Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1906-04-24

the Southern Pacific delayed
train last night. The four who
were lucky enough to escape the
horrible scenes which followed
tn, great earthquake told enough
of the disaster after the first
shocks to turn one to horror.
Henry Hahn, manager OF Wad-
hams & Co., occupied room on
the second floor of the Palace.
He vas awakened by the first
shock and found himself covered
with plaster and broken glass,
but Scaped without a scratch.
I will never forget that nor
ribl- grating sound when the
building swayed and rocked like
a tail tree in a storm. 1t was
something awful, and I can hear
it vet. was awakened by the
first shock and Immediately the
pl ster began to fall. The bureau
and bed were shifted almost to
the middle of the room, and
while l did not seem to realize
that I was in great danger, l got
out of the room when the second,
third and fourth shocks followed,
although they were less severe.
Everything was excitement In
the corridors, and the darkness
made it difficult to find the exits.
1.-The damage in the building,
hewever. was nothing compared
to the scenes that met our eyes
upon reaching the street. Great
heaps of bricks and timbers were
strewn about to the middle of the
pavements, and it was impossible
to get away except by taking the
middle of the streets. The fire.
men responded promptly and
were in the midst of the business
district almost as quickly as we
got out OF the hotel, but it soon
became apparent that they were
helpless, the water-mains having
burst from the sway of the
ground. In some places the
streets had sunk to a depth of
a foot or more. Some water was
pumped from the bay, but 1t
availed nothing against the many
fires that were springing up
everywhere. I am certain that
within half an hour 90 of the
fallen structures were ablaze and
that was only so tar as l could
see.
81 saw only two bodies, one
was lying on the sidewalk and
another under t;mbers in fallen
building. Many maimed and
crippled were rushing about the
streets, apparently dszed and
not knowing in what direction to
seek relief.
"The most salient features
have been told, but one thing
proved was that the modern steel
structures stood the strain we'll,
and l do not believe the result
would have been so terrible had
it not been for the large number
of small and old structures in the
business district. They could
not withstand the terrible rock
ing and fell like so many card
houses. The immense Monad-
mock building was rent in two
from top to bottom, but it re.
mained standing.
81 do not believe that the loss
OF life will be so great as has been
estimated, although they may
have found many pinioned under
the debris after the flames got
in their work. There were any
number of dead horses on the
streets when we tried to reach the
ferry. They belonged to haw-
kers, who are out early in the
mornings and they had been
crushed by the crumbling walls.
What became of their owners
do not know, but I suppose they
saw the danger and escaped.
"We had an awful time getting
to the ferry. The streets were
soon blockaded and the only
way to reach Washington-street
pier was by taking a circuitous
reute. 7 crossed on the first boat
and the rush was not as frantic