The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-05-06
VIVID ACCOUNT
OF BIG DISASTER 6: S |
Bishop More1and, Of Sacramento
Writes Of Scenes in Stricken
City. 53|
FIRE AND DEATH EVER Y'WH L e
Brilliant5Throngs Did Not Dream
Of Coming Dcsola-
\. a,... ton ton, u. ii.asIa.

tf +. .
88 a most graphic and descriptive account
4 Of the horrors from which San Fra ncisco
is lust emerging Is contained IN q let
tor which Bishop William Hall Moreand,
bishop OF Sacramento, writes to his
mother. Bishop Moreland was in Sac
tamcnto ut tho time OF the terrible dis
{ astcr, but visited the awful scenes on
the following day. 1Ie was nm eye Wit
ness to the death and ruin that every
who re stirred one In the face and to the
q Hle that soon consumed the city, and
writes Of tho things he saw in the most
u Vivid manner.
The letter is as follows
Friday, April 20, 1905.
MY Dear Mother,-Horror, desolatton,
a caldron Of flames. an abode OF DEATH.
wilderness OF ashes; this Is all that Is
left OF tho beautiful city OF San Fran
cisco. Oh, 1t is enough to make one
weep til eeyes out OF his head Appalling.
ncrcdble-thc words fall TO describe the
ruin one day magnificent queen city
= OF superb buildings, grand palaces homes
Of merchant. princes, splendid churches,
happy. prosperous people. grow
ing weather. and weather. In neor-
nous bounds OF progress, and IN
one LrIef twenty-four hours turn
ed into al, inferno OF horrors. It seems
:nrossble to believe that such. thing
can come to pass Tho touch OF an Al
mighty Hand and tho wonderful creations
OF man melt in m instant.
II was in San Francisco on Monday at
tho Palace Hotel. Everything was rich
and gay A throng OF men and women
sat ut the CATO tables. Iiasked the cleric
how much for room and bath (without
meals) for self and wife. II we came down
Thursday. He said airily s. day, and
turned away indifrerently. The opera
season had Just opened. A brilliant
thronR In diamonds went to see Carmen
Tuesday night, retired after midnight
banquets, not dreaming OF the deathtan
desolation to come In a few hours. How
merclful that NE cannot read the future!
n Suppose the Grand Opera audience could
have seen the theatre they were sitting
Z In at Z, an orchestra seat wrapped In
flames at 10 the next morning, the entire
q city erased from the map and left IN
piles OF burning ruins; Ave hundred dead
& faces staring UP out OF the pail OF smoke;
women giving birth to children IN the
public squares: ESQ, 0OO people homeless;
three hundred millions OF property de-
4, stroyed; themselves made paupers and
refugees In a few brief hours; could they
have sat there and chatted and spa rked
80 gaily?
5ie4rl JCdIll ENOlllCS Ill q vAOAA4SA4ts va
;"In the twinkllng OF an eye came the,
pwful ca tnstrophe. At. b:15 IN the morn
ine an earthquake shock lasting nearly
two minutes twisted the city on It's
foundations and toppled the houses over.
That was bad enough. but the real ter
ror was when the live wires In the ruins,
the upset lamps and stoves set the
debris on fire, and It was found that
The water mains had burst, SO that the
hydrants were empty. Then came
tho awful. Notwithstanding destruction.
The fire fIend ragged and the firemen could
use nothing but dynamite to stay its
progress. The magnificent stone struc-
i lures, hotels, Office tlildings-costins mil
lions upon millions, weer blown up with
the hope OF making open spaces across
which the fire could not leap. but IN
yam.
f.The roaring flames went up and down
the hills until tho city was simply nban-
doncd to its fate. st. Luke's new stone
church was laid In ruins; Grace Church
& was In flames. do not know yet whether
Trinity escaped or the bishops magn'h-
cent new episcopal residence. which Mrs.
Nichols showed mo over with SO much
pride last Monday. l only know that tina
most awful calamity that has ever oc-
Cured in America has happened and that
the Diocese Of California Is involved In
the destruction. The men ana women
ID OF the diocese are impoverished or ruined.
and no one knows what the future has
in store for California. We trust tho
splendid energy OF our Western men will
take hold OF rebuilding, with the help Of
the rest OF the United States. and that
ten years hence We will see a more beau
tiful San Francisco: but, Oh. the pity
of It, and the cost. the frighttul cost!
Did Not Feel Tremor.
Sacramento escaped without the crack
ing OF pane OF glass. We felt tho
shock. .Deare jumped out of bed and
held on to mirror which swung nois!ly.
but not brick was thrown from a
building What q merciful deliverance
we had, but we did not know It until
we heard the frightful stories from San
Francisco Santa Rosa. San Jose and
other places. Tho Stamford University
with It's glorious new chapel was laid In
ruins. O., think some OF tho people