The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1906-04-25

earthquake at $40 this morning.
The shock lasted three minutes,
thousands of buildings were damaged
and destroyed, and hundreds, if not
thousands of people were killed and
injured. The terror and excitement
is indescribable. Most people were
sleeping, and rushed into the streets
t,ndressed. Buildings swayed and
crashed, burying their occupants.
Added to the horror of the falling
buildings. FIRE broke out, and in an
amazingly short time swept the ter
ritory for miles, consuming blocks of
business houses, newspaper Offices,
churches, hotels and residences.
Everything south of Market street,
from Eighth street to the water
front, and north of Market street
from Sansome to Broadway is gone.
To check the spread of the flames
number of buildings are being de-
estroyed by dynamite. Practically all
the wholesale district is burned and
She flames are spreading to the Hayes
Valley district, the resident portion
Of San Francisco.
It is utterly impossible to estimate
the property loss accurately. though
conservative estimates place the loss
at over one hundred million. Thous.
ands Of people are homeless and
many are huddled in the parks and
public squares, beside the household
goods they were able to save. The
city is under martial law and all
downtown streets are patrolled by
cavalry and infantry. General Fred
erick Funston is in command. De.
tails of troops are guarding the banks.
Most of the principal buildings
have already been destroyed. Over
the scene Of desolstion hangs dense
pail of smoke. Fire burnt over an
area of eight square miles, equal to
one hundred city blocks. The first
shock put the entire waterworks sys-
tenn practically out of commission.
This added to the horror of the situ-
alton.
The dreadful earthquake shock
came at precisely 5:13 o'clock this
morning, the motion, apparently,
being from the east to west. The
first upheaval Of the earth was grad
ual but in few seconds it increased
in intensity. Chimneys began to
fall and buildings to crack, tottering
on their foundations. People became
panic stricken and rushed into the
streets. They were met by showers
of falling buildings, bricks, cornices
and walls. Many were instantly
crushed to death, others horribly
mangled. Those who remained in.
doors generally escaped with their
lives.
It is believed more or less every
family in the city sustained some
loss. Tall steel frame structures
stood the strain better than brick
buildings. Some of the docks and
freight sheds along the water front
slid into deep assures which opened
in filled in ground near the shore and
the Union Ferry depot is irreparably
injured. A portion of the new city
hall which cost more than seven mil
lion collapsed. Scarcely had the
earth ceased to shake when the fierce
fires broke out simultaneously in
many places. The FIRE department
responded promptly, but found itself
helpless as the watermains were rem
dered useless by an underground
movement. Firemea have resorted
to dynamite.
Washington, April 19-The War
Department has received a telegram
from General Funsten at San Fran
cisco saying:
"The city is practically destroyed.
The troons have been aiding the