The daily sentinel., 1906-04-21
MAN WHO WAS THERE.
sentinel Interviews George c.
sherman Who Was
Guest at Palace Hotel

+ the city to fall a prey to the
+ flames. Mr.. sherman tells the
\ story Of the disaster as he saw
+ 1t in a clear. calm and connect
+ ed manner.
I. NJ. Sherman states that he oe-
= cupied a room on the fifth floor
+ of the Palace and was sleeping
4 soundly at the time the first
+ awful shock came upon the .
+ city. The sensation he exper-
= fenced was unlike any sensa-
+ tion ne had ever felt or dream
= ed Of. Asked to describe the .
!. motion Mr.. Sherman said 1T .
!. seemed to me the moment .
= awoke that some one had .
= mighty grip upon the foot of .
= my bed and was jerking it .
= backwards and forwards. the .
+ next moment I realized that .
= the whole room and building .
!. was moving in a motion SINH .
= lar to that of my bed. Just .
= then a roar as If from the .
!. throats of ten thousand lions .
+ broke out and 1 then for the .
= first time realized that an .
\. earthquake was upon us. .
= jumped from the bed and could :
+ hardly stand on my feet. Open (.
= ing the door | saw people run q.
!. ming down the corridors and /.
4 everything was in confusion. ..
= the terrible roaring continued =.
4 and the whole world seemed to :
= be moving first one way then, /.
4 the other. gradually everything :
+ became still and the terror =.
7. striking roar died away" :
Il Mr.. sherman states that he /.
j. dressed hurridly and went ..
!. down stairs. women were :
= screaming and already peo- /.
J. pie were getting their belong :
!. ings together and preparing to {.
IL lthht Ant ioAtls
!. On stepping out in the street :
!. Mr.. Sherman saw that the tops /.
!. of many of the great buildings :
Il had toppled Street ear tracks :
Il were twisted, wires were down =.
J. pavements torn up and every :
Il thing was in confusion. .
y In moment" said Mr.. .
j. Sherman, "cries of fire were .
y heard on every hand and the .
Il whole city was soon lighted by :
:. the glare of flames in dozens of :
y sections of the city" :
!. In spite of all this havoc .
= and the realization of the
j. thought that the city was al /.
Il most certain to be destroyed, :
J. Mr.. Sherman declares that the :
!. people in the streets were d.
!. more orderly than any one .
j. could ever have imagined. It :
!. seemed that nearly every man, .
j. woman and child was either .
!. made calm by the terror of the :
j. situation or was simply selfpos- :
!. sessed. Mr.. Sherman said he :
:. saw hundreds of men dragging .
j. trunks along the payements :
!. and every woman and child .
!. had burdened themselves while .
:. everybody seemed to be quietly .
!. seeking n place of safety. :
:. Mr.. sherman states that he .
!. believes the loss Of life is .
j. greatly exaggerated but will .
!. probably reach in the neigh .
:. borhood of 900. Had the .
.. earthquake come in the early .
:. evening or during the day when .
j. the streets were thronged with d.
!. people he is certainthat the +.
:. death list would have mounted :
>. up into the thousands for the :
:. way stones. bricks. heavy cor :
!. nices etc. fell from the build :
=. ings was something worse than .
i frightful.
J. Mr.. Sherman states that the :
!. fire department was wholly :
:. powerless from the very start :
=. save ON the water front and he =
!. declares that it is indeed re- .
!. markable that the fire fighters :
:. scceeded in saving any portion :
J. OF the city.
J. When the dynamite was
.. brought into service the grew
.. someness and the terror of the
:. scene was added to. with sys-
=. tematic exploding every few :
:. minutes. the roar of the flames :
=. 10 be heard on every hand, the :
:. whole sky was lighted with a
:. Gtful fare. smoke rolling away
=. in great clouds and the cries OF
:. men and women rending the
:. air the scene was one that
i. could hardly be rivalled in its
!. terrific aspect, declared Mr
= sherman.
:. ITO see a burning city when
:. there is plenty Of water to fight
:. the flames is a horrible picture
:. so just imagine the sight OF
:. great city burning when there
=. is no water and the fire depart
:. ments are utterly helpless. II
:. was enough to make the blood
{; run cold and TO drive reason