The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-04-25
HERE
CARUSO AND PLANCON TELL OF
THE EARTHQUAKE DAY.

nervous but all happy, climbed down from
the Twentieth Century Limited when the
train rolled into the Grand Central Station
Yesterday morning, and fell into the arms of
a waiting throng of men and women. They
had CON from san Francisco, and most Of
them were members OF the Metropolitan
Opera Company.
As the group got of the train they we're
met by a lot of baggagemen, who asked for
their baggage chscks,
What, Checks,- said the big Pol Plan
con sadly. and then he shook his head.
NO No checks. We have no checks"
He spoke for most Of the company, who
arrived with just the clothes they had on.
The operate stars were Caruso. Sem
hrich, PlanGon. Dippel, Manager Goerlitz,
Conductor Hertz, Miss Edythe Walker,
Miss Bessie ABBOTT. Miss Alien, Gourmet,
BARS, Rossi and C~ampanari. The rest of the
company. including Burgstaller, Scott,
Van Rooy. Treasurer Max Hirsoh and all
the other employees. a party OF nearly 1850.
is on its way here on a special train which
is to arrive over the Pennsylvania at noon
on Thursday.
Nine. Homer came as far East as Chicago
with the party that arrived yesterday, but
left the train there to go to a sanitarium.
She got out of the Palace Hotel in a pair
Of her husbands trousers, and the expert
euce has told on her very much, according
10 her friends.
Caruso, Rossi and Gourmet went to the
York, where Caruso related his experiences.
I was awake, " he said. There was a noise
As though some one had thrown himself
an his bed in the next room. Then some
thing hit the walls. 1t was crash, crash,
crash! I threw open the window and
looked out, 1t was terrible. Everywhere
the walls were falling and clouds Of dust
rising
The singer said that he put on a few
clothes and dashed downstairs. On the way
be met Scott and Gourmet.
We waited for an hour for the other
shock" be went on. 1T did not come. We
went back into the hotel. Then 1t came.
ran out into the street again. Then my
valet. MARITIME. went upstairs and put some
things in my trunk. All. but he was a brave
fellow. But he forgot many things-my
soap--my comb and brush-oh, 80 many
things. And when we got the trunk out
Of the building what do you think? -Four
Cinnamon tried to steal 1t. I saw them
carrying it away. They said 1t belonged
to them. Itook out my keys, but they said
It, was theirs still. ! put my hand in my
pocket. Yes. I had my revolver, which
I take when I travel. ] drew it. Give me
my trunk, or I will shoot you said. Still
they would not give it to me. Finally a
soldier came along, slapped them in the
face and they ran"
Signor Caruso said that he stayed most
OF the day in jackson Park and in Union
Square. He showed the picture of Presi-
dent Roosevelt he had used for a pass. 1t
is a very large photograph with the Presi-
dents autograph.
Every time 7 was stopped I showed 1t
to the soldiers and then they would do any
thing for me. I shall never forget what
We saw" he said. People were dead in
the streets. Everywhere ruins. When I
got to Oakland I found other members of
the conn any and, a special train all made
up waiting for us. Many were without
proper clothing. 80 7 gave them what l
could out Of my trunk that I had saved"
Rossi said that he spent all of Wednesday
night in Golden Gate Park. and had nothing
hut praise for the conduct of the people
there. He said that they we're all very
quiet and did not lose their heads, as he was
quite sure his own countrymen would nave
done. He said that it was true that he had
tried his voice Wnen ne ROt INTO Tue SlletI
after the first shock.
Gourmet slid that he had run from the
Palace Hotel to the knickerbocker Hotel.
hut after the second shock he and Blaes
paid 500 for a cab and rode around the city
the res. of the day, Then az night be
driver wanted his cab and they gave aim
another $50. The driver then uIlhitched.
the horse and left the cab standing in
Golden Gate Park. Gourmet and Blass
atayed in the cab in the park all night.
n - ---- H. --l,- rnn IN - no
She cut both feet when she got out of bed.
as the chandelier had fallen in her room.
Although it panied her very much to walk
sne ran to Union Square, near the hotel
where she found Nine. Eames and Nine;
Sembrich. Then she went 70 the house of
a friend, a Miss Simpson. Miss ABBOTT said
that she aud Miss Simpson decided to see
what they could do for those more seri-
iouslv hurt and went together to the Me,
chanics Pavilion. which mad been turned
into a hospital. They took with them a lot
Of bandages they had made in the house
before they started. -, =,
The sights in the pavilion were terrible,
nth men and women. Many of them were
bleeding from wounds and we're covered
NIB dirt. They we're poor people who
had come from tenements. The wailing
IN that big place l shall never forget. But
n vas wonderful to see what a System they
had. Each Of US would take an armful
Dt UdlCdstS dlu SO bp oLiA NS"' VIZ .NNNN
Of wounded, tying up heads, arms and legs
But the worst part Of all was that there was
No water to wash the wounds. The people
would call for a drink and We could not give
them n
Pol Plancon. who was at the st. Francis,
did not meet any Of his fellow singers until
he reached the train at Ga kland He said
that he also had managed to reach Union
Square and finally got a ride on a truck
filed with somebody's household goods.
The truck took him to North Beach he said
He stole a rife from the truck and wan;
dered around for hours. Finally he reached
a place on the waterfront.
y found that ] had more money with me
than | thought he said, -and offered most
Of it TO a mar who was on a tugboat IT. he
would take me across to the railroad ga ion.
He agreed to do this and as We crossed
the bay we saw hundreds In rowboats going
across, We helped a lot Of them"
There were many incidents that the
singers took note of. One man came down
stairs to the office in the Palace Hotel wear
ing a union suit Of underclothes and a silk
hat and carrying carefully in his hand
an Faster lily. Another man Manager
Goerlitz saw came rushing downstairs
with a china clock clutched in his han ID
the only thing he hal saved. When he got
downstairs he looked at the clock. ,