The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1906-07-20
FLIGHT OF A WHOLE CITY.
odd Contrasts and Pitifun Sights Seen
By an MdAtor In E'rtaoo. -,.--

odd Contrasts and Pitiful Sights Seen
By an Editor I'm Frisco. a.. .5...
Alfred Holman, editor Of The Sacra-
mento Union, who wrote for his paper
bis personal experiences in the San
Francisco earthquake and flre. de-
Scribes as follows the flight Of the
refugees and their suffering on the
second day (April 10) Of the disaster:
II hope I may never again witness a
scene so painful as that Of ThuEsday,
when apparently all the people turned
from their homes to fee into tho open
:egion to the west. spent the day
with my family at the house Of q reIa-
tive on Clay street in the Preside dis
trict, and there was not q moment Of
the time when the street was not
crowded with motley procession Of
refugees. Some came in carriages ele-
gantly equipped. many In vehicles Of
any and every description, while the
great flood passed by on foot. Every
body was loaded down to the limit Of
hiE Or her capacity to carry or draw q
load. The vehicles were as various as
the persons themselves. Everything
that could go on wheels, from automo-
biles to improvised carts made Of
boards and roller skates, was loaded
down with every possible description
Of domestic gear All considerations Of
order and dignity were lost In ter
r1ble eagerness to get beyond the reach
Of the flames. Fathers Of families with
packs Of bedding or clothing were fol-
lowed by their wives. equally laden.
and by groups Of wornout children,
who had In many cases literally to be
dragged along.
II saw the daughter OF Thomas Starr
King, herself the wife Of a millionaire,
riding amid pile Of miscellaneous
luggage on the top Of dirt wagon.
saw the venerable Judge Mcfarland,
with his aged wife on his arm, limping
past, dragging child's cart upon
which few domestic essentials were
tied. In oil this motley and pitiful
procession nothing more directly ap-
pealed to my sympathy than the
throngs Of Chinese, bearing enormous
burdens on poles. and painfully help
Ing their women and little ones to
places Of safety. 1t was a sight, in
deed. to rend the heart, for there was
no aspect Of it which did not tell of
terror and pain.
"The midnight scenes Of this Thurs
day night were. If possible, worse than
those Of the night previous. Through
out the western addition there had
oil day been constant shower of Gin
ders and pieces Of charred wood. The
whole populace was begrimed with 1t,
for If there had been time or Gisposi-
tion for bathing there was no water
for that purpose. Two-thrds Of the
people were dusty with ashes from
head to foot, while oil were worn ana
more or less hungry and thirsty
Water had been brought into the parks
IN limited supply, but there was not
enough to go around. There was a
little district In which by some chance
the water still flowed through the pipes,
and at Devisadero and Post streets
there was a horse trough into which
the water steadily poured, and here
was great congestion Of animals and
men and women struggling for water.
l saw women STOPPING and drinking
literally side by side with horses and
dogs. In the Preside district, where
thousands had fed for safety, there
was water in abundance, but In the
squares all over the city the suffering
was very great"