The Colfax gazette. [volume] (Colfax, Wash.) 1893-1932, 1906-04-27

Joseph Moore, well known in Colfax,
has written TO his daughter, Mrs. Geo.
Cornelius, that he and his family are
camped with thousands of others on the
hills in the suburbs of the stricken city.
Their home was not destroyed; but they
we're ordered out by officers, as it was
expected that the building would be
dynamited.
Mrs. Coolidge and Mrs. McClaine, who
were at the st. Francis, one OF the hand
soonest of San Francisco's ruined hotels,
are safe with their families; Mrs. Coolidge
being at Salem, Oregon, and Mrs. Nc
elaine at Tacoma. They escaped with
out injury.
Mrs B. Burgunder is in receipt of a
letter from her sister, Mrs Humphreys
of Oakland, formerly Miss Ruby Lans
dale. She writes graphically Of the con-
| ditions in Oakland, which is the chief city
OF refuge. Her husband, who is ticket
agent at the Oakland ferry, tells of peo-
pie who offered diamonds and all sorts
OF costly jewelry for a passage across
the bay. Mrs. Humphreys says it is i'm
possible to exaggerate the stories OF San
t'ranciscO's disaster-that no printed
story can give full details of the citys
condition.
William LiDpitt has received a letter
from his brother, julius, who with bis
family was in San Francisco at the time
of the catastrophe. He says in part
'Such an earthquake The business por-
tion Of the city is demolished and nearly
every dwelling remaining is injured. The
shock was very severe, then came the
awful fire that consumed two thirds of
the city. We did not burn Out-only
had bad scare and slept one night out
at the Presidio. The relief committee
and u. 5. troops have done nobIy in
caring for the people. Rich or poor, they
are all alike, willing and anxious to re-
ceive their bread, for money will not buy
any. We will get out of here as soon as
we can take our trunks. 1t may be two
or three days or longer, as all wagons,
boats and trains are doing relief work
only"
note from Chas. Platt, written at
San Jose on the morning of the earth
quake says: "City is very badly wrecked.
Many killed, so it is reported, but in the
excitement no reliable news is at hand.
All business is suspended and armed
guards patrol the city. Our house is
much damaged inside but many are en-
tirely wrecked. Another shock is just
now occurring"
One of Many Stories.
Under date of April 20, Ed. Lewis,
formerly of Colfax, wrote his sister-in-
law, Miss Tennie McInturff, in part as
follows:
We are at last in safe place, least
for the present. Our house at SIT Oc
tavia was completely wrecked by the
earthquake and we dragged ourselves
out as best we could. We took posses
sion of house on another street and
for a time were safe, but lady four or
FIVE blocks north of US started a fire to
warm some milk for her baby and in a
few minutes the entire block was ablaze.
escaping gas spreading in front of stiff
northwest wind. With the clothes we
had on and little bedding we moved to
a vacant lot and little later the house
| we vacated was also ablaze. We lost
everything we had. The city is under
martial law and starving men are shot
down while attempting to get food for
their families. 1t is so hard to get any
thing to eat. Soldiers raid the stores
| and people, sometimes as many as 800,
stand in line waiting for can of some
thing. Often the stock is exhausted be
fore all are served. The scramble for food
is something awful. We have some
canned soup and other things which we
will make last until some relief comes
Three hundred thousand people are
homeless and hungry, and although we
sleep on the sand, with the smoky sky
for roof, are no worse off than thOus-
ands of others. The story of this awful
tragedy cannot be exaggerated and will
never be half told, Most of the wounded