Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-04-19

the destruction of Stanford university, which is credited with greater wealth than any other institution of learning in the world and with an endowment second to none Only two of its build ings now stand amid the ruins.
 The important buildings destroyed are the Palace hotel, Cau building, Spreckels building. Pacific States Tele- phone building, RialtD budding, Hearst building, Mutual Life building. Grand Opera House, Gore block (not finlshed), Postal Telegraph building. Western Union and Associated Press, Union Ferry docks, Winchester hotel, St. Luke's church, Upham building, St. Dominica church, Concord club and the Hotel Grinado.
 It is utterly impossible at present to estimate the property loss, for the ex- tent of the connagration cannot be told until the fire has burned itself out. Thousands of people are homeless, and many are huddled in the parks and public squares beside the household goods they were able to save.
 The city is under martial law, and all the downtown streets are patrolled by cavalry and infantry. Details of troops are also guarding the banks. Most ot the principal buildings have already been destroyed, and others are in i'm minent danger. Over all the scene of desolation hangs dense pail of smoke.
 Communication with outside towns is almost entirely cut of, but the re- port comes from Palo Alto that all but two of the buildings of the Leland Stanford, Jr., university have been wrecked and that the splendid Memo rial church, one of the finest structures of its kind in the world, is a mass of ruins. One student is known to have lost his life. In Oakland five persons were killed. San Jose and Sacramento, Berkeley, Alameda and other places heard from suffered severely.
 The dreadful earthquake shock came without warning at precisely 5:13 o'clock. in the morning, it's motion ap parently being from east to west. At first the upheaval of the earth was gradual, but in a few seconds 1t in creased in intensity. Chimneys began to fall and buildings to crack, tottering on their foundations. The people be- came panic stricken and rushed into the streets, most of them in their night attire. They were met by showers of falling buildings, bricks, eornices and walls.
 Many were instantly crushed to death, while others were dreadfully mangled. Those who remained indoors generally escaped with their lives, though scores were hit by detached plaster, pictures and articles thrown to the floor by the shock. It is believed that more or less loss was sustained by nearly every family in the city.
 The tall steel frame structures stood the strain better than brick buildings, few of them being badly damaged. The big eleven story Monadnock office building in course of construction, ad- joining the Palace hotel, was an ex- ception, however, its rear wall col lapsing and many cracks being made across it's front. 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. ana the Union Ferry depot was in- jured. Its high tower still stands, but will have to be torn down.
 A portion of the new 'city hall, which cost over s7,0O0,0oo, collapsed, the roof sliding into the courtyard and smaller towers tumbling down. The great dome was moved, but did not fall
 The new postofiice, one of the finest in the United States, was badly shat tered.
 The Valencia hotel. a four story wooden building, sank into the base ment, a pile of splintered timbers. un- der which were pinned many dead and dying occupants of the house. The basement was full of water, and some of the helpless victims were drowned.
 Scarcely had the earth ceased to shake when fires broke out simulta-