Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1906-05-09
Correspondence.
News from san Francisco.
WATsoNvIt.LE, SANTA
CRUZ COUNTY, CAL,
Nav I. 1906.

CRUZ COUNTY, CAL,
May /, 1905.
| To the Editor Of The Americda:
When I received my AMERICAN last
week ON Tuesday morning I was very
much surprised that IL should arrive here
| on time, when Il seemed we had been
almost cut of from the outside world for
several days after our terrible earthquake
Of April Is, and more surprised that you
| had heard Of 1t in dear old Maine the same
| day. friend reminded me that Maine
was about three hours behind us in time
and that gave you more tim, to hear from
| us.
| have not time this morning to write
particulars; have written them to my
sister, Mrs. Gideon $. Cook, and her
daughters, Mrs. Henry Davis and Mrs. q.
Frank Newman.
The earthquake was the most severe
! here that We ever had, and did great deal
OF damage To personal property and all
the bridges. About FIVE minutes after the
shock the fire bell rang, always terror at
any time but moro so that morning. The
| fire was at Notre Dame academy, school
carried on by Catholic sisters, with quite
a number OF boarding papils; bat all were
saved, no one injured or killed, but many
had narrow escapes.
| At first it seemed terrible here; then
/ our thoughts turned To san Francisco,
where many had relatives and friends.
! 1 believe Il was tweuty-fonr hours before
we heard correctly from there, and moth
| ing could be worse than the report, We
| soon lost nearly every thought of our own
city, but tried to do something for them.
1 A number OF car loads of provisions and
clothes have gone from here; the first one
was cooked food.
| As we have relatives and friends in
nearly every town in Hancock county,
will you kindly print the names of those
who are safe here?
| Mrs. Thomas Leland daughter of
Daniel 5. Swan, had one son, Harry Il.
| Leland, and wife in San Francisco; place
| Of business burned but home saved. An
| other son, Alyah IL. Leland, and wife, of
| damaged.
The late Lester S. Cooks, Mrs. Gideon
s. Cooks sonl family in San Francisco;
/ not injured but home burned.
Mrs. Ida A. Thompson daughter of my
sister, Adolia c. sowie Moore) not injured,
| but home badly damaged.
! Mrs. Mary j. Cook Emmons tborn in
| waiiham, sister OF Gideon $. Cook and
| family not injured; her son, George EN-
mons, living in Alameda, came for his
mother and sisters In his automobile and
! got them safely to his home.
Two daughters OF Capt. Richard Leland,
of Eden, Mrs. Emma Nichols land her
i two sonsl and Mrs. Annie Schwatks were
/ living in san Francisco; the husband of
Mrs. Hattie Shute their sister living in
WatsonvIllel went TO san Francisco and
found them and brought them TO his
home. Another sister lives here, Miss
Alice Leland; their brother, Richard
Leland, and sister Roxanna live in San
Luis obispo. The earthquake Wss not bad
there.
My other sister, Adelia Moore, lives at
Emmett, two OF her daughters near here.
They received postals from her written
the morning OF the earthquake, but she did
not mention it. We think it did not
reach there.
My cousin, Edwin Swan (son of Nathan
Adams Swan, OF Franklin, and wife came
here from overton, Neb., last October,
and have been with my sister, Mrs. Le-
land. They were ready to return to Over
ton, and were to leave here the morning Of
earthquake, and were just waiting for
the hack TO take them 20 the depot, when
the shock came. The hack took them TO
the depot, but the train was late and a
bridge close by was wrecked, and they
were delayed here a week, then going by
different route.
After all this experience, however,
Cousin Edwin said he should move back
cyclones there were worse.
There are a number OF Sanborn families
here from Maine. All were saved but
those in San Francisco, Lucius Sanborn's
wife, son and daughter, lost everything
but life and hope.
Two Linscott families, James, Of Wat
sonviile, and also the widow OF Fred Lin
scott, are safe. w. j. Linscott, superin-
tendent of schools, of Santa Cruz, was
here to visit our schools. All schools we're
closed until yesterday
George Cleveland, another Maine man,
and his family are safe, only mile or two
from this city.
Walter Kidder's daughters Louise and
Zenia are safe IN Berkeley, where they are
on relief committee to help those who
went over from San Francisco.
do not think of any others of Maine.
MRS. ARvIILA G. SWAN SMITH.