Danville intelligencer. [volume] (Danville, Pa.) 1859-1907, 1906-06-08

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Pioneer San Francisco received a
rude awakening Wednesday morning,
April 18, 1906.
The awful call came without warn
ing like mysterious bolt of light
ming, rushing through the upper
strata of the earth, causing devasta-
ton, terror and death at the hour of
thirteen minutes past five O clock in
the morning, when large majority
of the city's people were still asleep
in their homes.
1t seems as if all-wise Providence
had chosen the most fortunate hour
for the appalling catastrophe.
If the seismic disturbance had oc-
Cured in the daytime when the busy
thoroughtares of the metropolis were
lined with people, or in the evening,
when the theatres were crowded,
there would have been still more
horrifying chapter in the worlds his
tory than the one which the city by
the Golden Gate has Just contributed.
Terrible as the distress and the
calamity appear, the people of San
Francisco and California have ample
cause for genuine and deep-felt graft
tude.
The earthquake shock did much
damage.
There is as little use in denying
this fact as there is in exaggerating
the results of the temblor.
The first heavy shock, few min
utes after five in the morning, struck
terror to the bravest and coolest of
the city's sleeping populace. In a
few seconds the streets in the residence
districts were lined with people who
rushed out of their apartments and
homes in night attire. Furniture,
pianos, book cases danced through
the rooms as if possessed with demons;
crockery and china ware dashed out
of their snug closets on the floors;
chimneys toppled over and houses
cracked, crushed and caved in.
The lower portions of the city,
and particularly where the buildings
were resting on 'filled" ground,
seemed to have Jared the worst.
The region along Seventeenth,
Eighteenth and Nineteenth streets,
from Dolores down to Potrerb avenue,
was badly shattered, as was also the
neighborhood bounded by Mission,
Seventh, Harrison and Fourth streets.
In Hayes Valley the earthquake did
considerable damage, and the City
Hall was badly shaken.
Most of the old buildings along
Montgomery street and east towards
the water front were badly cracked
by the shock.
The Valencia Hotel, near Eigh-
teenth street, caved in, and in the
fall killed number of the dodgers
and injured others.
The large five-story Brunswick
Hotel on Sixth and Howard streets,
with its three hundred rooms which
are all reported to have been occupi.
ed, collapsed to the ground.
Another lodging house on Seventh
and Howard streets was crushed tc
the ground by falling brick wall.
But few of the occupants of these
houses escaped.
A portion of the large Cosmopoli
tan House, ON the corner of Fifth
and Mission streets, went down with
the first shock. Some of the dodgers
were buried in the ruins, but many
escaped and found place of refuge
on the Mint steps.
The Portland House, on Sixth
street, between Mission and Market,
collapsed, and it is stated that about
sixty persons were entombed among
the crashing ruins. Their heart
ing cries for help were heard a block
away. A large number of these,
however, were saved before the fire
overlook them and taken to the emer-
gency hospital established at the
Mechanics Pavilion.
Another lodging house, the Royal,
on the corner of Fourth and Mission
streets, caved in and buried the un.
fortunate dodgers in the ruins. 1t is
reported that a large number of these
victims were rescued by brave and
more fortunate men who happened to
be close to the scene of destruction.
The Wilson House, four-story
structure with eighty rooms, at 775
Mission street, fell to the ground in a
heap of ruins. So far as can be
learned but few of the inmates were
saved.
Nearly all the lodging-houses south
of Market street met the same fate.
North of Market street the human
Eeehives Jared better. The Lick
House and the Russ House, on Mont
gomery street, were badly shattered.
The St. Nicholas Hotel, on Market
street, was thoroughly shook up, and
when the inmates stepped from their
beds they round the rooms flooded
with water from the tank on the
roof
The Luxembourg, at Stockton and
O'Farrell streets, three-story house,
was partly crushed under tons of fall
ing brick from an adjoining building,
but it is stated that only one man and
woman were killed at this place.
The old California Hotel, on Bush
street, was badly shaken. 1t was
here that the late lamented Chief
Sullivan of the Fire Department re-
ceived the injuries which caused his
death.
But although the damage from the
earthquake was great, San Francisco
would have recovered from the shock
in marvelously short space of time.
1t was not the earthquake, but the