroyed, as also was the Simpson
and other lumber companies yards.
San Francisco (Special) Earthquak,
and fire Wednesday have caused tn,
greatest calamity California has evei
known. In San Francisco alone it j.
estimated that at least 500 persons have
perished, while over 1000 are suffering
from injuries The entire business por.
tion OF the city is in ruins, and the flames
which, owing to the lack of water, car
not be checked except by the blowing
up with dynamite OF buildings in theii
path, are still sweeping through the city
The property loss in San Francisco
alone is estimated at $So,ooo,ooo TO $780,
100000. The losses in other California
cities will aggregate $5,ooo.ooo 10 $fo,-
100000 additional.
A hundred thousand people are home
less, and many are huddled in the parks
and public square beside the household
goods they were able to save.
The city is under martial law, and all
the downtown streets are patroed by
cavalry and infantry.
Details Of troops are also guarding
the banks.
Most Of the principal buildings have
already been destroyed and others arc
in imminent danger Over all the scene
of desolation hangs dense pail oi
smoke
Communication with outside towns is
almost entirely cut off, but the report
comes from Palo Alto that number 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 a mass OF ruins One student
is known TO have lost his life In Oak
land FIVE persons were killed. San Jose
and Sacramento, Berkeley, Alameda and
other places heard from suffered severe
ly, but report no loss of life.
The dreadful earthquake shock came
without warning at precisely sI3 O'Clock
Wednesday morning, its motion, appar-
emily being from cast to west At first
the upheavel Of the earth was gradual,
but in few seconds it increased in in
tensity. Chimneys began TO fall and
buildings to crack, tottering on their
foundations.
The people became panic-stricken and
rushed into the streets, most of them in
their night attire They were met by
showers OF falling bricks, cornices and
walls.
Many were instantly crushed to death,
while others were dreadfully mangled.
Those who remained indoors generally
escaped with their lives, though scores
were hit by detached plaster, pictures
and articles thrown to the floor by the
shock. It is believed that more or less
loss was sustained by nearly every fam
lily in the city.
The tall steel-framcd structures stood
the strain better than brick buildings,
few of them being badly damaged The
big History Monadnock Office building,
in course Of construction adjoining the
Palace Hotel, was an exception, how
ever, its rear wall collapsing and many
cracks being across its front. Some Of
the docks and freight sheds along the
water front slid into the bay. Deep
assures opened in the filled-in ground
near the shore and the Union Ferry de-
pot was injured Its high tower still
stands, but will have to be torn down
A portion of the new city hall, which
cost over 100000 collapsed, the roof
sliding into the courtyard and smaller
towers tumbling down. The great dome
was moved, but did not fall
The new postoffice, one of the finest
in the United States, was badly shat
tered.
The Valencia Hotel four-story wood
EN- building, sank into the basement, d
pile Of splintered timbers, under which
were pinned many dead and dying occu-
pants 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 fires broke out simultaneously in
many places. The fire department
promptly responded to the first calls for
aid, but it was found that the water
mains had been rendered useless by the
underground movement Famed by a
light breeze, the flames quickly spread,
and soon many blocks were seen TO be
doomed. Then dynamite was resorted
to, and the sound of frequent explosions
added 10 the terror OF the people.
All efforts to stay the progress of .he
fire. however, proved futile. The south
side OF Market Street, from Ninth
Street on the bay, was soon ablaze, the
fire covering a belt two blocks wide.
On this, the main thoroughfare OF the
city, are located many of the finest edi-
fees in the city, including the Grant,
Parrot, Flood, Call, Examiner and
Monadnock Buildings, the Palace and
Grand Hotels and numerous Wholesale
houses.
At the same time the commercial es-
adjustments and banks north OF Market
Street were burning. The burning dis
trict in this section OF the city extended
from Sansome Street to the water front,
and from Market Street to Broadway.
Fires also broke out in the Mission. and
the entire city seemed to be in flames.
The flames, famed by the rising
breeze, swept down the main streets un-
I'll within a few hundred feet of the
ferry depot, the high lower OF which
stood at a dangerous angle The big
wholesale grocery establishment Of Weel-
man, Peck K Co. was on fire from Gel
lar TO roof, and the heat was so op-
prcssiye that passengers from the ferry
boats were obliged to keep close to
the waters edge in order to get past the
burning structure.
1t was impossible to reach the center
OF the city from the bay without skirt
ing the shore for a long distance, so as
to get entirely around the burning dis
trict At o'clock the Southern Pa
cihc officials refused 10 allow any more
passengers from transbay points to land,
and sent back those already on the boats
The ferry and train service of the Key
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