Cañon City record., 1906-05-03
MRS. P. F. HUNTLEY
CAMPS IN STREET

avenue, received a letter from her
aunt, Mrs. P. F. Huntley, last Friday
containing a very comprehensive des-
cription of the effects of the recent
earthquake at San Jose, from which
we have been permitted to make the
following extracts:
San Jose, California,
April 90, 1906
Dear Niece occurred to me that
you might not know very much of our
great calamity in your little city, and
hasten to write and assure you that
we are not hurt. My mind and body
were in such disordered condition
for several days after the earthquake
that writing was almost out of the
question.
San Francisco, Santa Rosa, Palo AL
to, Santa Clara and San Jose received
a much worse shaking UP than other
places and the damage done is almost
incomprehensible. / had been awake
for some time before the earthquake
came and when the shock was felt
tried to jump up and run out into
the open air, but the house began to
sway and rock and had to sit down
on the edge of the bed and hold on
with all my might 1t seemed that the
house must inevitably go to pieces
and l thought we would all be killed
To the rumbling made by the earth
quake was added the crash of falling
bookcases, the breaking and smash
ing of dishes. glass lamps, ornaments
and the shifting OF furniture about the
house. 1t was an awful experience
and it looked like our time had come
and ! prayed God that If death came
to US 1t might be without agony.
The earthquake lasted about forty
seconds, but it seemed much longer
because 1t was SO frightful. There
were ten or twelve shocks the follow
ing day and we have had several
since The one we had last night
hummed and sung like telegraph or
telephone wire when the wind is
blowing, but did not cause any great
damage. Scientists say that we will
have earthquakes for the next three
or four weeks. but we sincerely hope
that none of them will be serious.
The foundation of our house was
badly racked and the chimney fell
down, compelling us to carry the base
ment stove into the yard to cook With
until the chimney could be rebuilt
You cannot imagine how topsy-turvy
the interior of our houst looked after
the shake-up it received The kitchen
was flooded with water and the pantry
presented wrecked appearance with
its contents strewn upon the floor in
the unusual manner. 1t is impossible
to describe the havoc which the earth
quake wrought. although Il is far less
serious than 1t might have been
Many of the staunchest business
blocks in the city were greatly dam
aged and some of them went down
like a house of cards as a result of
the shaking they received. The st
James annex was almost ruined and
the right wing of the Vendome col
Justice, built entirely of stone, and
like the Leland Stanford University
buildings, looked as though 1t might
stand for a thousand years, was near
ly destroyed.
The building inspector says that
many of the injured structures can be
saved by bracing and repairing, al
though others will have to be torn
down as matter of protection to the
public.
Between San Jose and Salinas a
hot water lake. forty feet wide and of
unknown depth. was formed by the
earthquake while a little way to the
north great fissures were created in
the earth from which water keeps
pouring all the time. The ground
in the vicinity of these fissures has
sunk to depth of three and a half
feet below its former level Those
who went through the recent earth
quake here will never forget the aw-
fulness of their experiences