St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1906-04-25


FRANCISCO was visited by the severest
earthquake that ever shook the United
States and great and small buildings
were shaken like reeds in the wind and
then tell in ruins burying their occupants
before they had time to escape. The loss
Of lite will not be Tar from 1000 and oc
Cured principally in the district between
Market street and the docks where there
were number OF small hotels and board
ing houses and thickly settled district
OF homts. The earthquake put out OF
service the water pipes of the Spring
Valley Water Company broke the gas
mains, wiped out t he telegraph, tele phone
and electric light service and the great
city was left to the mercy of flames
| which caused the great property loss.
| The Palace Hotel, the most famous hos
telry IN the world, the opera houses, the
| banks, the big department stores, the
clubs, the big office buildings are wiped
out, while the Is story Spreckels building
stands with its lnsides completely Quilted
by the flames. The flames swept the
city 5 water front, the big ferry station
alone remaining, and then climbed up
the hills toward the residential section.
On Mob bill the palatial residences OF
he early nillionaires, Hopkils S, Flood,
Crocker Stanford aid Others OF lesser
note were burned to the ground with
their priceless art treasures. The Bohem-
ian club with its souvenirs contributed
from prominent men from all over the
world is gone, though many of the pic
lures were saved by cutting them from
the frames.
rhe city was at once placed under mar
tial law and Mayor Schmi z and Major.
General Funston OF the United States CO.
operated to restore order out OF chaos
and eed the starving. The day after the
disaster bread was selling at $100 a
loaf and water at 25 cents a glass. These
prices were soon broken by the Efforts OF
The officers and since Thursday relief
trains have been pouring their goods
into the stricken city.
Money has been sent to the Pacific
coast from all parts of the world, though
it is elieved that all money from abroad
will be returned. Congress appropriated
ST 900 900 and Massachuselt the third
richest state in the union, led in contr-
buttons. About SIS ,C00,0 900 has already
been sent and it is coming from every.
where. The insurance will pay all fire
losses in full, though it is doubtful it they
will pay for earthquake losses.
The homeless are IN tents in Golden .
Gate park, at the Presidio, the army
hea, quarters, and in various parts OF
the adjacent country. The telegraph
are getting wires up again
and all the banks will rebuild. rhe mint
with its $50 100000 OF gold in the vaults
escaped by he heroic IF )rts OF tie sol
ders and other guardsmen. 1t also es.
capped an attack of desperadoes, about 20
ben shot IN an attempt to loot the
building. SyveH square miles of the eat
city has been burned over and the fire
loss is ten times greater than the Bati-
more fire.
Chinatow is completely destroyed and
many Cinnamon were killed in the catas-
trophe.
The earthquake did great damage
south of San Francisco, college property
at Leland Stanford being destroyed to
the value OF 81 100000. At St. Agnew's
insane asylum over 100 patients were
killed and the Others escaped to terrorlze
the surrounding country. At San Jose
there was heavy property loss and a
score of ueople killed The shock was
felt tor 800 miles south OF San Francisco,
or as tar as Santa Barbara.
Examination OF the steel structures
shows that the shell is unframed and
they can be rebuilt. Arrangements are
being made to rebuild the city and many
OF the big buildings are not injured as
much &c was fret iearpd
LETTERS FROM THE PACIFIC COAST.
Writing to T. M. Howard the day of
the disaster from Berkeley, just across
the bay from San Francisco, Rev. Henry
E Jewett says:
Il open my envelope today to speak of
the great earthquake OF this morning
and the fire which folio owed, which is still
raging, devastating a large portion of
the business section. No boats are al
lowed to land passengers in San Fran
cisco, so we do not know yet what is the
fact and what is rumor, but the terror OF
the situation is great. Our own home
was not much injured, chImneys tell and
some walls slightly cracked. Brick
buildings have suffered severely"
And III letter to the CALIFORNIAN the |
next day Mr.. Jewett says:
I'VE are overwhelmed by the earth.
quake, and our house only slightly
affected. 1t was a fearful shake. The
dreadful fire in San Francisco is absorb.
ing all our thoughts. BY day we
watched the columns of smoke and
listened to The thunder OF the dynamite,
blowing the big buildings up. Last
evening ard late mo The night we
watched from our upper windows the
flames that are destroying San Fran.
cisco. 1t is grand and terrible scene.
We have no word from the east except
the rumor that the earthquake and fires
are there also. All car lines to Oakland |
are Land up. rode through Oakland
yesterday in an automobile and saw
much damage, but far less than in San
| Francisco and San Jose.
WORD FROM THE FRIENDS
Charles Webb Howard, the president
OF the Spring Valley Water Company
which is the citys main ,urce of |
supply, was fortunately at Paso Robes.
where be went to recover from an
attack of nervous pros tratiou about
a week before the disaster 1t is
believed that Mrs. Goodrich and
daughter, Ct Berkeley, are with him
there. He is a brother OF T. Nj
Howard OF this place, and ore of III.
best known men IN the city. The Offices
OF the company were in their own
| building on Sansome stree and The first |
| floor WAS OCCuDied nv th,. Civ nj par,s