The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1906-04-27

VI DAN rIduClb0O. one Is Known 10
many Athena people and the following
yividly descriptive letter written by
ber to Mrs. Gillis, under date of
April 81, will be read with interest by
Press, readerss
mo pen can depict the awfulness
of the situation in our once beautiful
and glorious San Francisco. No writer
can ever place upon paper the terrible
impr essions of any of these hundreds
of thousands who felt the mighty
power of the trembler which passed
under our oEce proud and prosperous
city, nor the agony of the dying in
their suddenly improvised crematories,
nor yet the anguish of the living
husbands frantically hunting for their
wives, mothers for their children aud
all grieving for their dead.
will try to pen you letter today
hoping that it may get within the
reach of Uncle Sam, who is trying SO
hard to help us all in the name of old
Glory.
"Our city is wrecked, our grand San
Francisco which had grown to
mighty city even in its infancy, aud
of which we were SO proud aud of
which all the world might envy, is
in ashes.
II had established beautiful
home of three stories, frame build
ing, three blocks from the city hall, a
building of iron and stone which COW
cred two blocks of ground.
1t is impossible to judge the length
of the shock; to me it seems an
eternity. My house stood the crash,
not window cracked, but hardly a
piece, of furniture was left whole.
Pictures, vases, etc., with which
was well supplied, were broken into
thousands of pieces.
Gas pipes were broken and the
deadly fumes added to the danger the
very pavements pulsated like living
things. Great buildings loomed up
around me seeming terrible because Of
the queer dance they were performing.
Crash followed crash, resounding
on every side. Then there was short
lull then came the awful, ,indescribable
shock which ruined San Francisco and
ruined us all. The street beds heayed
in frightful fashion, some elevations
are as much as six teet. Buildings
tottered and trembled moment, then
crashed, burying all beneath them.
The grand old turrets of the city hall
reeled toward us, then crashed to the
street, burying its prisoners, its hos
pital, its police officers and many
others in its ruins. This second up
heaval was heart rending. | thought
Of all those dear to me and Of those
whom knew were in the same straits
with myself. The cries of those who
must have persisted reached my ears
and hope that never again will
hear such signals of agony.
The streets swarmed with human
ity, each trying to reach the open, yet
where? The debris blocked every
street, the pavements were lined with
dead and injured. I walked further
down town, hoping to reach the ferry,
but no. The further / went the worse
it grew. I returne homed to wait.
Trembler followed embler shock upon
shock. The streets were thronged
with people more than half crazed in
their terror. Some laughed loud and
long over their fun, with that rare de-
gree of enjoyment with which a ma
MAC might gloat over his victim.
Then great light lit the heavens,
then another. another, and the city
was ablaze. Twas then that we knew
our awful danger. Icounted seventeen
great fires, then went in and shut the
door for longer wait. Our principal
danger lay in the wholesale district,
yet the flames were raging in other
parts of the city. Great piles of ma
sonry with their many stories acting
only as furnaces for the incineration
of valuables as well as humanity. The
roar OF the flames, the falling Of
buildings, the restless moving of the
throng was deafening. All our best
buildings went first. The Call,
Chronicle, Examiner, Palace Hotel,
The Grand, st. Francis, st. Nicholas,
Hales, and a hundred 9th
ers were down before noon. By four
o'clock the entire hotel and lodging
house portions were gone. Hardly an
office building was left standing. The
people were out in the city parks with |
their little handful Of belongings.
"All day long all nightilong sat |
in the square and watched. The flames |
rolled from these large buildings |
and seemed to lick the very heavens !!
with their great tongues. They ragged
and roared, scattering flrebrands for
miles around in their damnable fury.
The city was without water, the trem-
bier had so far twisted and broken the
mains that our great fire department
was helpless. Fire engines were out