Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-05-08

l
that Mrs. Howard Johnson, wife Of ;
former Rock Island young man. anc
her sister, were lost i'll the earth
quake" The letter does not state
whether it is positively known that the
two ladies were killed, but indicates
that at least they have not been locat
ed. Mr.. Johnson is nephew of Mrs
a. II. Pollard of this city, and until
about seven years ago he resided here
Mrs. Johnson and her sister were San
Francisco girls, and were but slightly
known in Rock Island.
A pitiful story in connection with
the fate of the Johnson family is told
| by Mrs. Burns. She says that day OIL
more after the earthquake the two lit
| tie children of Mr. and Mrs. Johnson
were found wandering alone, hand in
| hand through the streets in the un
| burned district.
The Burns home was not damaged
and aside from some clothing that Mr.
Burns unfortunately had left at the
| tailOr's TO be pressed, they lost very
little. There is little optimism i'll Mrs
Burns letter, but it gives an idea of
the suffering Of the people OF the
stricken city. The greatest need now
is for clothing. il being almost impos-
sible 10 secure articles that are ALSO
lutely necessary. Provisions are very
scarce. Notwithstanding the quantities
sent for relief from outside cities.
Mrs. Burns states that the health
authorities have issued orders for the
removal of all curtains and tapestries,
in order to prevent infection and dis
ease. Great precautions are also be
ing taken against fire, and the orders
are enforced strictly by the patrol.
Tells OF "a Thrilling Experience.
In a letter written from Seattle by
Mrs. H. Z. Johnson. 1910 Mason street,
San Francisco, formerly of Rock Is
land, to her sister Mrs. A. II. Pollard,
of 722 Eighteenth street, this city, she
says: 1T is certainly miraculous that
| am here to write. How true. 'in the
midst of life we are in death. l was
awake the morning of the earthquake,
and when the tremble commenced l
thought it was a harder one than we
are accustomed to having, but J
thought it would stop directly and lay
still, but it got harder and harder, SO l
got up and rushed in to wake Mill Cher
little SOM. and l thought every minute
the plastering would come off and fall
on us The whole house shook from
one side to the other like an angry
parent would shake a child. l got
Mill awake and rushed to my room and
got en- my clothes and was out in the
hall before it stopped shaking. Oh.
you can never realize the terrible hOr
ror OF such a thing until you have
been through it. The house was badly
shaken. 1t threw cupboards down on
the floor, and the water plugs and
mains were shaken out of commission
in the city 50 the fire JUS burned what
wasn't shaken To pieces. IS square
miles. That night Mill took big tele-
scope and l took a bundle of bedding
over my shoulder and we started for
the Preside. and l am sure God gives
strength at such times for | am posi-
live I could not have carried such
load at any other time and Up these
terrible hills We got as far as Van
Ness and Lombard streets that night
way after dark and with many others
laid down on the ground and put the
quilts over us and rested until awhile
before daylight when we with the
rest moved on and got to the Preside
just after daylight.
after the earthquake you couldn
buy anything and | had a little bread |
and some crackers, can of cream. |
and can Of coffee. and two cans OF |
salmon, which l had hurriedly thrown |
IL the telescope before leaving. l had |
10 dish to make coffee, so we ate the |
Try bread and crackers with the sal |
non and got along fine if we had had |
/ dish to get it in they would have |
given US coffee ready made at the Pre-
lido in the afternoon.
Thursday we got a tent and the |
soldiers gave us hard tack and it was 1
real good and Friday morning the /
supplies came in from the near by |
titles and then ~e had plenty and we |
got a lard bucket and made coffee |
and lived fine. Any way we didn't go
hungry We divided with others and Il
,h, how nobly every one came to the 1
'elief. and still the wicked blaze sped /
N in its destruction until Friday night 1
lbOut 6 o'clock the military band com 1
nenced playing, very softly, My Coun- 4
ry 'Tis of Thee every one flew out of 1
heir tents to see what it meant, and |
when the music stopped, courier an. /
The fire is out 1t wasn't |
'eally out, but was under control, so I
every one slept that night. We left 4
Sunday noon and from the time, 5:15 |
|. m, Wednesday, until we left there |
we're slight shocks, it seemed the earth |
rembled constantly and at any other
ime we would have thought them Sc
-ere.
1--WE went by boat from Fort Mason |
o Oakland and they gave us trans
l. Ii,