The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1908-01-09

CLOCK UnaU nlBnU, while on Une way 10
where he was stopping, l stepped out
| Of the car and while starting around the
corner met my friend Garmong on his
way to telephone me. He had just re-
ceived message from home informing
him OF my whereabouts. We're we glad
to meet? We now look back. A 5:15 a..
m. by the tower clock in the ferry
building, which was stopped by the
shake on the morning of the 10th Of
April, occurred the greatest earthquake
in the history of the Pacific coast. The
night had been one Of the usual quiet
ness in the resident portion of the fair
western city, and at the time the great
downtown district was asleep. The
first dawn Of light was about creeping
slowly DER the eastern mountains and
the brooding quietness in the city's
heart was occasionally broken by the
footsteps Of an early passerby, or the
conversation Of the Bluecoats who had
been the city's guardians during the
silent watches. Now and then the noise
Of cab or an express wagon could be
heard. Altogether, however, the thou
sands who go to mako up the busy,
rushing life in the metropolis of the
American coast we're in the fastness of
their morning dreams.
1t rarely occurs that an entire city is
awakened by the Same alarm clock or
rise at the same time, but on this event
full morning the rich and poor alike, the
people on aristocratic Van Ness and
thousands in tenement houses we're
alike called in the same experiences,
rose to witness the same sight. What
excitement, havoc and death to sweep
the city within thirty seconds time! To
think of the grooming and twisting of
buildings with ribs of steel! What
heaving of streets! What sinking of
pavements! What pulsation of tho
ground like waves Of the sea! What
falling of brick and stones and tumbling
of pillars Of marble like the weakness Of
the temple pillars before the sweep Of
Simpsons arm. What wailing cries Of
hundreds who we're being struck by
falling stones, shut up in ill shaped
rooms breathing the dusty lime from
former walls or weed between huge
timbers awaiting the last flicker of life
to remove them from the hell into which
they had so suddenly been plunged
Then the flames. What cracking Of
vengeance! The irrisistable attack of
that fire leaping and plunging-fames
licking up huge buildings like mon
ster of thousand tongues quitting the
entire wholesale and retail section Of
the metropolis and hurting it as smoke
forming heavy clouds in the sky! To
realize this as fact of the hour,
should be enough to teach at least the
frail inhabitants their weakness in the
presence Of the powers that be. The
works Of more than half century,
tho pride Of the builders, being RACED
to the ground within thirty seconds
and pulled into the clouds in one volume
OF smoke, tells us how futile are tho
works of tho man whose building ma
terial is Of the earth earthly.
The effect on the moral atmosphere
should be Of wonderful moment, but
how men forget. Looking into the vista
Of the past, we picture the belching
forth Of Vesuvius, the burial of people
and cities; tho great Lisbon earthquake
of the eighteenth century in which
following two minutes shake, more
than sixty thousand people were buried
in the ruins, but all that passes with ua
rs ancient history, but the Frisco dis
aster is 80 very near us-at our very
doors. Our business is wounded. Our
churches are in need. Our homes are
effected. So near us! While the pulpit
does not say that God has passed ven.
geance upon his people for their sins
it does declare that mans days are
few and that life surrounded with the
greatest protection, is uncertain. We
are to read afresh David's hearts evil
sion What is man that thou art mind
!; full of him!"
Life is constant exploration into the
sea of the unexpected. We are nov
looking over an area of fifteen square
} miles Of smouldering ruins where sever
. days before stood the proud metropoli.
of the Pacific coast. After witnessin,
! the tramping Of thousands of homeless
, for days, it seems, to us, commonplace,
to write Of priyations. This feeling il
) intensified when we remember the goot
J feeling and spirit prevailing among tn,
: unfortunate victims. All seemed re
signed to their fate and living day b,
| day we're full of hope for the future.
. The report Of incoming food an,
> signs of tents under which to sleep
covering present needs, made then
} happy. Hundreds of details and SOM