Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1906-04-23
Stories Received Are Conflicting
But All Agree on the
Main Point.
Undoubtedly the Greatest Calamity
that Ever BefeII the
Pacific Coast.

bers of falling buildings, brick corni.
ces and walls.
Those who remained in doors gener-
ally escaped with their lives, though
scores we're hit with detached plaster,
pictures and articles thrown to the
floor by the shock. 1t is believed that
more or less loss was sustained by
nearly every family in the city.
The tall steel-frame structures stood
the earthquake better than the brick
buildings, few of them being badly
damaged. Some of the docks and
freight sheds along the water front slid
into the bay. Deep assures opened
in the filled-in ground near the shore,
and the Union ferry depot was badly
damaged. Its high tower still stands.
but will have to be torn down.
A portion of the city hall. which
cost more than $1,000, 900, collapsed.
the roof sliding into the court yard
and the smaller towers tumbling down.
the great dome Icing moved, but not
falling.
The new postoff1ce, one of the finest
in the United States, was badly shat
tered.
Fire Breaks Out In Many Places
The Valencia hotel, four.story
wooden building, sank into the base
ment, pile of splintered timbers, un-
der which were pinned many occu-
pants of the house. The basement
was full of water and some of the help
less victims drowned. Scarcely had
the earth ceased to quake when fires
broke out simultaneously in many
places. The fire department promptly
responded to the first call, but it was
found that the water mains had been
rendered useless by the underground
movement.
Famed by light breeze, the flames
quickly spread, and soon many blocks
were seen to be doomed. Then dyna.
mite was resorted to, and the sound
Of frequent explosions added to the
terror of the people. All the efforts
to stay the fire, however, proved fu-
tile.
The south side of Market street,
from Ninth street to the bay. was soon
ablaze, the fire covering a belt two
blocks wide. On this, the main thor
oughfare of the city, are located many
of the finest edifces of the city, in
Guiding the Grant, Parrot, Flood.
Call, Examiner and Monadnock build.
ings, the Palace and Grand hotels and
numerous wholesale houses.
At the same time the Commercial
bank, north of Market street. was
burning. The burning district in this
section extended from Sansome street
to the water front and from Market
street to Broadway. Fires also broke
out in the Mission, and the entire city
seemed to be in flames.
The flames. famed by the rising
breeze, swept down the main whole
sale business streets to within 100 feet
OF the Union ferry depot, the high
tower on which stood at dangerous
angle.
The big wholesale grocery establish.
ment of Wellman, Polk & Co. was on
fire from basement to roof. and the
heat was so oppressive that passengers
from the ferry we're obliged to keep
close to the waters edge in order to
get past the burning structure. 1t
was impossible to reach the center Of
the city from the bay without skirting
the shore for long distance, SO as to
get around the burning district.
Ferries Stop Running.
At about O'Clock the Southern Pa
cific officials refused to allow any more
passengers from transbay points to
land, and sent back those already on
the boats.
The ferry and train service Of the
Southern Pacific was entirely aband-
oned. owing to the damage done to the
power house at Emeryville.
Every saloon in the city was ordered
closed and as soon as possible troops