The Hawaiian gazette., 1906-05-04
EYEW|TNtSSES GIVE
ACCOUNTS Of DISASTER
Stories Of People In San Francisco at the Time
the City's Buildings Came
Crashing Down.

, tioulating wildly. rushing up TO first
one and then the other. apparently not
knowing which way TO turn or what TO
do.
when ! had got a few personal pos
sessions together and reached the
streets the sight was horrible. Several
OF the dead were stretched out on the
streets. the sidewalks were torn up. in
places the streets seemed 10 be barri-
caded with huge piles of debris, and
live electric wires were hanging down
everywhere
MEN AND WOMEN
DAZED BY TERROR.
"A regular panic seemed to have
taken hold OF every one. and men and
women were wandering around. dis
regarding the falling stones, in a dazed
manner. The greatest amount OF dam
age at that time appeared to be in the
downtown districts and along the water
! front. ! beileye that hundreds OF peo-
| pie lost their lives. especially those
who lived In the tenement district.
These buildings collapsed Ike egg
shells. / notced one woman, appar-
emily more than 50 years old, crawling
along the sidewalk with blood stream
! ing from her head and her clothing al
most turn from her body. This IL only
one out OF the numerous scenes that /
observed while on my way to the ferry.
policemen, however, worked Ike
beavers. Automobiles could be seen
on every hand. conveying injured per-
sons to the hospitals. Every sort OF
vehicle was pressed into service to
carry the dead and injured away. At
many places / had to pick my way
over heaps Of rubbish. over uprooted
! poles and around live wires. In order
TO get to the ferry. reached the ferry
| when the third and last load Of pas
sengcrs was crossing to Oakland. /
learned that the first boat that crossed
| contained not more than SO persons. the
second not more than 200, but the third
and last boat that was allowed by the
authorities 10 leave for Oakland was
) loaded to the rails When the extent
OF the catastrophe was realized, people
by the hundreds tried TO get out of the
, city, but their escape was shut off.
| Before / left the city believe that
could have counted more than score
I of fires, which seemed TO break out In
every direction a small blaze, not
larger than a hat. would appear In the
lower floor Of frame building. and in
an instant the structure would be n
! mass OF fire. Everything appeared to
! burn like tinder, and am not surprised
to learn that fire has devastated the
entire city"
! SACRAMENTO HAD
A TEMBIOR ALSO.
| Fred A. Krlbs, the well-known local
lumberman, vas IN San Francisco the
night before the earthquake, but went
up to Sacramento, and was there when
the series Of shocks occurred that
I wrought such havoc. He caught the
northbound train at Davlsville, and
reached here last night
II was at the Capital Hotel In Sacra-
mento," said Mr.. Kribs in describing
| the matter after his arrival, "and was
aroused from my sumbers by the
awful din and confusion incident to the
shocks or course II was no compar-
lson to what they experienced in San
Francisco, but It was certainly bad
enough.
"The Federal building. at Seventh
and streets in which are located the
postoiiice. land Office and internal rev
enue office, was badly damaged, and
other structures throughout the city
were more or legs injured. The dome
OF the Catholic Cathedral which looms
up above that OF the State Capital
building, swayed and shook like reed
ard everybody expected II to fall at
any moment.
"Thc reports from San Francisco
aroused the most intense excitement, in
Sacramento. the two places being close
| ly identified by commercial and social
ties when ] left In the afternoon OF
Wednesday they were already discuss
Ing the feasibility OF circulating re-
lief petition, and ! know they Will
come through ali right In that respect.
/ feel proud OF Portland for what she
has done In this direction, and you can
count on me for a good subscription.
"On the train coming up ! met sew
cral persons who were IN the midst OF
the earthquake IN San Francisco. all
OF whom gave graphic accounts or
their experiences. a travelling man
named Wilkinson told me that look
! Ing up Market street from the ferry
building II seemed az II the car tracks
had been twisted by some gigantic
human process, and practically every
building on each side of the thorough
fare M far ~ the eye could reach was
out Of plumb IN some way.
Along Kearney street, he said, the
ground appeared sunken IN spots, In
dloatng that II must have settled
badly, although far-rem0yed from the
nlled-in district"
CHEAP BUILDINGS
COLLAPSE UTTERLY,
~ am sure the building rocked sew
oral feet" said John bentley, who win
his wile and iva children was staying
IN the Winchester Hotel, on Third near
Market street, I'VE were almost
thrown oui ~ our beds, and then there
came u shower NJ plaster and Wlndow
glass, We rushed 0ul after having
dressed hurrledly, and found things IN
u terrible condition Debris every
whore, Dead horses here ana rorpses