The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-04-20

San Francisco Indicate Widespread
Damage.
San Francisco, April 1S.-Earth-
quakes and fires today have put nearly
half of San Francisco in ruins. AT
least 200 persons have been killed. a
enousand injured, and the property
loss will exceed one hundred million
dollars. Thousands are homeless and
destitute, and all day long streams OF
people have been fleeing from the
stricken districts to places of safety.
1t was 5:13 this morning when a ter
rife earthquake shock shook the whole
city and surrounding country. Ons
shock apparently lasted two minutes,
and there was almost immediate col
lapse of tiimsy structures all over the
city.
NO WATER WITH WHICH TO
FIGHT THE FIRE.
The water supply was cut off, and
when fires broke there was nothing
to do but let the buildings burn. Tel
egraph and telephone communication
was shut off for time. The Western
Union was put completely out of bus
mess, and the Postal company was the
only company that managed To get q
wire out of the city. About 10 O'Clock
even the Postal was forced TO sus-
pend.
Electric power was stopped and
street cars did not run. Railroads and
ferry boats also ceased operations Fires
have been raging all day and the fire
department has been powerless to do
anything except dynamite buildings
threatened. All day long explosions
have shaken the city and added to
the terror Of the inhabitants.
WIDESPREAD DAMAGE IN
OTHER SECTIONS.
Following the first shock there was
another within five minutes, but not
nearly 50 severe. Three hours later
there was another slight shock. Re-
ports from districts outside OF San
Francisco indicate widespread damage.
San Jose, fifty miles south. lost many
buildings and from fifteen to twenty
persons We're killed. The annex to
the Vendome Hotel collapsed and fires
broke out.
Stanford University and Palo Alto
suffered greatly.
At Stamford many OF the handsome
buildings were demolished, and two
persons were killed. One of them was
Julius Robert Hanna OF Bradford, Pa,
and the other was Otto Curtis. a fire.
neA q. a.,
Six other students are lying In the
Palo Alto hospital with bruises, cuts
and internal injuries, all California
students.
The court house at Redwood City
and other buildings collapsed.
Mention Park, Burlingame and other
fashionable places suffered greatly.
The greatest destruction occurred In
that part OF the city which was re-
, claimed from San Francisco bay. Much
of the devastated district was at one
time low marshy ground, covered by
water at high tide. AS the city grew
it became necessary 40 fill In many
acres of this low ground in order To
reach deep water. The Merchants Ex-
change building, History steel
structure, was situated on the edge
of this reclaimed ground. 1t had just
been completed and the executive Of
fees Of the Southern Pacific company
occupied the greater part OF the build
ing.
RESIDENCE PORTION NOT SO
BADLY DAMAGED.
The damage by the earthquake TO
the residence portion OF the city, the
finest part OF which is on Mob Hill and
Pacific Heights, seems to have been
slight. On Mob Hill are residences OF
many Of the millionaires. who in the
early seventies became wealthy
through mining investments or the
construction of the Central Pacific
railroad. They include the Slang
| ards, Hun1ingtons. Houkins. Crock
ers GlOodg and others