Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-04-19
OMAHA PEOPLE ARE INTERESTED
Many Have Relatives There and Fear
for Their safety.

Several Omaha families are anNiOusly
awaiting details from San Francisco.
Carl Reiter, manager Of the Orpheum
theater and Mrs. Reiter are greatly wor-
ried over the news Of the earthquake.
Mr.. Refers parents reside at Fifth and
Tehama streets. which is but four blocks
from the center Of the greatest havoc. At
Fouth and Tehama whole family was in
collapse. Mr.. Reiter endeavored in vain
to communicate by wire with his people.
Mr.. Reiter was for some years in San
Francisco. He tells an interesting story
Of slight earthquake experienced while
he was manager Of the zoo at the Chutes.
'1f you win reflect" said Mr.. Reiter,
'you will see that most all these earth
quakes come early in the morning, at
least after midnight One night about 1890
when we we're out at the Chutees the mas
ter of a big elephant which we had just
taken in, wanted to show us his monster
in the peaceful act of sleeping. We went
with him to the elephants bed chamber,
the master started up the elephant, when
suddenly the great animal awoke. arose
and made a lunge for the exit His mas
ter grabbed a hook and took an affectionate
hold on him in the ear. but the elephant
kept going, dragging his master the full
length of the tent. Meantime we felt a
considerable shock. 1t was an incipent
earthquake but the strange thing was the
elephant seemed to have a premonition,
either that or he felt 1t first. 1t lie said
to be q natural animal instinct"
A. Mandelberg wired 10 San Francisco
to ascertain whether his relatives had suf-
fered. He has received no reply and the
telegraph company advised him the chances
for further delay were excellent.
Mr.. Mandelberg's folks reside up on Van
direction from which the earthquake seems
to have gone, and he believes they are
safe. Had the hour of the disaster been
later and his people been at their place
OF business, which is within a block or
| two of the Palace hotel he thinks they
would have suffered considerably. Mr.. Man
delberg was visiting his relatives when
the Bennington was blown up in the bay
OF San Diego, and in commenting on how
the people there stand in holy terror of
earthquakes, he said:
zone morning early, before getting I'D
time, one OF the family came into my ROOM
woke me and asked II 1 felt the earth
| quake I replied l felt something shake,
but thought 1t was a door slammed. At the
breakfast table we got our morning paper
and read the accounts of the Bennington
| disaster. AS shocks of this kind are often
was the shock we felt was not an earth
| quake, but that OF the United States ves-
| sell"
William Randall of the auditors office
at the Burlington headquarters has a
married daughter in San Francisco and he
and his family are extremely anxious about
her and her family. They cannot reach
| them by wire.
Miss Clara Thomas, daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. Dexter L. Thomas. Gil South Twenty
' NTH avenue, is thought to be in San
Francisco She has been in southern Cali
| fornia since last December. Her folks
had letter from her a day or two ago,
| saying she was to leave Santa Barbara
Sunday for San Francisco. en- route home
| by the northern way and they fear she
/ may have been in San Francisco when the
| earthquake carle.
Charles Rutherford, formerly district
| passenger agent of the Rock Island In
| Omaha, is now The Rock Islands agent in
San Francisco His brother, F. p. Ruther-
| ford, is his successor in Omaha. The latter
thinks the brother is safe, because, while
his Office is in the Palace hotel, his resi-
dence is out from the business district
| Albert Morrison of the Burwood Stock
| company has a mother and father, a
brother and other relatives living in San
|
! Call. Mr.. Morrison was much worried
Wednesday morning when he learned Of the
disaster.
Edward swobe Of the New York Life
Insurance company is anxious regarding
| the safety of his brother Dwight, who
lives in the stricken city. He resides at
| the Plymouth hotel.
Y DR.. o. S. Hoffman is another Omahan
who is anxiously awaiting news from rela-
| tives living in San Francisco The doctor
intended to go to that city last week, but
| postponed his trip.
Detective Savage has brother living at
Sutro Heights, which is remote from the
worst stricken section.
| T. b. Hatcher has seven or eight close
relatives living in San Francisco He was
| making efforts to communicate with them
| by telegram.
Mrs. r. B. Stevenson. Of the Sherman.
is disturbed over the reports for her par
ents reside in San Francisco and cannot
be heard from They live at 1853 Bush
street.
Mr. and Mrs. ]. w. Phelps OF Omaha
and three daughters are visiting in San
Francisco. Reports bring the assurance
that visitors generally are safe, hotels
where they are stopping not being de-
| stroyed.
| MISS {. Midgley, 251 St. Mary's evenue
has two cousins in the striker city for
whose safety she is anxious.
| c. A. Peterson of S424 Seward street has
| brother, L. A. Larson, at the Golden West
hotel in San Francisco. This hotel is situ-
| ated. or was, on Ellis and Powell streets
Mrs. Anna B. Scott, 1918 Georgia avenue
has son and daughter at % Van Ness
| avenue San Francisco.
The Omaha Offices of the Western Union
and Postal Telegraph companies have been
overtaxed in the attempt to forward the
stream Of messages sent by anxious friends
TO persons living in or known to be at San
| Francisco and other points in the disturbed
| district. 1t is an utter impossibllity to