Weekly Arizona journal-miner., 1906-06-06
TELLS OF TERRoRs WHEN FRISCO
SHOOK.

| the following letter from his sister, Mrs.
Mary Kirkpatrick Webster, who re.
lates in an interesting manner her ex
pcricnces in the great earthquake, and
tells Of the terrible scenes she wit
messed:
| Los Gatos. Cal, May Is.
NV Dear Famly-Dr. Palmer and !
have run away, as II were, from the
horrors Of the trouble for a few days
rest, and to try to get our nerves set
| tied. We came to Los Gatos and from
there nine miles further up into the
wilds Of the Santa Cruz mountains,
where we are stopping at beautiful
little ranch that il, beautiful as far as
nature can make it, but all the build
ings have been knocked down by the
earthquake, but anyway it is quiet and
restful.
| Now that am little more settled i
will try to give you the promised de.
tailed account of the troubles we went
through.
| Wednesday morning I was awakened
! by Agnes holding on to me and cry.
ing "Wc'rc going we're GOING and
each time the house swaycd 40 much
we could hardly remain in bed. Every.
thing in our bed room was thrown cv.
cry which way, and of course we did
not know what was going on in our
sitting room. Finally the house seem
cd 10 settle, and the loud clash Of fall
ing debris stopped. We then got out
of bed. TO find the piano rolled into the
middle of the sitting room, and turned
completely around. The windows were
smashed, pictures and bric .a.brnc all
broken and the floor and whole room
covered with SCOT and bricks from the
fire place, whose mantcl and mirror
were totally demolished. However, we
did not stop long to investigate, but
hurried into our SCOT blackcncd
clothes, and started to rush out, but TO
our great dismay found the door
could not be opened. We could hear
men and women screaming on all sides,
but were helpless. Finally, someone
made n rush at our door and broke II
in, then we made dash for the street.
We found men, women and children
standing around in their nightclothcs.
In less than fifteen minutes in all Iii.
rcctions Of the city fires could be seen
and there was not drop of water.
We heard that a hotel had collapsed
adjoining the building where our
friend Miss Palmer stayed. felt
sure she had been crushed to death, 40
We rushed down the eight blocks
through thousands Of people standing
in the streets, crying, screaming, and
laughing in utter wildncss. Many were
injured and mangled horribly, but to
all this we had to close our eyes, and
rush on. When we reached Miss Palm.
er's hotel, the whole front Of the
building had fallen straight out into
the street, but the side walls had held
the roof 10 place. II seemed impossible
that anyone occupying the front
rooms could have escaped death.
lost all nerve and stood several min.
utes before could make up my mind
to go In, but finally braced myself.
and just as / was about to make the
venture a party who knew Miss Palmer
told me that she had gotten out safely,
but he didn't know where she had
gone. There was nothing to do, 30 we
hurried back through the pitiful crowd
to try to find her, and after walking
twelve blocks met her coming to find
us. Then we rushed TO the nearest
telegraph Office to send our wires. A..
ter this we went back to our hotel, the
Stewart, to try to rest, but the house
was unsafe, and the frequent shakes
threatened to demolish IL. We would
no more than get in until we would
have to rush out again. Miss Palmer
in some miraculous way saved some
OF her medical books, and had these In
the street to watch, 30 Agnes and I
stayed around near the Stewart all
day, with no rest, food or water, now
and then doing what we could for those
who were wounded or children left de.
serted and helpless by their panic.
stricken parents.
by night the FIRE was coming our
way, hut we could rot get trunk NOV.
ed for less than 800, and IL was i'm.
possible to carry things. No one thought
the fire would reach the Stewart before
morning, and we hoped then to get our
trunks out. We then went to help
Dr. Palmer watch what she had saved,
but were only safe there for part