, 1906-04-18

ihSS ~ III q dangerous pOSAeiSH. Niai
ket street is deserted, all traffic has
ceased n business is ended. Every
body is thinking of their lives. The
water in the bay is troubled and the
shipping has moved out to sea
Bad Element Gets Busy.
A reign of terror prevails, and the
bad element of the town is taking
advantage of the opportunity. The
reported loss of thousands of lives is
believed to be exaggerated, but the
conditions at this hour are certainly
terrible.
Information Is Lacking.
1t is almost impossible at this time
to get accurate information, but that
there are scores of dead in the neigh
borhood of the Palace hotel is reason
ably certain. The shocks which be-
gan a few minutes after 5 o'clock did
not cease until after s.
Fire Almost to Palace Hotel.
Owing to the panic, little Roadway
is being made, either at gathering the
dead and injured or fighting the fire,
as the utmost confusion exists. Bust
ness is suspended and the fire is now
within a block of the Palace hotel.
The city hall, a magnificent structure,
which cost $4,000, 900, is wrecked.
Fifty Blocks Affected.
The area of greatest destruction GOV,
ers about fifty blocks. In this many
buildings are almost totally destroyed
The greatest damage is between Mar
ket street and the bay. Buildings in
the following streets are destroyed:
First, fremont, Beal, Main, Spear,
Stuart and East South streets.
Manufacturing Districts Suffer.
This is largely a manufacturing dis
trict. The financial quarters are com
p%aratively unchanged. More than a
thousand buildings have been de-
stroyed. The loss so far estimated is
$40, 000, 900.
Great Damage in Streets.
Water and sewerage are spouting
into the streets from broken pipes, the
thoroughfares are blocked with debris,
street car tracks are twisted out of
ground as a result of the broken
mains. The fire is continuing to
spread in all directions and destruc-
ton by the Wholesale is feared.
Many Drop Dead in Streets.
A shock was felt at SIT. The fer
ries are all engaged in carrying people
to places of safety. People are fleeing
by the thousands. In the panic many
drop dead in the streets. The Exam
iner building was badly wrecked and
the Call building was almost demol-
ished.
Hundred Dead In One House.
On Third street not a building was
unchanged. One many-story office
building toppled over, burying adjoin-
ing properties. More than 100 dead
were reported in a Mission street lodg-
ing house. The buildings in that neigh.
borhood are in a heap of ruins.
Last Shock Nearly as Severe as First.
The last shock was nearly as severe
as the first. Many buildings which had
survived the first shock and series of
quiverings tumbled when the final
shock came. 1t added CONSERVATION to
the panic already prevailing.
Began With Slight TrembIe.
AS nearly as words can tell, the
earthquake began with a slight trem-
BILE, followed by a heaving sensation,
which developed instantly into a Sc
we're shaking and ending in a terrific
shudder. Big buildings rocked like
ships at sea; they crumbled and
crashed into ruins, catching scores of
people. Panic-stricken people stag
gered as they walked, asking each 9th.
err questions.
High Wind Prevailed.
A high wind prevailed at the time
of the shock. The buildings caught
fire Immediately and the flames were
blown from building to building, scat
tering embers over the town. Many
corpses have been brought to tempo.
rary morgues badly mangled. Appli.
cation has been made to the war de.
partment for the use of transports to
take the victims to sea for burial.
Berkeley inc Oakland Damaged.
Severe damage was done to Berkeley