The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1906-04-26
WOMAN TELLS OF
CITY'S OBSTRUCTION
Mrs. Mary Longstrest Left Ola.
monds and Money, but
Saved Shoes.
ALL EXPECTING DEATH
s.,,,r;.sd When Grim Destroyer Die
No, strike Thsm-Another Speaks
Of the Utter Con-
fusion.

,os Angeles. Cal. April es.-Here 10
.oman's experience In the San Fran
-, disaster. told I'm womanly phrase
slory. Mrs. Maria a. Wilcox. Mrs.
Ny I.ongstreet. Mrs. Frank Hicks.
"a Alfred Wilcox have arrived here.
~hsv have been guests on the eighth
ar of the Sc. Francis hotel and found
-. hotel rocking like a ship. Mrs.
ya,sstrcct told the story thus:
@suddenly rs we were standing there.
IN. entire ciyy seemed To catch IRE. In
an directions and as far as We could
-. the great tongues OF flame leaped
80 the air. A building on Mission
erect, across from the Grand opera
sn,s. was the frst To go. Terrified as
=. xere, We stood by the window. and
- less time than IL takes to tell u the
.,,Ir. part OF the city between us and
,hs ferry was ablaze. IL was beauti-
r,l vet terrible sight. We remained In
The hotel until 10 o'clock. and at that
,lr. Mr.. Wilcox succeeded In getting
rarriage and an automobile. We
,..n left the hotel and drove to the
some OF a friend "A mile away. When
- rot there we found the house In
,uins We then went tn the home OF
khs Trevises and remained there until
~ were driven out by fire. Finally we
tound refuge at the residence Of J. +.
Nlnslow. on Mob hill.
Eat tiardtaek and sardines.
we slept on the fioor that night. but
kssy had no food and after securing
n. city over my brother managed TO
Lurrhase ten bareback biscuits and four
oxes OF sardines. and after eating
hsse we made beds OF the floor and
r,sd 10 sleep. We had a little candle
our room that We did not need. The
hundreds of fires made the city as light
day. but II was a CHASTITY. slckening
low that made one trcmble with fear.
Eoyds cannot describe human emo
Ions as such a time as that. and
fish | could shake on the feeling that
a. chung TO me ever since the first
book Of that earthquake aroused me
ron, my slumber
NY valun blcs? -. yes. I saved some
kmgs-three pairs ~ shoes. believe.
pai the shoes In u grip and brought
hen along. Ny diamonds ana money
lsft In the hotel. But We all did that
% one at such times cares for their
tey's We expected death NJ amy min
|. and were surprised that ~ did not
Ims can YOU wonder that I saved
b shoes instead az MY valuable
pssessinnsg have a lni in san
fsRcisto ana was offered So.
II the dny before the earth
pAks. but refused u. as had
tended erecting large office build
on IL myself Now. I suppose. u ~
p-,hless. hut that does MOI worry me-
WOULD b. willing In forget tho lot and
D n could only forget the tcrrihl"
pnsz that | was forced la witness
ring our many att emptS TO escape To
lace ~ safety. That night was awful
could hear the cries of the suffer
people and the crash or falling
ldltgS all night long
Almost Died from Thirst.
Wan Ness avenue was crowded from
: 10 side with people. Mothers car
g babies. men and women packing
their backs what few things they
IS . mannE - To save. Where all those
p,c found food and shelter I cannot
IgnC. We had no water and almost
!. from thirst. You would never know
q Francisco now. IL IL nothing bus
b. Did you ever see a child build u
le With blocks and then knock II
pa Well. that II the way the build
fell all over the city during the
fhqJake."
cannot describe a." said Mrs. Will
) when asked for her experience. II
az the first trcmble and q. what
M, frihle sensation. Plaster fell from
Walls and expected at any second
~ - the St Francis hotel crumblc To
earth. With the earthquake came
q, horrible roar. IL sounded like thou
> j. Of violins being played on the
strings and all at discord. IL
"A the most narrowing sound one
imagine.
~ Worse Than inferno.
az aa Francisco after the earthquake
Ia fh.. Ae.ap a NaaaNN NJ AFs
anl picture OF hell which hangs In the
So Barbara mission? II was some
: 10 like that. only a thousand times
4 lost everything we had. all our
s,y, ing and jewellery. but we conSld-
ourselves fortunate in getting
IN, with our lives. We had n hard
d. "a getting TO Oakland. where We
"a hi a train. The railroad people de-
great credit. once on the train
- ere shown every courtesy. IL peo-
-, Unit have money they were taken
Just the same. Money was no OBJ
u that time"
IDS nsse Servant in Dramatic Scene.
Mrs. Wilcox finished talking the
.nso Of the Drake home was thrown
,,,. and STOPPING figure darted
- u. room and fell at her feet.
~ Lee Chong. her faithful odd Chi
'lS" 'rvant who had been IN her EN-
~ Toy many years. Rig tears rolled
e. his face as he kissed the hem
> skirts. but they were tears Of
'rs 4 the expression OF his face was
/, 20 Unable. Chong during Mrs.
h"' rs absence. had been frantic He
his mistress had been killed and
T''s ~ was inconsolable. when lac
that Mrs Wilcox was Rt the
~ Q! her daughter and safe. like "A
Gus animal he rushed To her side
TNau AT himself at her feet. Tears
be-" " the eyes OF every one.
W, Frishtfui Scenes.
ling Lake City. Utah. April 25.-Nu-
- refugees are coming To Salt
ris1 nd each has ~ tale of horror
~ peal experience is that sam
- Eho says:
80 room was In the Grand hotel.
,.u. awakened the house WINS
as terrier would shake "A rat.
,,rl - and made for the street.
.,aTlrs seemed TO move like waves or
,stn,a un my way down market street
night Ole side OF "A building fell out
-. ne so near me that I was COW
frrr blinded by the dust. Then
a.. nrst dead come by. They were
w an automobile like caTcasscs
,rs Nehers' wagon. all over blood.
sshed skulls and broken limbs.
At = ody faces
~ tlH AZ cried out To me. Look out
< '.~ I'VE wire just had time To-