The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-04-26
Vivid Description of Conditions
as Viewed by a Herald Staff
Correspondent.
Scenes and incidents of Trip Through
the City That Bring Tears IN
hidden to the Eyes.
BY J. l. PRIEST.

No matter what reports may have
been made to the contrary, no matter
how many optimistic reports have been
sent from and about the bleak ruins
of the city of San Francisco, help is
needed there tt is needed today. at
once. and it will be needed for many
days to come. In this story there shall
be no attempt at fanciful description,
at picturing in words the scenes of
mingled misery of despair OF hope,
of tears, of smiles, from which 1 have
come. The endeavOr shall be to set
forth in plain words the situation in
San Francisco, the city that lies in
ashes at the entrance TO the Golden
Gate.
Picture, if you can, FOR no words of
mine can picture it for you, an army
of 100000 men. women and children
Picture these people destitute of all
their worldly possessions except the
clothes they wear: picture them sleep
ing in the parks, eating meals in the
streets, cooking over wood chips in
the cutters: picture men who a little
more than a week ago were accounted
wealthy standing in line waiting for a
free loaf of bread. Then ask yourself
if San Francisco needs help. 1 have
seen sights such as nobody who has
not seen San Francisco ever witnessed
sights that hope never to see again.
Eagerly CIutching Food.
Does San Francisco need aid? AZ
passed the corner of Bush and Fillmore
streets the other day L saw a delicate
~ nurtured young woman attired in a
lace dress that must have cost more
In 5000. She was hugging to her bos-
ON a ham. The dress was a solid
blOtch Of grease but the girl was OBJ
livious Of the fact. That ham was more
precious TO her than rubies. 1t meant
at least temporary escape from star
walton. Further along the street came
little family procession. The man,
evidently the husband of the woman
VINO accompanied him, was attired, ex-
cept as to linen, Immediately. His
silk hat was glossy his frOck coat neat
and clean, his patent leather shoes re-
fected the sunshine. His wife wore a
sealskin coat that reached to her knees.
A child perhaps 10 years old accom-
panied them. Each clutched a loaf Of
bread and in the eyes of each was the
desperation that one sees sometimes in
the eyes Of a hungry animal
Does San Francisco need help? God
knows help was never more badly need
ed anywhere; God only knows how
many lives Will be saved If help con-
tiRues to pour in. The day 1 left, Mon
day, reliable statistics said that more
than 100 babies had been born in the
parks. Thirty-siX were born I'm a sin
gle day The first cry Of these little
ones was uttered in the midst of desc
lation such as the world never saw.
The pain of the mothers who bore them
was unassuaged save by the hand of
God, though all that man could do for
them was done.
Hospitals Need Supplies.
Does San Francisco need help? A
white faced hospital orderly with a red
cross bandage on his arm passed by
me. He was wringing his hands and
the tears were streaming down his
face. In Gods name what can we
dO?" he said. I'VE have no chloro-
form, we are nearly out of antiseptieS
and iodoform gauze, we have no disin-
fectants. Oh, if 1 could only get away
from the horror of it ALL
the rejoicing among the medical corps
when the carload of medical supplies
arrived from Salt Lake City on the
Hartman special with DR.. John +.