The San Francisco call., 1906-05-07
DR.. DIGG|NS QUITS
WORK AS PR|VATEER
ON THE CITY FRONT
Well Known Medico Who Temporarily
Turned Pirate to Secure Me-
dicaments Resumes Practice.
Wins Fame by His Many Bold Deeds
in Behalf of Victims of
Earthquake.
Through His Prompt Action and Fore
sight Many Wounded Are
Saved.

!
unteered their services at the time of
the earthquake, published in yester-
days Call, the name Of DR.. E. A. Dig
gins was Inadvertently omitted. DR..
Diggins was sleeping in his Office near
/ the foot of Market street when the
earthquake came. Within fifteen min
utes he was at the Harbor Hospital and
not until the Saturday following did he
/ take either rest or sleep and then with
his clothes on.
When he reached the hospital on the
morning of April Is, he found that the
breaking of the mains had left the hos
pital without water. He arranged with
the captain of the Norwegian collier
Titania for supply of the necessary
| fluid and from the throng already gath
cred on the wharves organized bucket
brigade, which kept the hospital sup
piled until other arrangements could be
made.
Finding the supply Of dressing ma
terial running short, Diggins took it
upon himself to send out foraging par
ties with orders to break into drug
stores and bring to the hospital all the
cotton, gauze and bandages they could
! find.
He arranged for the use Of the army
J transport wharf as temporary hospital
to which he sent the patients as their
wounds were dressed, from the Harbor
Hospital in wagons which he command
eered from the passing procession of
vehicles.
He persuaded the masters and care
| Eo1r - "a 70 lra
on board many of the refugees who by
this time were crowding the bulkheads
in the vicinity of the hospital
"We viii give the people shelter and
drinking water, but cannot feed them, -
he was told by those on board the
ships
@You take the people, I'll find the
grub" was Diggin s response.
He did. He seized the city's milk
supply which was lying uncalled for at
the ferry depot. He looted wharves and
stores and in addition ito provisioning
his ships, stocked a lunch counter out
side the hospital where passing refugees
were given something to eat and glass
Of milk.
He devoted himself exclusively to the
task of providibg supplies for the hospi-
tai and the homeless in TIE immediate
vicinity. When what he wanted was
not given freely, he took it. With the
willing assistance of two bluejackets.
From the ships in the harbor he got
supplies, blankets and clothing. The
night it rained he "borrowed" sails
from the ships Of the salmon feet and
j took the crew from the Italian ship
Cressington to rig immense shelters
with the canves.
He carried on his privateering for
four days after General Funston ord
cred the impressing Of private property
stopped Before his career was stopped
by the naval authorities he had three
small tugs and three gasoline launches
under his command. He was arrested
for piracy and taken before Captain
Badger of the flagship Chicago.
He squared himself with the authori-
ties and ever since has devoted himself
to work more within the lines of his
profession but still volunteer work and
without recompense.
Diggins holds no political position
and had no authority for any Of his &C.
tions. He saw that certain things were
necessary and he did them, desregardine
red tape and the laws of property with
the abandon Of Paul Jones. When
the full story of the San Francisco fire
is written there will be at least one
chapter devoted to the piratical career
of DR.. E. A. Diggins, volunteer.