Omaha daily bee., 1906-04-23
BLACKBURN SEES HAVERLY
Omaha Lawyer Returns from California
With Report Of County Clerks Safety.
SAW MRS. METz AND DAUGHTER IN SOUTH
says Estimates OF san FrsneiacO's
Loss of Life Are Greatly E4sE-
Eerated aud That smaller
cities Lost Heavily.

yesterday afternoon from the Pacific
coast. He left Los Angeles Tuesday even
/ ing via the coast line en- route to San
/ Francisco, expecting 20 spend Wednes-
day in the metropolis. His train was a
trine late and had Just passed through
the series of tunnels below Salinas and
| had arrived at that station at s:13 a. m.
the moment the earthquake shock oc-
CURED.
Mr. Blackburn slept through the dis
turbance. however, and had no knowledge
! OF the fact until about breakfast time.
The train crept slowly northward to
Pajaro, the junction station for watson
Vile Passengers noticed that all the
chimneys Of the ranch houses on either
side the railroad had toppled over, but
had no idea that any particular destruc-
ton Of property beyond this had resulted
from the shakeup.
at Pajaro the railway people informed
passengers that ten freight cars were in
the ditch a few miles out and five hours
delay would be experienced" said Mr..
Blackburn. Many went over to Watson-
vilie a city of 5000 or more, among them
myself. The brick buildings showed con-
siderable damage and the wagon bridge
across the Paiaro river had been shaken
out Of plumb. The approaches were
sunken and otherwise disturbed. Great
cracks in the surface of the ground made
the bridge impossible for teams. No lives
were lost and no serious injury was sus-
tanned to the residents, though 1t will take
many thousand dollars to repair the dam
age to property.
Train Detained Thirty Hours.
"Our train was detained thirty hours,
and then by transferring afoot over
high railroad bridge on Wednesday aft
ernoon the belated Los Angeles passen-
gers got first to Gilroy, then to San Jose,
and a few of us were able to get standing
room in trains running TO Niles, Tracy,
Oakland and Stockton. At Tracy boarded
the Overland No. 6, two hours late and
came on without material inconvenience
or delay home.
at the railroad bridge there were evil
dences of the earthquake; twisted rails,
sunken piers and shifting hillsides. Hills
two hundred feet in elevation showed
cracks from foot to summit and greas
areas of the surface moved down to cover
railway and wagon roads. At Gilroy
every brick building was wrecked more Or
less and many frame buildings were dam"
aged. school house was practically
ruined. Plate glass and large window
panes were generally destroyed and brick
chmneys were toppled over in every part
of the country from Salinas to Sacramento.
San Jose, a beautiful city Of 5000 peo-
pie was sadly demoralized. People had
slept in the open air Wednesday night.
Business was practically suspended. The
state militia was campCd in the park and
the handsome buildings. public and private,
where of stone Or brick. without exception
were badly damaged. Fifty lives were lost,
particularly in the large brick hotels
which caved in or collapsed. The people
were not yet recovered from their fright
and were for the most part outside their
homes and places OF business still afraid
to resume occupations or household voca-
tons s
Il People Look for Friends.
ION the trains leading towards Oakland
|, for none were permitted to enter San Fran
cisco-hmdreds Of anxious people FASTENED
to Gee what could be learned of friends
, and on those coming away from the
stricken city thousands crowded every inch
Of space fleeing from ruin, want, fire and
indescribable horrors.
Those of us who had been delayed at
, Pajaro learned little of the actual truth
} until we reached San Jose The wires were
down and only the widest rumors reached
, us in our isolated valley station. The
} worst came with the extra newspap ers
when we reached the little city. At Tracy,
where ! waited for my train until 10 p. m.
Thursday night, although seventy-five
, miles from San Francisco. the red sky
\ showed the fire on Mob Hin and close to
! the horizon the furnace OF flame was dis
J tinctly visible.
! THE train brought scores and hundreds
! Of tourists fastening home. fleeing from
) the horrors of Wednesday and Thursday.
Women, children and men from the hotels
of San Francisco. with nothing left OF
4
y and valuabes they carried on their persons
from their desperately dangerous lodging
B places filled two sections of the train.
\ One little lady In my car. with child, OF
s years, escaped from the Occidental hotel
. In her night dress with bedroom slippers
9 and such garments for herself and child
Z as she could grab In her haste 10 reach
. safety. The plastering OF her sleeping
2 room fell upon her bed and cut cash in
4 her forehead. Ali day Wednesday she and
D her child sought safety. All night Wednes-
Q day night she and her little one we're out
of house and home. Finally by making
D long detour, she succeeded in crossing
Q the bay to Alameda and by almost super
human exertions finally got berth in the
sleeping car and came on home-a nervous
wreck from the awful experiences of two
: days and a night. Her case Is one OF
AuOuHduuof AoI City was Auit OF NdHlSfIi
0 people making their last visits in San Fran
n cisco before journeying homeward.
An elderly clergyman, shaken by the
o earthquake out OF his bedroom IN the st.
: Francis, returned later, assured that the
splendid new hotel was safe from fire. only
5 to be reused at IL D. m. with the startling
: intelligence that the beautiful steel and
brick structure was doomed. He then went
r to high ground and took a room In faReied
safety, when at m. the alarm OF fire
; was again raised and he saw his second
lodging place destroyed, To a third hotel
. still farther from the seethlnG flames he
y made his way and in two hours the troops
: ordered residents and visitors 60 move back
: toward the faraway Presidio and this third
0 hotel was licked up by the insatiate demon
E Of name. BY and by the aged clergyman
r got to Berkeley by ferry and caught the
e train for his eastern domicie.
No End of Incidents.
e Il could MI your newspaper with Incl
& dents related 10 my fellow-passengars VINO
r. passed through the earthquake and hrs
e The stories as given out by the press. %
i far as San Francisco iH concerned are no
much exaggerated. Indeed. exaggeratioT