The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-04-19
|MIlQllEAPOLITAN MAINLY
SEEK NEWS OF FRIENDS
Telegraph Companies Strive to Get In
formation in San Francisco, but All
Is Chaos in the Stricken City.

I In common with other cities all over
| the country Minneapolis is shocked at
| the disaster that has visited San Fran
! cisco, and the sorrow deepens as sue
| Cessive reports of the disaster are re-
4 ceived Business interests with con-
[ nections in San Francisco and those
1 with relatives and friends there are
/ especially interested. The telegraph
I offices are besieged with anxious IN
| ton of the few wires available, nothing
can be done. e. s
AS yet no message from private
sources in either San Francisco or Oak
/ land have been received except by the
4 telegraph companies, and these do not
| tend to allay the fears of the anxious.
| The government and the press associa-
tion have the right Of way on all wires,
and it is doubtful if any private mes
sages can get in for days. Messages
are taken subject to delay, but no
promises can be made. After reaching
the doomed city, it is doubtful if they
. could be delivered, as it is now impos-
sible to tell where to find those for
whom they are intended, especially if
they are merely visitors. -: ~. -
! No Exaggerations. 49,.
! Messages to the managers Of the tele-
i graph companies prove that reports of
I the catastrophe are not exaggerated.
/ General Manager II, A. futile of the
North American received private mes
sages today from his company, both
coming thru Chicago: .:~
I One, timed 10:47 Chicago, reads:
General Funston telegraphs from
4 Frisco to war department. they cannot
send too many tents. Fully 100000
families homeless. All government
buildings DESTROYED. Fire still raging. -
4 Another dated later reads: - -, ..
--latest reports from our manager at
Oakland, timed 1890, say fire still
raging in Frisco and entire city is
doomed. They have no water except
: buildings in effort to check fire. Pow.
der supply nearly exhausted, both pri-
Fl vete and government arsenal stocks
: Fire cannot be checked till it burns out.
& Every building in business section and
; nearly half residence district destroyed
nad t; there is now not a large building
! A special to the Western Union says:
Fire still raging, city partially de-
, stroyed, too, early now to learn definite
, ly from water front the extent of the
z damage. Boats and suburban lines run
l ming on schedule time except to Ala
/ media. Military doing police duty, but
city not yet under martial law >+a
= Hundreds of Messages.
The two local telegraph offices are
doing everything possible to relieve
8 the anxiety of those who have friends
l relatives, and interests in the city, but
can make no definite promises. Hun
! dreds of messages have been filed
I sometimes in duplicate, and havetbe
), forwarded as far westward as possible
t to be rushed in as soon as it can b.
= done. When once communication. is, es
: tabished they will be repeated from
of the. companies to get word thru will
. be omitted. ~ / -
The relief movement started with TIL
n first news of the extent Of the disaster
t Yesterday President F. r. Salisbury o
e the Commercial club wired Mayo
I'll Schmitz of San Francisco, extendin,
,. the sympathy of the organization an
n wires Mayor schmitz, 9'sympathy TO
4 you in your distress. Can we do any
Y thing for you2' :,2E'
7 Until word is received from the cit
q zens' relief committee appointed yes
e terday by Mayor Schmitz, little in tn
FL way of relief work can be done A
=; soon as information concerning the ne
y ture of the relief needed is received
c. the local interests will at once under
: take active measures to supply tn
%" need. Generous offers have been mad,
Il and when the call comes the ~respons
IS Of Minneapolis will be immediate an
r generous. -'" ~: '..4
d 1t is believed that the magnitude c
a, the disaster will take the question {
n relief out of private hands and that til
"a government will take entire charge {
IN the work: Already the war depar
IN ment IS taking action in the matter
as relief by ordering supplies from arm
lg posts all over the country. ..
st Help from Fort Smelling.
ID ~ Captain A. W. Bjornstad of tt
Id Twenty eighth infantry stationed :
y, Fort Smelling, will leave tonight fl
to San francisco under orders from tt
ed ed tents stored at Fort snelling have veH bee
hit sent to Oakland by express, and Ca
be tain ,Blornstad is under orders to 81
that the shipment gets across the ha
- and is delivered to the proper officia
for the relief of the shelterless. f
will be accompanied by his wife al
will probably be absent week or MOI
L. The disaster will affect the loo
!. listed for the United States navy tn,
IS the Minnesota headquarters in the fe
e, eral building will be- held here uni
re- definite word is received as to wheth
of the training station at San Francis
n IS IN a condition to receive addition
ou shipments of men. Men will be enlist
re as usual, however, and held here
Al l. Some Reassurances.
n Tho no direct news has been receiv
y. 4 concerning the many Minneapolis pc
~ pie who were at or near the scene
10 the disaster, some assuring news h
~ been RET eived from indirect sources.
OF The first messages Of reassuran
m bringing relief to anxious hearts
,ai Minneapolis, came thru from the we
70. this morning. Not one direct answer
ty the scores of kilograms sent yesterd
al was received, but wherever Minnes
nv oils people within the zone of afflicti
he could get an open wire, they sent 6
it's vices telling Of their safety or of t
to situation in their locality
as W. Fl. Chambers received a MESA
from Salt Lake City announcing t
he safe arrival there Of the Southern
y" cifc sleepers attached to the hea
Sc trains that left San Francisco on Tn
,Hes day. Returning Minneapolis people W
70 got away from San Francisco for |
~ east on the early trains on Tuesd
, ny were from ten to twenty hours out
t be fore the earthquake struck. Mr.. a
al Mrs. j.. w. Chambers and Mrs. w.
vel Chambers were in the vicinity of W
On remucca, New, when the shock l
nd along the coast, but in her message M
he Chambers made no mention Of havi
i'd felt it, and it is assumed the passeng
ac- knew nothing at that time Of the