The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-04-20
Business Section of the City
Almost Entirely in Ruins
1000 PERSONS WERE KILLED

Property Losses Will Probably Reach
500. ZOO. .OOO-Fire is Still Raging in
the City and the Water Supply is Cut
OR-Buildings i'm the Path of the
Flames Being Dynamited-ThOus-
ands of Persons are Homeless and
Troops are in Control of the City.
Shock Came Suddenly, Without
Calamity Ever known in California
Reports From Other Towns Tell of
Tremendous Property Damage and
Great Loss of Life-Aid From Many
Sources for the Stricken People.
San Francisco, April 1S.-Earth-
quake and fire today have caused the
known. In San Francisco alone it is
estimated that one thousand persons
have perished, while as many more
are suffering from injuries. The en-
tire business portion of the city is in
ruins and the flames which, owing to
the lack of water cannot be checked
except by the blowing up with dyna-
mite of buildings in their path, ale
still sweeping through the city. 1t is
utterly impossible at present to esti-
mate the property loss, for the extent
of the conflagration cannot be told
until the fire has burned itself out.
CITY IS UNDER MARTIAL LAW.
\ Thousands of people are homeless
and many are huddled in the parks
and public squares beside the house
hold goods they We're able to save.
The city is under martial law, and
all the downtown streets are patrolled
by cavalry and infantry. Details of
troops are also guarding the banks.
Most of the principal buildings have
already been destroyed, and others are
in imminent danger. Over all the
scene of desolation hangs a dense pail
of smoke.
REPORTS FROM NEARBY TOWNS.
Communication with outside towns
is almost entirely cut off, but the re-
port comes from Palo Alto that all
but one of the buildings of the Leland
Stanford, jr., university have been
wrecked. and that the splendid meme
rial church one of the finest s5Tuc-
lures of it's kind in the world is
mass of ruins. One student is known
to have lost his life. In Oakland,
five persons were killed. San Jose
and Sacramento, Berkley, Almeda
and other places heard from suffered
severely but report no loss of life.
SHOCK CAME WITHOUT WARM
ING.
The dreadful earthquake shock
came without warning at precisely
5.13 o'clock this morning, its motion
apparently beiEg from east to west.
At first the upheaval of the earth was
gradual, but in few seconds it in
creased in intensity. Chimneys began
to fall and buildings to crack, totter-
ing on their foundations. The people
became panic stricken, and rushed
into the streets, most of them in their
night attire. They were met by
showers of falling buildings, bricks.
cornices and walls. Many were in
stantly crushed to death, while others
were dreadfully mangled
Those who remained indoors gener-
ally escaped with their lives, though
scores were hit by detached plaster,
pictures and articles thrown to the
floor by the shock. 1t is believed that
more or less loss was sustained by
nearly every family in the city. The
tall steel frame structures stood the
strain better than brick buildings,
some of them being badly damaged.
The big eleven story Monadno Office
building in course of construction, ad-
joining the Palace Hotel, was an ex-
cepfion however, its rear wall collaps-
ing and many cracks being made across
its front Some of the docks and
freight sheds along the water front,
slid into the bay. Deep fissures opened
In the filled-in ground near the shore,
and the Union Ferry depot was in