The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-04-24

Special to The Journal. ..
Denver, Col, April 24.-After being
driven from hotel in San Francisco
in their night robes, sleeping all night
in the grass in Golden Gate park, driv
ing between a row of dead bodies to
the Oakland ferry, landing and COM
ing by rail to Colorado Springs, E. P.
Wells, the Minneapolis broker, and his
wife, were surprised last night when
they walked into the Alta Vista hotel
and were met at the door by their son
and daughter, who were hurrying west
from Minneapolis in search of their
in the San Francisco disaster.
When the news of the earthquake
and fire reached Minneapolis Wednes-
day, Mr.. Wells son and daughter were
nearly frantic in an effort to gain some
news regarding their parents. They
kept the telegraph wires hot until
Thursday, when they purchased their
tickets for San Francisco and started
search for their parents. They ar
rived in Colorado Springs last night
at 1880 CLOCK and went to the Alta
Vista hotel, intending to continue west
ward this morning. -s>.g
While standing in the hotel lobby
half an. hour later, they heard the Ydoer
open and saw their parents enter.
Neither party expected the other, and
the women wept for joy.
Mrs. Wells said last night:
: cit was an indescribable sensation
that I felt when the earthquake oc-
Cured. Beyond the terror of the mo-
ment I have no impression of what
| went on
MI. and Mrs. Wells were stopping at
the Cecil hotel, at Bush and Jones
| streets.
Hotel Seemed to Be Whirling.
! "The first I knew of the disaster, y
sentative, Hwas when / was suddenly
awakened by being bounced up and
down in my bed. At first thought some
!. one was joking with me, but suddenly
plaster began falling from the walls
We were lying on a slant and my wife
who was sleeping on the outside, rolled
out of the bed The big structure
seemed to be whirling about. I jumped
out Of bed and, grabbing what clothes
were near, ran Ito the stairs and into
the. street. ......--... -. =
"Buildings were falling, the people
running pellmeil here and there, calling II
means Of the dying and the shrieks OF
the hurt, were sickening-I shudder tt
think Of it now; it was awful.
will never forget the experience.
"Clad only in our night robes, my
self and wife started for the ferry, in
tending to get out Of the country a!
soon as possible. But the crowd was
so immense that progress was slow. The
greater majority were barefooted, bu
my toes were trampled on so severely
that persuaded my wife to return will
me to the hotel. There I went to tn,
room, secured the balance of our clothe!
and we dressed in the hallway.
Made Their Beds Under Tree.
eve tried to reach the ferries, but
could make no Roadway. Finally we
hired a cab and drove out to Colder
Gate park. We made our beds under
a big tree that night and had nothing
to eat but a loaf of bread, which 1 pur
chased from a small store near the
park. There were countless people
sleeping on the ground near us thai
night in the park.
"Thursday afternoon we succeeded
in reaching the ferry building in car
rage. We had to drive over piles Of
brick, mortar and wreckage and saw
dead bodies lying along Market street
/ It was an awful sight. We spent Thurs
day night in Oakland and started fol
the east on friday
Mr.. and Mrs. Wells were in the
Windsor hotel, New York, when that
famous hostelry was burned, severa.
years ago, and both narrowly escaped
death.