The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1906-05-18
Mr.. and Mrs. Patterson Saw
Frisco After the Fire.
TRAVELLED ON RELIEF TRAIN
Frank Clements Lost All the Family
Wearing Apparel, Valued at ST.
200: Some Incidents.
2 From THURSDAYS Daily.

rom lDuISudN DdLy.
Mr.. and Mrs H. A. Patterson returned
last evening from their trip to Califor-
months. Both are looking well, and
gained in weight while absent, Mr.. Pat
terson tipping the scales to the extent
of eleven pounds more than before he
left Mankato. The greater part of the
time was spent at Los Angeles, as the
guests of Mr.. and Mrs. Lester Patter-
son. The latter have fine new auto
mobile, and trips were made all over
the southern part of the state with it.
The earthquake shock was not felt
at Los Angeles, and the day that it
occurred, Mr.. and Mrs Patterson started
for Oakland by the inland route. The
coast towns suffered most, and no dam
age was noticeable along the inland
route until water tank was seen down
about twenty-five miles south of Oak
land Entering Oakland Thursday
morning, that city was seen to have
suffered severely. Two theatres had
collapsed, many buildings were injured
and nearly all of the chimneys had top
pied over, sometimes the bricks going
through the roofs and doing damage.
Oakland was filled with refugees and
business men from San Francisco who
had already begun to establish temper
airy headquarters and had secured
rooms for themselves and families. The
hotels were filled, and Mr.. and Mrs
Patterson went to Berkeley and got the
last room in a comfortable inn, where
they remained until the following morn
inc. They went to San Francisco on
Sunday. They had engaged an auto
mobile for the day, to take from Oak
land, but were warned that the sol
diers would press it into service and
so they cancelled the order. The sol
diers were pressing all conveyances into
service. In one instance an Oakland
man went across the bay with his auto
mobile, and the machine and cheffeur
were taken and used for three days, the
cheffeur getting only four hours sleep il
that time.
Mr.. and Mrs. Patterson went acros:
on the ferry and landed at the PARTIAL,
destroyed pier, where the clock in tn,
tower pointed to the hour, 5:l4 whei
it was stopped by the quake. They walk
ed up Market street, and found it com
pletely devastated for two and a hal
miles The fire had been checked OF
the right at Van Ness avenue, but on tn,
left had gone four blocks beyond. Fo
IL mile and half each side of Marke
street the ruin was complete, not sin
gle building being untouched by fire
Nearly all were in ruins, although wher
there was steel construction the build
ings still stood. All will have to b.
torn down and rebuilt except the Fair
mont Hotel, a large part of the Chroni
Gle building, the new Flood building, tn,
mint and part of the Call building
These can probably be reconstructed
without tearing down the walls.
In rebuilding the city steel and ce
ment construction will be used largely
and the city will be built along lines
that will prevent any great confagra
ton occurring again. The streets will
be altered and Chinatown will be placed
on Hunters point. The greatest wonder
to the Mankato visitors was the shirt
of good cheer shown everywhere by
those who had been rendered homeless
and destitute. These laughed and iok.
ed and tried to encourage others who
were equally unfortunate but who die
not take their losses as phiisophicallv
AS Mr.. and Mrs. Patterson walked