Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1906-04-20
Hundreds Of People Probably
Dead as Result of Seis-
mic Shock.
MANY FIRES BREAK OUT IN CITY
Full Extent of Terrible Disaster Unknown as
Wire Communication with Town Is Sew
ered-Water Mains Broken-Other
Coast Cities Sn1itten.

commemorative the battle Of Manila.
The limits of Chinatown are but half
a mile away.
Big Frisco buildings and streets are
practically deserted of people as early,
as six o'clock in the morning. Bust
ness does not begin till about nine
O'Clock, and it is after eight O'clock
before the streets become at all busy
looking.
The mint and new post Office and
the magnificent city hall are nearly a
dozen blocks distant from the Postal
building.
Shipping on the bay front was
washed up into streets and the reced'
ing waves, which followed in quick
succession the seismic disturbances,
are believed to have carried many out
to sea.
Hundreds May Be Dead.
BY the time the earthquake reached
its destructive period the streets Of
the city were crowded with thousands
of terror-stricken persons, who rushed
to and fro and endeavored to keep out
of the way of falling buildings. Hun
dreds were supposed to have been
caught in the falling debris and
crushed to death or killed later by the
fires which sprung up all through the
business portion Of the city.
From Berkeley at nine o'clock, CEN
trail time, it was reported that the
Oakland side was also seriously affect
ed with the earthquake, and, while
loss Of life was not reported heavy, it
was believed that several large build
ings which were wrecked cover the
bodies of persons who had come into
the streets at dawn to observe the dis
turbance.
City Hall Practically Wrecked.
1t was reported that the city hall
was almost completely wrecked, and
between Third and Tenth streets, on
either side of Market street, the dis.
trict was practically leveled by the
final shock, which caused the inunda.
ton of the bay side of the city for q
distance of several hundred yards.
Momentary communication with the
outside world was had at $3.50 O'Clock,
central time. The flash" said that
shocks were still being felt, and the
disturbances had not subsidized.
Telephone communication from San
Francisco to Oakland shortly after the
heavy shocks began was continued
for some time, the operators finally
fleeing from the buildings in which
instruments were being used because
of the momentary danger of wrecking.
The street car service and ferry
service were paralyzed and the thou.
sands who thronged' the streets of the
city we're unable to make hasty exit.
Two hours after the first shock was
felt hundreds were hurrying to get
railway transportation out.
In the earlier hours after the dis.
turbance it was impossible to get re.
lief into the city, or to get the injured
and panic.stricken population out. all
transportation service having been
effectually cut off.
City Lies at Mouth Of River.
Through a break in the, coast range
the Sacramento river flows through
to the great bay inside the Golden
gate. San Francisco lies at the rivers
mouth. The city was reclaimed from
a desert of hills and wet sand. Big
holes stand to-day where fishing was
good in the SOS. ~-t
Most of the houses in the residence
district are wood and insurance men
looked askance when asked to guar
antee the residents against fire loss.
But business men relied on splendid
fire department and built some of the
finest Office buildings in the world.
San Francisco has $G,00O,000 city
hall, one hotel with l,40O rooms, the.
aters open throughout the year, pub
lie library Of 100000 volumes, a public
bath accommodating 1000, and a pop.
ulation Of 100000.
Many Buildings Collapsing.
Kansas City, April l8.-At 8:35 the
Postal Telegraph company here states
that the only information obtainable
from the west was that their opera.
tors at San Francisco had left their
building in that city and reported that
many buildings were collapsing.