The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1906-05-07
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tiful state of the Golden West Sar
| Francisco, the once prosperous and
busy city of the West, has been swept
| by flames.
| We received a terrible shock of
earthquake last Wednesday morning
| (April 49, at 5:14:48, that lasted 2S
seconds. So great was the shock that
! the instruments that register the
quakes Were broken, so we are in
doubt as to the direction it had its
| course. All of the Instruments in the
Cha bot Observatory here in Oakland
were broken.
Oakland suffered a great deal from
| the quake, but We thank God there
were very few killed, only five people.
To look at the buildings in Oakland it
seems a mystery that there We're not
hundreds killed. A great many OF the
buildings will have to be torn down,
while some of them will have to be
taken down two and three stories. All
of the chimneys of the homes were
broken to pieces, crockery and glass
ware were damaged to great extent;
the plate glass in the show windows
was broken. Going down Broadway |
counted only fifteen windows that were
not broken. A great many of the high
buildings and church spires went off
plumb and they will have to come
down.
The first day one had TO climb over
heaps of bricks that We're in the mid
die of the street. The cars could not
run for thirty-six hours; no gas, electric
lights or water could be had during
that same length of time, as all OF the
mains were broken. Crevices were
made in the street in some places three
feet wide and from fifty to one hundred
in length. On some streets the car
rails were raised two feet earth and
all, from where they We're before. In
one case | saw in Alameda the rails
that run side by side, the double tracks,
one of them had fallen two and a half
feet and the one beside of it had raised
two feet
| never walked so much IN my life
as | did on Wednesday of last week. l
walked over ten miles to take pictures.
If YOU remember the long wharf near
the Oakland Mole, well, | walked to
the end. What sights along that wharf,
The sheds used for storing were as
bed with the roof as smooth as a
tanker covering it, with not shingle
,ut OF it. Freight cars were shaken
right out of the pin holes in the truck,
colts were broken in halves, not
.ruck-or as / should say-not wheel
vas on a track-all Of them were
hrown off.
We are still having earthquakes, but
hey all seem very light in comparison
With the great one we had. The other
.vening at dinner we had one that
hook the fork out of my hand. The
title ones have done some damage, but
tot very much. \ great many build
ngs of four and five stories had the
our corners fall out. and the fire walls
lso fell out One large building IN
own had its fire wall fall over another
uilding. which was occupied IN the
lsper story by theatrical people and on
he ground floor there was ten-cent
heater This building was completely
cmolished and it was here that the
eople were killed
| was on my way TO town when l met q"
friend who told us TO look in back
f us. over at Frisco. My, what a !
ght, | shall never forget it. An inn .
lense column OF black smoke was over u
lat city. We then walked TO town
nd tried to get to the city but 1t was II
npossible. no boats were going there
then took some pictures of the fire
he flames were gaining more ground (
! the time. They had to dynamite Il
anv of the fine buildings to prevent Q
,e FIRE from going too quick. In spite
their hard work the fire gained on -
lem.
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