The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-04-26
Miss LeonOre and G.S. Chaplin
Arrive From San Francisco.
Both LaughingIy Admit They
Wear Borrowed Clothes.
IN THE FIRE ZONE.
Had Little Difficulty in Finding
Way Out.
Paid Drayman $40 to Haul
Trunk to Ferry.
Y THE FIRE ZONE.

who is stopping with her sister, Mrs.
W. p. Hunt. at the Kemper. We GER
tainlv have reason to be thankful. We
did not lose much, and so many lost
everything that they had in the world
chirned in her brother fervently. Both
Miss Chaplin and her brother. g. S.
Chaplin, have had the scenes Of the
devastation Of the city on the Golden
Gate impressed indelibly on their men,
ora
II am feeling a great deal better now
than did yesterday. even il am wear
ing borrowed clothes said Mr.. Chaplin
with a laugh. I'VE are both wearing
borrowed clothes" said his sister. "Our
trunk IS at the ferry building at san
Francisco They would not let US take
it over to Oakland. OF course 1t is saIe
there but we may never be able to md
It again. We brought but very few
things with US. continued Miss Cha
IT 1t had not been for my brother
who just arrived from Juneau, Alaska,
on Tuesday. the day before the earth
quake, I don't think I should have
been able to get out alive. For the
little money that had was in the ho-
tel safe and the safe was thrown down
so that you couldn't work the combi-
nation My brother had some money
though and we were able to get out
IT was staying at the Argyle hotel
Just across the street from the city
hall. When the earthquake came it
just shook all the plastering right
down. I sat up in bed and covered
myself up with the bed clothes. Ny
room mate. Miss Nell Ereeborne, was
going around in the room and saying,
'Oh. my, Just hope there won't be
/ another I just hope this viii be all
We dressed and then the bell boy said
my brother had been at the hotel to
inquire for me and would be back
again"
Mr. Chaplin, Il got up and slipping an
overcoat over my pajamas went from
the Grand hotel. where I was staying,
some eleven blocks UP to the Argyle,
where my sister was stopping / then
went back up to my room and dressed
and got my trunk The shock had
thrown the furniture in my room all
about The chandeliers were down and
the door was closed by the shock so
that it had to be broken open. A great
many people were around downstairs
in the corridors in their night clothes, j
just moving about and all excited.
waited around on the street corner for
a cab or dray but they were all busy
ard so finally I paid man SIS to help
me carry my trunk about block.
waited here for a while until [ saw
wagon come along with one trunk.
hailed the driver and got him to take
my trunk. and as it happened he was
going within about block of the
Waited for Brother.
When / learned that my brother
had been there said Miss Chaplin. 'tI
got the little things that I thought
wouldn't be too heavy to carry in a
sheet and made them up in a bundle
1T was impossible to get the trunks
down because there was no one around
in the hotel We waited and waited for
my brother to come and were afraid
for while that he wouldn't come
back But we just stayed on and we
were the last to leave the Argyle, my
friend and /. The hotel was not in
iured by the earthquake. When my
brother came we went to some of our
/ friends who live out at the Golden Gate
park We then came back later for
our things. It was in the morning and
q great many people made fun of us
things with US. They thought that the
fire would soon be put out. 1t was
then burning down in the Mission dis
frict and a herd Of those poorer people
who live down there was being driven
cut. They had their little belongings
with them. some of the women were
fainting and they were taking the
wounded in wagons. Oh, it was fear
I'VE had hard time to get back to
the Argyle to get our things. Martial
law had been declared and they had
the place rOped in. We finally got past.
however. and got our things. We were
over near the park and saw all those
people who had taken refuge there
The people were cooking their food on
all sorts OF things, gasoline stoves. on
ovens made out Of bricks put together.
The people who didn't have a modern
house and had gasoline stoves were
right IN it
Fifty Cents for Package OF Force.
''I had some money, so we were not
50 bad Off said MI Chaplin Food
was scarce. I paid 90 cents for pack
age Of Force. Crackers were the only
biscuits that could be bought; there was
no bread. When the first bread was
brought over from Oakland on Friday
the people Just fought for it. It was
thrown out Of the wagon The people
were strung out in long lines. about
I'VE blocks long to get their food. They
would hand out three potatoes, or
maybe some condensed milk or a can Of
corn. One man know went back into
the line twice and each time he got a
can of condensed milk.
i paid $40 to get our trunks hauled.
it was an old wagon and a decrepit
horse, but 1t answered the purpose We
got our things down to the ferry. On
our way down we saw three burned
bodies inside Of four blocks. The people
were moving back into the burned dis
trict as soon as they were driven out
Of the other districts. They knew they
would be safe down there.
They were trying to make things COM
Portable. They would throw sheets over
telephone or electric wires which had
been dislodged and by this means make
out q kind Of tent. saw one family
who were using theif piano for a cup
board. They had a cream pot on the
keyboard and some of their other things
and q clotL was thrown down from
the back OF the piano in a kind of tent
and ] suppose the mother and baby
were under that.
II think that there must have been
more than 30 killed. When I got out
OF the Grand. I saw them take seven
dead bodies out of a roOming house
across the way. A swell toggery was
right across from the hotel and the up
per part was given up for rooming. The
walls Of this just fell down and out
they took the seven bodies out and laid
them down on the street railway tracks
e was q fearful sight One woman was