Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-04-21
Graphic Story. of
 An Eyewitness
NewspaperWoma Thrill ing Experiences In San s Francisco's Fearful
 Disaster.
Helen Dare Describes Frlghtful and Pathetic Scenes Which Followed the Earthquake-Vivid Pen Por.
 trait of Panic In the
 Quaking Inferno. ~

}if45 jsa1 5{aEti S.
 Helen Dare, who escaped on April 19 from the earthquake stricken city of San Francisco to Oakland and thence to Stockton, telegraphed. to the z, Los Angeles Examiner the following thrill ing account of her own personal ex- perience in the Golden Gate city's fear ful disaster:
 Like thousands of others, I was awakened out of peaceful sleep into a paralysis of fear by the violent and continued rocking of bed, of floor, of walls, of furniture, by the sounds of crashing chimneys, falling ornaments and pictures, breaking glass and the startled screams of women and chil dren.
 As If with sudden impact I felt my bed struck from the north and then heave violently. jumped out, putting my hands out to steady myself, but the opposite walls seemed teSmove away fren,me. 7.sa -ye ets
 rIsor Rocked Like B0at'In Gale.
 The floor rocked like boat on a choppy sea, the violence of the motion increased and seemgA ever and again to take fresh start. It seemed as If it would never end, and yet 1t lasted but two minutes. My young son came running from his room, and, clasped h each others arms, we stood in the doorway of my room waiting, waiting With relaxing quiver, like the pass ing of a sigh, the heaving earth and bil- lowing floor sunk into repose. -gh.
 We dressed, and through the disar- ranged furniture, overs the broken glass and fragments of ornaments we made our way out. The streets were full of persons in every stage of un- dress and excitement, one young moth CT in her night dress clasping her eight months-old baby in her arms and try ing to warm it by wrapping her thin lawn garment around it.
 A few blocks from Mayor Schmitz's home and a block from Mrs. Eleanor Martins, the house where have been stopping, is the western addition, where, owing to the hills of rock for nation, the damage was least.
 The swarming persons climbed the hills, their first fear being that tidal wave would follow, and all eyes were on the bay, shining in the morning light, but not even the sea wall of the land that the Fair estate is retaining from the ocean was hidden by water.
 The great gas tank near the waters edge was in flames, and many believed the disturbance had come from the ex- plosion of that.
 set out at once to see what damage had been done, finding it more appall- ing with every block I walked. My way led along Pacific and Van Ness avenues, through the district of splen- did homes of wealth and fashion, and not one of the long lines of imposing houses but had suffered severely.
 The home of John D. Spreckels at Pacific avenue and La Guana street is one of the finest and proudest in the city, and on 1t the pIrapet had cracked and crumbled and fallsn like so much spun sugar out of wedding cake. Blocks of cement had fallen from the entrance ceiling. and at one of the up- per windows a van, white face peered from the rich lace curtains at Rudolph Epreckels' handCome house at Cough and Pacific avenue. The lawn was riven from end to end In great gashes, the ornamental Italian rail leadkg to the imposing entrance was a battered heap. zr sr. .-
 Rudolph Spreckels. his wife. his little son, his mother-in-law and sisters-in- law and maid servants had set up their household on the sidewalks. The wom- en were wrapped in rugs and coyerlets and huddled in easy chairs hastily roll cd out.
 They were having their morning tea on the sidewalk and the silver service was spread on the stone coping. At house afte- house of the wealthy and fashionable this scene was repeated
 Turning into Van Ness avenue, there on the left was St. Bridgets stone church at Broadway and Van Ness. with its tall towers fallen and the stone walls hanging loosely from the top. There on my right. couple of blocks away, was St Luke's church. a total wreck. it's tower of stone just heap of waste. The churches have suffered greatly. St. Patrick's and St. Domi- hicks are wrecked. and the old Mis- sion Dolores of the Franciscan Fathers has the ancient tiles of it's roof crush cd in. though the adobe walls still stand. but the steeple of the new church beside it in topplinz over crush ed In its roof.
 rsshiouabIes Flee h Bare Feet.
 all along the two avenues of fashion not a brick chimney was left standing In every block there are tons and tons of wrecksge. Clans SDreckeis' home oa Van Ness avenue had it's c0rnices and parapet crumbIei like a pie crust. Walter Hobart's house. that was built for Amy Crocker when she became Mrs. Porter Ashe. has s1 one side vrecked.
 The St Dunstan. at sutter and Van Ness. one Of the snarJest apartment houses. built cf stone. has it's top story tumbIed o1 and it's s1iid walls crack