Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1906-05-18
FEATURES OF
EARTHQUAKE
lts Greatest Force Seems to Have
Been Exerted at San Jose, South
Of San Francisco.
OBSERVATIONS OF Il. A. CRAFTS
Made the Trip From San Jose to San
Francisco Immediately After
the Shock.

49,. 1906, being in San Jose at the
time of the shock. Then, in about an
hour, left for San Francisco over the
Southern Pacific Coast line. which ira
verses the west shore of San Francisco
Bay from Palo Alto on the south to
the center of the city on hte north.
At San Bruno, fifteen miles south
of San Francisco, the train was halt
ed on account of damaged track, and
the great majority of the passengers
started on afoot AS for myself. walk
ed about twelve miles. when was
overtaken by the train which had fin
ally managed to creep across the shak-
en- track and proceed on its way.
| then went as far as the Valencia
Street Station. in the Southern quart
er of San Francisco. AT that point
ascertained that it would be impos-
sible to get through the city and across
the bay to Oakland; and having start
cd for the last named point to learn
the fate of my family, | concluded to
turn back and proceed to San Jose. or
wait st some small town on the pen
insula until such time as could make
my way via San Francisco.
| walked back some five miles. and
then took the train back to San Jose.
arriving there at six o'clock p. m.
just twelve hours from the time of my
departure Meanwhile | had travelled
fifty miles of the worst-affected terri
tory and returned.
am of the opinion that when the
relative force of the earthquake has
been approximately measured, it will
be found that the point of greatest en-
ergy was in the vicinity of San Jose
| am quite sure from my personal OBJ
servations that the shock at San jose
was much more severe Than that a
San Francisco.
There is no point that apparent,
received SO severe shock as Sal
Jose and some of the smaller towns
next north of it on the peninsula eX
cepting Santa Rosa, and that town i
almost exactly the same distanc
north of San Francisco as San JOS
is south. Thus San Francisco nigh
be taken as the center of the disturb
ance, with a constantly increasing
force both north and south for dis
tances of fifty miles, from whence ou1
ward the force constantly diminished
Now as to the disturbance in al
easterly and westerly direction Tn
next day | took train for Oakland
on The east side of the bay, and wa
surprised to observe that that strip {
country had been far less affected tina
the strip that had traversed the da
before. There were a few chimney
down along the route, and when
reached my home in Fruitvale, a sui
urb of oakland on the southeast, Their
was hardly any evidence that an eartf
quake had struck the section the da
before.
OF course, the effect westward c
San Francisco could not be judged
because there is the boundless Pac
fic; and if there were any upheaval a
all, it came in the shape OF tida
wave, and have yet to hear that an
such phenomenon occurred in that d
rection. Eastward still of Oaklan
there was constantly diminishin
tremOr. Stockton, sixty miles milan
from the Golden Gate. reported but
comparatively slight disturbance S.
there is the approximate area of tn
great terrestrial disturbance.
Now as 10 local effects At the tim
of the shock | was in bed in a small
room in the rear of the second foo
of a large square-frame dwelling OF
North Third street San Jose. | ha
wakened some fifteen minutes before
and was trying to get one more ma
before arising. Suddenly was arou
ed from half slumber by the SCUM
of rush and roar outside. and in
second the whole house was swayin
from side to side and straining in e
cry part.
Then there was momentary lull, a
ter which came the supreme shoe
The house appeared to heave up al
down and sway from side to side
the same time, just as if it had bee
suddenly cast upon a rolling sea. tt
terrible force appeared to gain streng
continually, and it seemed as if IL
whole structure would be wrenche
in pieces and flung to the ground in
heap of ruins. In the meantime Il
roar outside had become almost dea
ening, and this was punctuated wi
crash after crash of falling buildin,
intistant parts of the town.
Then all was calm, and that cal
was almost as terrifying as the stor
that had just ended, for who could te
what was coming?
Upon rising | found my washstan
which had stood back against the ca
wall of the room, moved out from Il
wall at its south end about a for
while all around the carpet w
drenched with water that had be,
spilled from large ever that h,
stood in bowl upon the washstau
Hastily dressing. | went into L