The San Francisco call., 1906-05-03
RESCUE STAFF
AND PATIENTS

One Of the most heroic rescues that
has come to notice was effected on the
morning Of the big shake by Police
man Ed Parquette of the City Hall sta
tion. At the risk of his life the police
officer, aided by Mrs. Rose Kane, a
nurse at the hospital, dragged from
the tumbling ruins Of the Central
Emergency Hospital every attendant
and patient. The little party was COM
PEELED to dig its way from the wrecked
hospital amid the crashing of columns
and falling of stones.
The Central Emergency Hospital was
quiet The inactivity and stiffness Of
early morn was upon the place. DR..
Arthur McGnty slept upstairs, the
nurse, Miss Margaret Sheehv, peaceful
ly dozed In her little room, and the
steward and insane ward matron
snatched bit of much needed rest.
Parquette was making his rounds about
the City Hall. He dropped into the Of
fee Of the insane ward and Topped into
chair, to beat his sergeant, Charles
Birdsall, to a little of the doze. Par
quette AYERS that he did not sleep. The
Police Department regulation In regard
to that peaceful occupation fitted
through his brain and jerked his droop-
ing lids open time and again.
Suddenly the policeman's chair began
to dance. Parquette's first impression
was that one of the demented men was
tearing his cell to pieces. He swore
beneath his breath at the untimely dis
turbance Of his bIssful repose. Then
the dome of the City Hall crashed
down, burytng all entrances to the hos
pital. The crashing OF walls brought
Matron Mrs. Rose Kane from her tiny
room and she rushed from her quar-
ters. meeting Officer Parquette in the
corridor. Together they rushed into
the hospital proper. There they found
Miss Sheehy and Steward Jack
Flynn. Flynn and Miss Sheehy told
the officer that DIR. McGinty was In bed
upstairs. Quickly Parquette raced up
the tottering stairs and. hurting rub.
bish to one side, made path for the
surgeon. The five gathered downstairs
and sought for means OF egress. Miss
Sheehy bravely refused to leave the
place until her patients were safe, and
| hdI1c WVQiQ ilOI lCdfc QlLA AlCi
wards were cared for. Parquette dug
hole and showed the little band Of
terror stricken people out into Larkin
street
Then he thought Of the insane pa
tients The earth had ceased trembling.
With Mrs. Kane he hurried back into
the ruined hospital and fought his way
over masses Of fallen brick and twisted
iron. He had the keys to the cells
where five sufferers from alcoholism
lay rending the thickening air with
their cries. He got them out and
turned his attention to the crazy peo-
pie.
In the cells of the detention hospital
were six insane men and women, some
Of them violent. With his revolver IN
one hand and straitjackets in the
other Parquette went into the insane
ward. Over against the wall the hospi-
tai cat, Clarise. crouched trans1xed
| with fear A huge rat scampered past
her, but the feline was blind to It's
flight. Tearing each celldoor open Par
quette yelled to the bowling demented
people: Put your arms In this Jacket
| or I'll blow your head on"
The second shock came. Debris fell
all about him, but the policeman ana
Mrs. Kane stuck to their work. The
whole City Hall seemed ready to drop
to earth. but, not daunted In the least.
Parquette and Mrs. Kane worked on
ceaselessly. Lining up the crazy ones
any one Of whom might have Drained
~ a-% - tru fy,>rwrfun
they marched them out
"You cannot tell me-" said Parquette,
"that those people are clean nuts. They
may have been crazy. but they GER
tinly knew that something was doing
and they came to me like good little
dogs"
We'd pespita Disaster.