Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1906-04-25
STOPPING PLACE is GONE
Dr. TeViS' House, a Monument Of Per-
feet Taste, on the Top Of hob
Hill, Burned TO the Ground.
WAS THE LAST TO STAND THERE
Madame Eames Resting in the
Santa Clara Hills.
SHE WILL START EAST TOMORROW
AYoolpted Pres. plspatohe, oy special Wire,

Asrooisted Press Dispatches bv Special Wires
San Jose, Cal, April 25.-The following
statement OF her experiences during and
after the earthquake was written for the
Associated Press by Madame Emma
Tames Of the Metropolitan Opera Co..
who is resting at the home of DR.. Tevis.
at Alma. in the hills of Santa Clara county.
Madame Eames is arranging with the rail-
road officials for transportation on the
Overland Limited tomorrow morning
The story is as follows:
Il was in bed and at the first quiver Of
the earthquake awoke TO perfect CON
sciousness. / was in "A four-post bed
with a very heavy mahogany canopy over
H. / wondered whether / had better get
out but the futilty of any movement to
save oneself came over me. and lay quite
still. only holding on to the bed to be kept
from being thrown out. As soon as the
movements began to quiet themselves. /
thought Of moving but each time they
redoubled in intensity. At last. at the end
Of the first big shock, l heard the voice
Of our host asking if | were afraid. OF
course, | got up and dressed as quickly
as | could and rushed down to the Hotel
st. Francis. to see what was happening
Madame Sembrich. DIR. Tevis and I got
in an automobile, with which an acquaint-
ance was fortunately passing. On reach
ing the st. Francis, we rushed up six
fights only 90 find Madame Sembrich
gone We at last found her and begged
her to come with us, as Dr. Tevis' house
was on the top Of Mob Hill We passed
the day there, watching the flames ap-
preaching and feeling earth shocks at
intervals DIR. Tcvis all the time was
trying TO get some sort of conveyance 20
get us out Of town. not from fear Of earth
quake but Of the approaching fire. lie
at last found a landau whose driver con-
sented to wait in front of the door until
We must leave The town was burning
between us and the ferries, and there was
difficulty in getting there.
"At about o'clock the doctor said we
had better get out to North Beach. as we
might be surrounded by flames and not
be able to get away. The house was
ultimately surrounded by flames on
Thursday and was the last to remain
standing in that vicinity 1t was a
monument Of perfect taste and was
burned to the ground, with all in it., in
cluding our clothes wo being able to
carry with us in our hurried flight only
our valuables and one change of clothing
We took blankets and lay out on the
ground all night. the dew falling so heavily
that we were soaked. About 9 O'Clock
on Thursday morning DR. Tevis said the
fires had burned themselves ont between
us and the ferry and we could get ovei
10 Oakland and must 60 at once The
carriage took our few belongings ano
two OF our party least fit for violent exer.
else, while the rest of us walked At The
Oakland ferry we found a large crowd
but after waiting there three-quarters o
an hour for the carriage. which we haC
outwalked and which through some mis-
understanding had waited for us at another
place all the time. We got safely over tC
Oakland There, leaving our two maids
IN carriages. we took train 10 a suburb
oi Oakland. where lives a relative of DR.
lewis. There we found the house closeC
and lay about on the ground. wait
ing for them 70 find means of con
Neying us to DIR. Tevis country place
90 miles from Oakland. As we wer,
leaving North Beach for the ferry. TN,
manager of our host country place mel
US, having come to look for us. and it WA
lie who told us we could get away
All the part Of the town through Nhicl
We walked was later swept by the flames
which returned to destroy all that in thu
previous fire they had left unconsumed
hrough some misunderstanding MADAME
Sembrich's maid was left with some mem
hers OF the opera company in Oakland
so she returned to the special train the,
we're making up / had lost my voic
completely and felt / could not return {,
confusion and endure a possible three
DAY solourn in a railway train At abou
oo'clock Thursday afternoon we manage,
70 secure an automobile and DIR. Tevis
hr Ietndge, my maid and myself cam
ap here, where we have been camping out
we found the caretakers in state @
terror on our arrival and the house dc
molished by the earthquake. We hav
been trying very hard to get accommoda
tl0ns for our journey to New York, an
! hope to leave on Thursday morning b
me Overland Limited, arriving in Me-
ork on Monday morning. We are wit
Ut. Ievis at Alma, Santa Clara county
Until we sraf e,,rs,- %