The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1906-06-05
SAN FRANCISCO LETTER.
EDITOR MESSENGER

aster which visited this city will
be of interest to the more for
tunate people of your county, or
are you tired to death of hearing
of earthquake and fire ? had
hoped to write you some time
ago but tenting, and that under
difficulties, is not conducive to
letter writing.
1t has been an experience that
few people go through and that
no person wishes to go through
the second time.
The earthquake alone was ter
rible, but we will never know
the damage done by it, as the
fire very soon covered up the
ruins of the quake. Neither viii
we know the loss of life as they
are each day finding more bodies
and bones which tell of the many
lives instantly crushed out while
sleeping and very soon burned.
The earthquake lasted but forty
seconds, but such seconds OF
course the houses continued to
shake for some time after moth
er earth became quiet.
1t seems like a terrible night
mare to me now when / think of
how we lie there helplessly ex-
pecting every instant the wall
to fall in and crush us, and yet
one runs as great a risk, a great
er to try to get out.
Every door in our house open
ed, even those that were locked.
Our house stood well but inn
mediately across the street from
US an entire row of houses went
down, and then came the piteous
means and screams of the vic
Tins in them. DIR. worked near
ly all day, or until he had to
come home to pick up a few of
our belongings, in the hospital
administering to those wounded
and dying, but those not fortun-
ate enough to be in a hospital,
and the objects of pity and suf-
fering which he saw would fill a
book.
AT 3 a. m. the following morn
ing we sat on hill and looked
down upon the most weird sight
it has been my lot to witness. It
seemed like wonderful brilliant
ly illuminated clouds over the
city, the flames were plainly Wis
ible miles and miles away, and
, through it all the roar of the
flames, like the surge of the
angry sea, we could plainly see
our home as in daylight. Here
we sat and watched il burn, and
two hours later when the College
of Physicians and Surgeons, of
which we were so proud, and in
which DIR. Pyle had his Office
found us still sitting there real
izing-no, we are just now real
izing that our years of savings
have gone, as DR.. hasn't one in
strument left with which to
work. 1t is indeed, strong re-
minder of mans littleness in
this world.
The automobile has won its
place in history and justly so.
The good accomplished by peo-
pie through these machines is
beyond expression and could not
have been in any other way as
horses could not have stood it.
1t is beyond realization, yes,
beyond imagination the ruin
done our dear old SanFrancisco,
but 45S blocks burned, and this
the costliest part of the city,
both in residences and business
centers.
About half the population has
gone. They are leaving the city
that has failed to harbor them
but through it all there has beer
no panic. 1t is indeed remark
able the way the people have
faced this, the greatest calamity
in history. The great true spirit
of the West is being demonstrat
ed. SanFrancisco's men and
women are made of stern mater
ial. Before the ashes of old Sar
Francisco had cooled the enthu
siastic disciples of Greater San
Francisco were carting them of
to the ash heaps and filing re
quests for building permits
Hopelessness has never conquer
ed her people. Courage, she ha.
always had, and in the days Il
come it will rear SanFranciscs
again. OF course we will never
have our old city. The old as
sociations and land marks o
which this city was so full anC
which we all loved so dearly ar,
gone forever; but in its place
viii rise greater and grandel
city-one to which we shall bt
as passionately devoted as ws