Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1906-04-19
ESTABLISHED IN 1868
SAN FRANCISCO REAL inferno
DUE TO EARTHQUAKE AND FIRE.
Worst Earthquake in American History Visited Upon
San Francisco Yesterday y-ndescribabIe Dam
age Done-Fires Still Burning and Fire
Fighters Are POwerless.

LIE llOSI HOTIlDlC anu llle RI6dItSl
earthquake in American history occur
| red yesterday morning at San Francis
co and the magnitude Of the horror
seems to grow with each succeeding
bulletin 1t destroyed telegraph and
railroad facilities.
There were a succession of shocks,
many of them of great destructive
violence and the messages indicate
that large part of the city's business
section has been razed to the ground
and the debris is on fire without ad-
equate water protection to fight the
flames
Other bulletins indicate loss of life
that cannot be measured i'll the con-
fusion attending the cataclysm.
The earthquake shocks ceased at 8 80,
eastern time, having commenced at
5:l3, and it is probable that the worst
is over so far as the movements of the
earth are concerned But the awful
fire fend still remains to be reckoned
with.
Panic has reigned in the city since
the first shock, none knowing when
another upheaval might render them
homeless, or hurl about them buildings
of the sort that have already fallen
The worst feature, after the earth
quake shocks had passed, arose from
the flies which broke out simultaneous
ly in many parts of the city and SEEM
ed to be spreading in every direction
Late messages indicate that the
flames are fast approaching the magni-
ficent docks and wharves for which
the harbor of San Francisco is famous
and that these may fall victims to the
devouring monster which broke water
mains and destroyed fire apparatus.
The most alarming part of the dire
event is that each succeeding telegram
increases rather than diminishes the
terrible news.
SAN FRANCISCO, April 1S.-San
Francisco was partially wrecked by
earthquake at 5:l0 this morning
Shock lasted three minutes \ thou
sand buildings damaged and destroy
ed Loss of life reported great. No
water and fires all over city. All wires
except one gone. City hall, costing
seven millions in ruins Modern build
ings suffered less than brick and frame
Terror and excitement indescribable.
Most people asleep and rushed into
streets undressed. Buildings swayed
and crashed, burying occupants. Panic
in down town hotels. Lick house bad
ly damaged but no loss of life report
ed there
The Palace and st. Francis hotels
stood the shock. People flocked to the
telegraph offices to send messages to
friends and were frantic because there
were no wires. The greater damage
was done to buildings south of Market
street, where mostly they are frame
and tenement houses. Fires occurred
in every block in that district
SA. Mn the confusion which
reigns everywhere it is almost impos-
sible to learn details of the disaster
caused by the earthquake this morn
ing. In general it may be said that
the district lying between Market and
Howard streets from the bay as far
west as the City Hall has been badly
wrecked
The hotels i'll the vicinity of Third
and Market streets were badly shaken
up but there seemed to be no loss of
life. The Cali and Examiner"
buildings as well as the Western I'm
ion building have been badly wrecked
The large department stores in the
neighborhood were also ruined, but the
earthquake occurred at an hour when
they were empty and no loss of life is
reported
The Valencia hotel, bewteen Seven
teenth and Eighteenth streets, on Val
encia street, five story frame build
ing, toppled over into the street, bury
ing seventy-five persons in the debris,
only the top story remaining intact.
Farther east on Market street toward
the ferry slips, is a section occupied
by cheap lodging houses and hotels,
and here the loss of life is reported to
be very great, though the extent of it
could not be ascertained at this hour.
Fires are burning in a number of
places along Market street and the
water mains having burst, the author
titles have resorted to dynamite to
check the progress of the flames. The
residence section of the city while
badly shaken. reports no loss of life or
erious damage.
LOSS OVER $1oo,ooo,ooo
As Associated Press dispatch last
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