The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1906-04-26
A LETTER FROM MISS lvENs
Relates her Experience During the
Great Earthquake.
San Francisco Anr;1 1871

Relates her Experience During the
Great Earthquake.
San Francisco, April 18th
Dear Folks
l am writing this letter in the.
midst of great anxiety and distress.
We are safe but at $3.50 this morning
we experienced the worst earth quake
that was ever felt here l cannot -ex-
press to you the sensation it was. We
were sound asleep and it seemed as
if the house tried to tear apart. Every
thing fell off the bed on us and every
bottle in the room fell and broke. 1t
seemed as if the earth was pulling
from both sides to tear itself apart.
Every chimney fell off the houses and
it looks as if a cyclone struck the
city. There are more houses down
than standing and the business part,
Market street and south of Market
street is burning to the ground. To
prevent the fire from spreading many
buildings have been blown up by dy-
Mantle. The streets are black with
people dragging their clothes in sheets
and pulling their trunks with ropes.
The city hall is completely ruined. l
think we are out far enough so the
fire won't reach us. The wind is not
blowing but it always starts at about
%av 'n0N k11
what it will do. tell you Frisco is
ruined. 1t will take many years for it
to build up. never expected to get
out Of my bed again, l just screamed
terribly when it began but covered
my head up and expected to meet my
doom, as a coward. You know the
house just swayed and jirked. l wish
| could speak to you, could explain
so much better. l will write my let
ter in installments.
was just out again and find that
this earth quake is all over California
many places being entirely destroyed.
The fire is still raging but they are
getting it under control pretty we'll.
having much better water power now
and by blowing up the houses near the
fire to keep it from spreading. You
can hear one explosion after the other
l tell you this is terrible, the poor
people on the streets carrying their
belongings and five hundred in the
Emergency Hospital and thousands
dead will send you the papers and
tell you all. Well today is Friday
and all danger is over. The fire has
ceased. The President sent a dis
patch to put the city under Martial
Law so it is ruled by soldiers which
makes people safe. If man is
caught stealing, not a word is said but
he is shot down like a dog. But never
for stealing food. There is no dam
ger of any one starving here because
the whole world is sending to us. l
tell you it is awful. The fire did not
get to our place thank God. We slept
in the vacant lot next to us. just
three blocks above us is park and
it is full of people and the soldiers
are stationed there and one can get
food for nothing: Luckily we have
some money in our possession but we
must keep that to leave. l think we
will go to Reno, New. You see there
will be no work here. Walter is here
but it was not necessary because we
can't leave right this minute, because
we are nearly dead, we are so ex-
hausted. This is the end of city that
was so wicked that it had to perish.
The people all say the same that it is
curse from God. 1t was going too
far. l am so sorry that Walter sent
the dispatch. 1t was terrible and /
could not send dispatch to you be-
cause had to go to Oakland and they
let you leave the city but not return.
/ am SO sorry hope you did not think
the worst. Well will write again
soon and tell you how we come out.
Ever your affectionate daughter,
Emma.