The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-08-07
JUSTICE TO SAN FRANCISCO.

A Joint protest. that is deserving of
the widest publicity and consideration,
has been issued by all Of the newspa-
pers Of San Francisco. against the ex-
aggerated reports that have been
printed in this and other countries
about the slight earthquake that Wis
tied that city at the Golden Gate on
July / of this year. This protest is
based on an exhaustive investigation
and reports on the part of the persons
of integrity and expert knowledge of
matters of this sort. Among these in
vestigators were Hiram johnson, gov
ernor of California; DR.. Armin o.
Ledschner, professor of astronomy and
director of the Students Observatory,
University Of California; sturla Elm
ARSON, instructor of practical astron-
omv. University of California; Prof.
r. G. Aitken. acting director of the
Lick observatory; Nathaniel Ellery,
state engineer of California; H. D.
Connick, chief assistant TO the city en-
gineer of san Francisco; Rev. Jerome
S. Ricard, S. j.. director seismographic
station, Santa Clara college, Santa
clara. Cal: and Otto Won Geldern, con-
suIting engineer, secretary of the
Technical Society of the Pacific Coast,
member of the chronological Society
Of America, member of the Engineer
ing Committee on the earthquake of
1906, member of American Society of
Civil Engineers.
Their reports are unanimous in con-
Guiding that the only harm done to
san Francisco by the earthquake of
july 1 last was accomplished through
the exaggerated reports sent out by
Frisco news agencies and correspond
ents and published in the newspapers
throughout the country. These reports
show that absolutely no damage was
done by the shock in question to per-
son or property in Sal Francisco.
They show that the only place in the
state which suffered in any degree
from the quake was the Lick observa-
tory. conducted by the University of
California on Mount Haa7ilton, Santa
Clara county, rs miles from San Fran
cisco and 25 miles from San Jose.
Even there the damage was nominal.
except to buildings injured by the
earthquake of 1906 and not adequately
repaired.
1T is not true that any death was
occasioned, even remotely. by the
shock of July 1. It is not true that
anybody was even slightly injured as
direct or indirect consequence OF
that quake 1t is not true that San
Francisco was thrown irto 2 state of
panic or that a condition of public ter
ror prevailed. 1t is not trIe that build
ings were thrown out os plumb, that
lcornices were thrown down and plas-
ter badly cracked. It is not true that
business was paralyzed and public
amusement suspended for the remain
der of the day. It is not true that the
shock was of long duration.
''The quake in San Francisco lasted
perceptibly just 20 seconds. It was
sharp, but it lacked destructive force
and intensity. People did run out of
crowded public places, such as stores
and theaters. but they went back i'm
mediately The interruption of bust
ness or of pleasure did not actually
amount to five minutes. It was a fire
alarm without a fire, thunder without
lightning
Absolutely no visible or tangible
physical trace was left by the shock,
There was no displacement of ground
no disturbance Of telephone. tele-
graph, electric light or gas connec-
tions; no stoppage of street cars; no
consequential or annoying disarrange-
ment of even the most unstable goods
or fixtures; no falling of chimneys OF
plaster; no fractures of masonry OF
any kind; no throwing down of cor
nices; no breaking of windows OF
lcrockery; no money loss of any de-
Iscription to any person.
In these circumstances San Fran