The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1906-04-27
Strange To Us That Men Have Acted On Their Own udgme
EARTHQUAKE EXPERIENCES
Letter Received By Mrs II fLamb Of North
Bennington.

Letter Received By Mrs Il t Lamb OF North
Bennington.
The following is an interesting letter
from the stricken city Of Santa Rosa,
Calf, which suffered worse in proper
ton to its size than San Francisco
Toe letter was received 10y Mrs Il L
Lamb of North Bennington
Santa Rosa, Cal, April 20, 1896.
My Dear Aunt: There is ull and
we have mail service at last such as
it is. dated my postal wrong. IL
ought TO have been the lSth-the
dreadful day.
Every business house of two stories
or more is down and the people 10 ho-
tells and fats went down with them.
Fortunately twas at ) 10 a. m before
people started their fires and none of
the residences have burned except as
they caught from adjacent brick build
ings and from crossed wires The gas
works blew MP so we have 90 PAS 10
cook by, and all chimneys are shaken
down, so 40 one uses them, and have
moved stoves into their yards, oil
stoves, gasoite, etc. We cooking
on parlor oil heater
The shock was most terrible TO feel
aud lasted 40 SECONDS they said
Then the flames sprang up-fortunatey
our water supply was good and o..
how people have worked
Mother went TO San Francisco Tues
day afternoon and wasat Mr Evelolh Dis
when the shock came wooden house
chimney down-Gres all over the city
no water papers will give yon details
The Eleeths took silver and q fea
clothes aud vent over 10 Jack Eeel
eth's on a bin not thickly builtup, AGO
tho house and contents which they leii
we're burned They had @ walk three
miles and next day she walked three
miles to the ferry through the burned
district aud debris and reached home
at eight in the evening and is now a.
the hospital nurslng the injured people
being taken ont OF the ruins at least
30 are dead
Our house stood it remarkably, stone
work is slightly cracked and grit a /
over. Father had bottle OF medicine
smashed, aud vases and statua~y bro
ken. The foundations of two wo den
houses across the street gave way and
we have a grand piano which was lak
en- unhurt from ruined house.
Several one story groc rs stores are
still standing and one meat market aod
one bakery, and farmers bring 10 eggs
etc, SO we have enough 40 sat nae
man who was dug our of the ruins 20.
up and walked out after being % there
As hours We have had 81 gat vibra.
tions ever since II ey are using our
church for morgue although ID IS
badly injured, but the Easements in-
tact They are bury log the dead 70
day; collins came from Petaluua.
Father is very busy caring ior old
aud new patients. Most OF the doctors
lost everything only four saved their
offices with books and Instruments
The day is warm and the sun shines
over it all and the roses are blooming
as il there were no d ath. knowuow
what il means by 'lhe terror OF night
although it was daylight whsn it came.
jumped from my swaying bed and
ran to father in the next room
His heavy mahogany bed was Jerked
foot away from the wall. Then VS.
rushed for the front door. The walls
of the house opposite were down and
the mountains beyond hidden by %
cloud of dust We soon saw the cowt
house was down and little by little
other facts dawned upon us The
smell of drugs in broken bottles still
permeate the house.
Then our house was in danger of five
and | packed the silver and some geu
ing apparel and bedding together aad
Charlie carried water to the porch and
the attic and father was out caring
for the wounded But we were all saw
ed and have so much to be thankful
for. DO not worry, God is in his
heaven
Yours with much love,
Carrie a Thompson
Niss Thompson is the daughter of a
Santa Rosa physician and has visited
in Ron ninnfnn and Nnrih Rnnninolnn.