CanÌƒon City record. [volume] (CanÌƒon City, Colo.) 1883-192?, 1906-04-26

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and even then the fire was sweeping
toward the water front with relent-
less fury. | had an extra overcoat in
my hand and was compelled to throw
| this over my head to protect myself
from the flames Crouching behind
buildings rushing over the exposed
places, lodging here and there, the
boy and l, with thousands of others
all moving in the same direction
the only avenue of escape that we
knew anything about-made our way
at last to the ferry landing.
1T was then just 9:15 o'clock. At
1920 o'clock the boat, packed jammed
full of refugees like myself, all more
or less hysterical from the awful ex-
periences of those early morning
hours, pulled out of the slip. 1t was
the last boat that left San Francisco
for Oakland
IL thought if l once got to Oakland
would go to the race track and make
my bed for the night in the center of
the big field 1t was the safest place
could think of. However, l went to
/
standing on the track. Is there any
train for the East going out soon, 1
asked This one is replied man
on board took the train a little af-
ter IL o'clock l believe 1 was one of
the first tc leave San Francisco"
| Mr.. Maischoss finished his narra-
tive with deep sigh. He was silent
fon a few moments. The impressive
ness of the narrative as he told 1t
has made words useless. There was
too much to think about; there was a
mental picture to draw of the tor
lures through which those hundreds
of thousands in San Francisco had
passed on that eventful morning.
Presently the man who had passed
through all this resumed.
Thrilling Narrative Of Rush
/ Out Of the Doomed City
II shall never forget the scenes at
the ferry house." he said. at was
Bedlam and pandemonium and hell
rolled into one big pile. There must
have been 10000 people trying to get
on that boat Men and women fought
like wildcats to push their way
aboard. Clothes were torn from the
backs of men and women and children
Unfortunately Women tainted and
there was no water at hand with
which to revive them. Men lost their
reason in those awful moments. One
big, strong man beat his head against
one of the iron pillars on the dock and
cried out in loud voice. This fire
must be put out. The city must be
saved 1t was awful.
When the gates were opened the
mad rush began. All were swept
aboard in an irresistible tide.
We were jammed on the decks like
sardines in a box. No one cared. We
were out of the smoke-filled atmos-
phere AMI were on our way to a place
of comparative safety.
Tuesday continued Mr.. Mais-
choss. was the most beautiful day in
San Francisco that you can imagine
The sun was shining in all its glory
Evety once in while the smoke
clouds would lift for an instant and
we could catch glimpses of the glori-
Gus spring sunshine But in the city
Itself the sun did not make its pres
ence felt. All was dark and dreary,
the doomed metropolis.
One peculiar thing that 1 do not
remember having seen mentioned is
the fact that almost every one thought
that the end of the world was at hand
Native sons of San Francisco had ex-
perienced earthquakes before. This
was something new. 1t was not an
Earthquake. 1t was something worse
They had no communication with the
outside world. Naturally they inn
agined that the disturbances which
We're taking place in Frisco were be-
ing repeated all over the country
This belief was universal.
The freaks of the earthquake as
far as | had an opportunity to judge
them, were marvellous. Some of the
streets were twisted; others showed
the effects of the earth waves and
were mess of little depressions and
lundulations.
Buildings Leaned and
We're Cracked by Earthquake
The strong buildings withstood the
quake very well. They did not topple
and fall. 1t was the smaller build
lings that succunfbed. But all were
badly wrecked and | venture to say
that had they not been destroyed by
fire or blown up by dynamite. every
big building in the city would have to
be torn down. The Call building was
at least four feet out of plumb leaning
over the street in amost threatening
manner. Other buildings had cracks
in them big enough to shove a large
man through. Thousands were hurt
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