The Washington times., 1906-04-25
WIRES CROWDED
WITH INQUIRIES
Crush of Messages Through
The Times Free Bureau.
LOCATING FRIENDS IN FRISCO
Hearts Of Many Washingtonians Made
Lighter by Cheering News From
Absent 0ue5.

A2preciating The anxiety Of 'he thou
sands of people whom ! ne Times is
helping to locate friends and relatives
IN san Francisco. announcement is now
made that for the next day or two all
those who have asked the Inquiry Bur
reau TO locate missing loved ones must
exercise the greatest patience
Every telegraph wire into the stricken
city is crowded every minute of the
twentyfour hours in each day with
news. Government orders. inquiries. and
message. Although The Times. by its
arrangement with the San Francisco
Examiner. is able to furnish its read
ers with an unprecedented promptness
OF service, there must of necessity be
some slight delay in the transmission OF
messages.
The Times wishes TO state. however.
that every message sent through its In
ouirY Bureau viii be sent TO Frisco in
NestiEated. and answered within the
shortest time possible II hopes that no
one. anxious about the welfare Of
friends. viii hesitate 20 take ADVANTAGE
OF this opportunity to secure any de-
sired information.
1t is source of extreme qualification
10 The Times that already it has been
able to serve so many hundreds of its
readers In their pressing eagerness for
he"' from relatives who were In San
Francisco during the horrors Of the
earthquake and the torment of the fire.
All Classes Eager for News.
inquiries have been received from peo-
pie asking the whereabouts of indi,-id-
uals in every class and walk OF life
Asonized queries come from the aged
and those who have barely learned TO
lisp at the mothers knee. Some ask for
n"Ws Of ministers. lawyers. physicians
and consuls. Others ask for informa-
ton of laborers. trained nurses. ana
lunatics
These letters Of inquiry illustrate onlv
700 well the tragic way in which tI,a
horror OF San Francisco mas stirred 70
S.ieI every city and State of the United
One letter received nv Tho r,ir,o- ..
day asks for information about boy,
= Is He is tall. light haired and
4ancsomc. | wouldn't bother Won. but
sHotbor S1S 10 80 ouL TO marry him in June -
-Auother, evidently sCraWled in dif-
Hculty by little child, says: Il want
10 KNOW now papa is. His name is -
EVERY month before this he has
sent ma NINA and me money. but this
month the money has not come w
want 20 know quick"
Dne letter asks news Of a Government
child. The three had arrived In San
Francisco on n Government mission onIy-
Few days before the disaster. Nah
iES mas been heard from them since the
catastrophe
An Aged Mothers Anxiety.
An inquiry, too evidently penned by
the palsied hand OF many winters asks
IF II is not too much trouble 10 Won
sir. for news of my only son. a fine
young man he was. and the support of
his aged mother. Ordinarily he writes
me regularly Now l can hear nothing
from him He was to come on 20 see me
This summer The blessings Of heaven
be upon you If you can relieve nv
great fear"
So the hundreds of inquiries received
feac. telling In few words of the wide
spread anxiety caused in the Nation :
Capital BY the injuries. death. and dis
word is not the only one that reaches
the office. In many cases the people.
too eager for news TO wait for the
speedy mails to bring the questions TO
the bureau. come IN person.
Forming in line. they march to the
window through which the inquiries
are passed, and there, on the faces that
appear at the window for a second aud
then are lost 10 sight. is written clearly
enough the story of how deeply Wash
inSton's people are affected by the ca
ltmity on the other side OF the conti-
nent-
Emmett Rice and wife. Of San Fran
cisco escaped and are safe I'm Berkeley
Nr. Rice was the owner of a cafe on
Market S--"et, and he and his wife mad
living ia -GnentS over the reStaura Mt
They were awakened at the first shock
of the earthquake and fed from the
building in their night garments. Join
ing in the mad rush OF the people toward
the ferry. Mr. Rice wires that in their
haste they did not take time to put on
shoes, but rushed forth in their bare
feet, which were bruised and cut in
the run 10 the ferry Their property
was completely destroyed.