The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-04-24
GLAD TO GET out
OF CALIFORNIA
Winnesotans Surrender Plan to
Make a Home There After
Earthquake Experience.
Special to The journal.

Special to The journal.
Mankato, Mimi, April 24.-"1 in
tended to sell my property in Redwood
Falls and locate permanently somewhere
in. California, but after my experience
in that state last Wednesday, 1 have.
decided that Minnesota is good enough
for me. In fact, Minnesota looks bet
ter to me now than it ever has BEFORE
So declared August Knupple, a
wealthy retired farmer, who, with his
wife. stood waiting at the union sta
tion yesterday for a train, that would
convey them back to their home in Red
wood Falls. They left the latter place
Dec. g for California, and planned to
stay until May l, but concluded to buy
a residence in San Francisco or Oak
land and reside there. They felt the
earthquake shock and made all haste
to return to Minnesota and are among
the first to reach this state after the
terrible calamity.
Pass Thru Earthquake.
Mr.. and Mrs. Knupple were in Ellen
dale. a suburb Of Oakland, on the morn
ing that the earthquake occurred, being
guests at the home of a brother Of Mrs.
Knupple. The house was not damaged
much, being of frame and but one story
high, but a clock was thrownsa about on
Ine lnaHtel 50 Cndt IL Idceu Cne wall,
and its mechanism was destroyed The
other houses in the vicinity, being
larger, were badly damaged. The clock
stopped with the first shock, at 5:13
o clock, and at $40 am. the second
shock occurred, and at 10 pm. the third
occurred.
Mr.. and Mrs Knupple were asleep
when the first shock occurred, and they
experienced sensation Of descending,
as tho going down in an elevator. They
lost their breath. Both hastily dressed
and then learned from their relatives
that they had been thru an earthquake.
Looking in the direction of San Fran
cisco, they saw the black smoke curling
up from the burning buildings in that
city. People in Oakland were panic
stricken, and constantly feared more
Quakes.
Escaped by Good Luck.
Had they accepted the invitation of
friends in San Francisco to remain with
them there Tuesday night they woult
have been in that city when the catas
trophe occurred. They had spent sew
eral days there seeing the sights, but or
Tuesday evening returned to Oakland
and thus escaped the terrors Of the fol
learn the fate of their San Francisco
friends. They had great difficulty il
getting out of Oakland On Wednesday
night. The suburban trains to the mole
where the transcontinental trains left
did not want to take passengers be
cause Of the unsafe condition Of the
roadbed. but they forced their way OF
board, insisting that they would MOI
remain in California another day il
they could prevent it.
But few persons were aboard the
east bound train. Two ladies, whose
destination was Chicago, occupied the
same sleeper with Mr.. and Mrs. Knup
pie. These ladies had escaped from
the Hotel Francis in San Francisco
but lost all of their belongings, includ
ing their money. They were glad tt
get out with their lives, inasmuch a
the shock split the hotel building i
twain. The ladies told the Knupple
that the sensation which they expert
enced while the shock lasted was lik
riding on merry go-rOund.