The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1906-04-26
WOMAN TELLS OF
CITY'S DESTRUCTION
Mrs. Mary Longstreet Left Dia-
monds and Money, but
Saved Shoes.
ALL EXPECTING DEATH
Surprised When Grim Destroyer Did
Not Strike Them-Another Speaks
of the Utter Con-
fusion.

IL woman y tx eIltilCS III LIZ ~ -
cisco disaster, told in womanly phrase
.ology. Mrs. Maria A. Wilcox. Mrs.
Mary Longstreet. Mrs. Frank Hicks,
and Alfred Wilcox have arrived here.
They have been guests on the eighth
floor of the St. Francis hotel and found
the hotel rocking like a snip. Mrs.
Longstreet told the story thus:
Suddenly as we were standing there,
the entire city seemed to catch fire. In
all directions and as far as we could
see the great tongues of lame leaped
into the air. A building on Mission
street, across from the Grand opera
house. was the first to go. Terrified as
we were, we stood by the window, and
in less time than it takes to tell it the
entire part of the city between us and
the ferry was ablaze. 1t was Il beauti-
full yet terrible sight. We remained in
the hotel until 10 o'clock, and at that
time Mr.. Wilcox succeeded III getting
q. carriage and an automobile. We
then left the hotel and drove to the
home of a friend a mile away. When
we got there we found the house in
ruins We then went TO the home of
the Trevises and remained there until
we were driven out by fire. Finally we
found refuge at the residence of j. F.
Winslow. on Mob hill.
Eat Hardtack and Sardines.
I'VE slept on the floor that night. but
they had no food and after securing
the city over my brother managed to
purchase ten bareback biscuits and four
boxes of sardines, and after eating
tl.:se we made beds on the floor and
tried to sleep. We had a little candle
in our room that we did not need. The
hundreds of fires made the city as light
as day, but it was a CHASTITY, ~sickening
glow that made one tremble with fear.
Words cannot describe human enc
1i0rS aS such a time as tE1t and r
wish / could shake off the feeling that
has lung to me ever since the first
shock of that earthquake aroused me
from my slumber.
My valuables? O, yes, l saved some
thingS--three pairs of shoes. | believe.
7 put the shoes in a grip and brought
them along. My diamonds and money
I left in the hotel. But we all did that.
No one at such times cares for their
effects. We expected death Ut any min
ute and were surprised that it did not
come. "a you wonder II n | saved
the shoes instead Of my valuable
possessions? l lave a lot in San
Francisco ana was offered SIS, geo
for it the. day before the earth
quake. but I refused it, rs I had
intended erecting a large office build
ing on it myself. Now. l oppose. it is
worthless, but that does not worry me.
I would be willing to forget the lot and
all if I could only forget the terrible
Genes that I was forced to witness
during our many attempts 10 escape to
q place of safety That night was awful.
We could hear the cries Of the suffer-
ing people aud the crash of falling
buildings all night long
Almost Died from Thirst.
Van Ness avenue was crowded from
side to side with people. Mothers car
rying babies. men and women packing
on their backs what few things they
had Manage to ave. Where all those
people found food and shelter / cannot
imagine. We had no water II almost
died from thirst. You would never know
San Francisco now. 1t is nothing but
ruins. Did you ever see q child build a
house with blocks and then knock it
down? Well. that is the way the build
ings fell all over the city during the
earthquake.'
I cannot describe it." said Mrs. VIII
cox, when asked for her experience. Il
woke at the first trembie and 0. what
a terrible sensation. Plaster fell from
the walls and I expected at any second
to see the st. Francis hotel crumhle to
the earth. With the earthquake came
tina horrible oar. 1t sounded like thou
sands Of violins being played on the
base strings and all at Il disCord. 1t
was the most narrowing sound one
could imagine.
Worse Than Inferno.
"Sa Francisco after the earthquake
and during the fire? Did you ever see
the picture of hell which hangs in the
Santa Barbara mission? 1t was some
thing like that. only q thousand times
worse.
I'VE lost everything we had. all our
clothing and jewellery. but we consid-
cred ourselves fortunate in getting
away with our lives. We had Il hard
time getting to Oakland. where we
caught a train. The railroad people de-
serve great credit. Once on the train
we were shown every courtesy. If peo-
pie didn't have money they We're taken
along Just the same. Money was no OBJ
ject at that time"
Chinese Servant in Dramatic Scene.
AS Mrs. Wilcox finished talking the
door of the Drake home was thrown
open and a STOPPING figure darted
across the room and fell at her feet.
1t was Lee Chong. her faithful old Chi
nese servant. who had been in her en-
ploy for many years. Big tears rolled
down his face as he kissed the hem
of her skirts, but they We're tears of
Joy, and the expression OF his face was
indescribable. Chong. during Mrs.
WillcoX's absence, had been frantic. He
feared his mistress had been killed and
his grief was inconsolable. When he
learned that Mrs. Wilcox was at the
home of her daughter and safe. like "A
faithful animal he rushed to her side
and cast himself at her feet. Tears
stood in the eyes OF every one.
Frightful Scenes.
Salt Lake City, Utah. April 2G.-Nu-
mcrous refugees are coming to Salt
Lake and each has a ale OF horror.
A typical experience is that Sam
Wolf. who says:
My room was in the Grand hotel.
When 1 awakened the house was
shaken as a terrier would shake a rat.
1 dressed and made for the street,
which seemed TO move like waves OF
water, On my way down market street
the whole side of Il building fell out
and came SO near me that ] was COW
cred and blinded by the dust. Then
saw the first dead come by. They were
piled up in al automobile like c~arcasses
in a butchers wagon, all owe. blood
with crushed skulls and brcEen limbs
and bloody faces.
IA man cried out TO me-, Look gu,
for thai live wire l just had time t.
sidestep certain death. On each side
of me the fires were burning tiercely.
finally got into the open space before
tho ferry The ground was still shall