The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-05-05
VIVID Description
FRISCO CATACLYSM
H. c. Williams, Former Salt
Lake Man, Writes to Col.
Wall.
THRILLING STORY TOLD
OF THE QUAKE AND FIRE
Weather Is Good, and There Is
Abundance of Food
Supplies.

Col. E A. Wall OF this city is In re-
ceipt Of a letter from II e. Williams, n
former wcll-known Salt Lake man, now
q resident OF San Francisco. who has
passed safely through the tcrrors incl
dent TO the earthquake and fire. Mr.
Williams gives a graphic description OF
the dual disaster which befell the coast
metropolis, which VIII be read with in
terest. His letter follows.
Has Experience Now.
Denr Col wan-You are doubtless better
Informed through tho Associated Prc6s than
wo arc Of tho general conditions Of the disaster
20 this city. But some personal impressions
may be OF Interest About ) clock WsdneS-
day morning [ was awakened by vile, who
had been up few minutcS. and told TINT an
earthquake was on hand l had frequently
expressed surprise that the city had been 50
entirely free from them, and had had a Bopd
deal OF fun pokcd at mo for curiosity TO cN-
pcricncs BY time l had gotten Into
my slippers the housc was swaying from sidc
20 eide. making an angle with the perpendlcu-
lar OF at least Ave degrees, swinging ooth
wayp md at the enme time making per
pcndiouar jolt of about two inches with each
Impulso These impulses came about three
second. and the cTests OK the waves az attor-
wards measured on the ground. where great
cracks in the earth were formed were about
$50 feet apart These impulses continued for
nbout minute.
Noise Was Terrific.
Nv IN, rimc bos COTTON onto NV feet 4,
was at its height. II was with difficulty one
could stay on his feet. The house was pound
ins from side TO side The crashing OF falling
pictures dishes and glassware was terrific;
The timoers OF inc house were cfeVuNlhs am @
Srackins Inc oookGnse IN our uTu' CON IoI'
forward Inc writing desk ia INC sl't,ns ing.
room followed sult In the dinlns-room WIS
the tsblo already set for breakfast but every
oirh on II was on the moor; nearly every uisu
IN inc Two sioeooards hnd come OIL EhtS INC ,n'
floor. Tho pantry also upset. milk, Hour.
vinegar ana cannod fruit were cornhlnh'eo mo
mas OF %ecKaee' Inc coHtnouc IN VIC
oathroom was on It's lace, ana eVery orcanu
pie unins IN spanters INC HIoaic'he S'oss'
had spilled its contents on the moor, ana am
monia, a,eohoi etniea and chioroLorm ana ,nS
closet made appalling mixture
piano Wac Rockino
1iano as Noehihe'
A heavy Fischer plano had como out into the
middle Of the s!tting-room, and It, with every
line with the wavc impulses Of the earthquake
or about Is degrecs west OF north and south
line. Upstairs 1t was worse the angle
made by the swaying building was greater.
Our daughter received three severe bruisco n
attempting TO get her feet Tho din hor-
lowed another. and the groaning building
seemed as II Il must fal on In another
instant 1t instantly nnshed my mind
that II a two-story wooden cottage could be
so severely shaken. the rigid brick stone and
coucrots STRUCTURES OF the city must havo been
nearly annihilated and that Snn Trnncieco had
suffered one OF the great disasters OF history
n.4 Ia.. C1..L
wv 1nlo SAolne9'
We got into our clothcs and for on hour
were engaged In picking out the few uubroken
articles from amid the wrockoge which when
gathered was shoyoed into n large box Out Of
two complete dinner sets VIC barely saved
enough to mako breakfast on Tho gas sup.
ply had cut itself on the electricity went of
IN few minutes followed in about nm hour
by the sn.or We impIovised hasty break
single burner OF n coal oil heating stove The
street cars he'd stopped the electric mower
having bocn cut off and looking townward
few pillars OF arising smoke told us that nrc
war 10 hnIsh the disaster begun by tho onrfn-
quake / took tho nnacadnm rond throucb tho
pars "
Sazera m po,d,u,u
VA ways
Every four or nvo rods tho surface Of the
rond wns crossed by nseures. and where the
road vas In limo with the impulses the
assures extended all down tho road length
wise. One Dlnno about mile citywnrd had
sunk for block about three feet. ripped ond
broken In every direction. 4 couple of hun
dred feet further | barely stopped an nutomo-
bile from rushing into It, When I arrived al
hospital. constructed OF concrete mass OF
ruins lying on the ground Water from brok-
en- en- mains MAJ % was surelns through the pavement
wood. the damage WAS Visible In smashed
foundations broken chImncys and houses out
OF plumb but had fallen apart or down
Tho population wos in the sircots md
slight shocks continued TO rccur every hour or
so and hnyc continued ever since Everything
chInnn,ys t,u rcanha, tha So =, Iii, % ,. ,a.ie"