The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-04-23
DR.. Druehl and Wife Pass
Through Earthquake
and Fire.
AWFUL EXPERIENCE OF
TWO DAYS DETAILED
IrOn-Neryed Men Are Helpless
Against the Upheayal
of Nature.

r. A. Druehl and wife of this city
returned home yesterday from San
Francisco after experiencing the dual
terrors of earthquake and fire. At the
time of the earthquake they were COM
fortably located In the Palace hotel
which is now a mass of debris. With
hundreds of others they were driven
from the palatial hotel by the earth
quake During the next two days they
did considerable fasting and spent the
intervening night sleeping under the
open sky.
Iron-Nerved Man Frightened.
when the earthquake occurred" D."
said MI Druchl, Il was sound asleep
in my room on the third floor of the
Palace hotel To be thus awakened by
terrible crash and to feel yourself
rocked helplessly about is a sensation
that even the iron nerved man does
not dare to experience twice. Dress
ing as quick as possible my wife and
| made our way into the street
Through the darkness could be heard
the shrieking OF women and the shouts
of excited men The darkness added
to the confusion and horror, Women
with their children hurried wildly
about, not knowing where TO go for
refuge.
When First Shock Occurred.
The first shock which occurred at
5.l3 a. m, shook the plaster OF the
wall, knocked the pictures from their
| hooks and sent the heavy chandeliers
| TO the floor with a crash. We were on
the street and out of the building
about five minutes after the first
| shock About twenty-five minutes
| later there blazcd out In the darkness
| little fires. The first one that | no.
| tcod started In a wholesale commits
sion house about three blocks west
| OF the Palace hotel, then l saw one to
the east and soon they were too numer-
| Gus to count On all sides the flames
| lit up the darkness and cracked and
| roared flercely.
Saved Their Effects.
After watching the fires for a mo-
! ment Mrs Druchl and myself decided
to save some of our effects left In tho
| hotel There were no porters 10 be
| had and so we climbed the stairs
packed out belongings and dragged tho
trunks down the stairs TO the street
| tried to get an eXpreSSman and haC
| just closed bargain for So when 3
theater manager happened on the scene
| and made the man an offer of $50. My
expressman vanished but l tackled an
| other. He wanted $40 to haul my two
trunks over TO the St. Francis hotel
but l told him / didn't want TO buy hi:
outfit Just then the regular transfer
man appeared on the scene and l paic
him 81 to make the haul.
Effects Disappear.
II also got him to take along some
] trunks for. an aged woman from Homo
| lulu The poor woman was almost fran
tic. Just the day before her sons ane
relatives had left for the country ir
automobiles and she was all alone with
| their valuable effects In charge At the
st, Francis they would have refused
| me but my trunks were already
checked l saw them placed on the
elevator and lowered to the cellar anc
that by the way is the last l have
seen Of them.
I'VE went In the dining room anc
ate breakfast-coffee and rolls. Th'
plaster OF this costly furnished hote
| lay In huge chunks on the floor. the
walnscoting was wrenched and every
| thing was ruin and disorder.
Watched Fire All Day.
After breakfast we left to see some
| friends and with them watched the fir'
| all day. w armed tnd inc DuliulnB'
| around us must be blown up to stoI
| the spread of the fire, we left for Var
| Ness avenue where with scores Of 9th
ers we slept In the street that night
In the morning we found ourselves
without food and so made the Ferry
building where the boats leave for Oak
land.
1--WE got out on the first boat to leave
that morning and directly made oul
way to Berkley. There the relief COM
pany received us and we were glad tc
| get food after our long journey. W.
| remained in Berkeley until Saturday
morning when we left for home.
FINALLY three-fourths of the city,
saws Mr.. Druehl, has been burned up
| All the business districts. the factories
and many of the fine residence blocks
have been swept clean by the flames
Says Funston Is Hero.
"Too much cannot be said In praise
| Of General Funston. In San Francisco
he Is a hero. The earthquake hap
| pened after o'clock and by s O'Clock
| he had the first regiment In the city
| doing guard work and before II O'Clock
he had declared martial law. He Is
rendering effective assistance to Mayor
| GchuoItZ"