The Red Cloud chief., 1918-01-31

NIOOlt olf HV 10y 49,
iince early morning. With the won
derful buoy ancy char acteristic o
americans especially a d most othe
races to a lesser degree we were az
care free and joyous as If such thing
a. earthqua a. ard diva Itated citi
were not within our ken. Luncheo
over, It va 2:l5 aid We were AL
Gated undcr the trees enjoying th
beauty Of lt all Nh,n without warning
OF any kind came the worst shake We
had Vet experienced. The brilliant
sunshine seemed bit TO add TO the g.
Mailing horror of it. The others had
occurred at night so the sight wa
pared u, but there was nothing
pared in this occasion. The earth
ccmcd TO rise in waves. The trees
waved like reeds in the wind and
from the barfal cas rose dense clouds
Of dust caused by numerous land
lides adding terror to the almost
limitless terror Of the quake. l was
sure the dust vas smoke and for a
moment thought our last hour had
indeed come.
Fortunately earthquakes last but a
fcw seconds at best and we quickly
recover at least outward called.
AS soon as things had quoted
down | changed to look and Herbert
and / started down to the city to go
to the Legation as was our first in
tention. What frightful sights met
us on all sides. The British Legation
was dreadfully damaged, street after
erect q mass of ruins, not one brick
left on another. The Recollection
church a complete and final ruin. We
| reached First street with the inten-
lion of going down il to 9th Ave, when
we saw the stretcher from the hospit-
nj with the body of poor DR.. Vale
killed BY falling walls. Poor DIR.
| Vale whom | had met but a few days
before at the Red Cross tea. We went
with what caution we could down the
center of the street to avoid falling
walls and when we reached 9Th Ave.
Herbert wanted to go to the house
to see of further damage had oc-
Cured. l persuaded him not to and
we proceeded toward the plaza.
The scenes we witnessed are hides
cribable. They seem to be as | try
70 %unravcl them to be great mounds
of earth and mortar with terror
stricken PEOPLE earring their few poor
belongings crawling over and through
them. Moving, moving, on and on like
ant, crawling over the ant heap. We
reached the Plaza there too to be con-
fronted by stretchers bearing dead
horribly mangled by the tons of earth
from the falling houses. With each
successive step l found my hold on my
self becoming less and less secure.
The constant sight of horrors with nc
let up at last unnerved me and when
we got to the Legation I was indeed
at the end of my rope. There we met
Alfred who insisted on our going to
the car and not returning to the Sauce
and my narrowing trip through the
town broke down completely any re-
sistance | had manifested before. |
was glad we had that safe refuge to
lgo to. Mary Owen and Mrs. Shaw
had been living at the Legation ever
| since the first day and the sight of
them did much toward restoring my
equinamity, (also a big drink of whis-
key Mary insisted on my taking)
Having the Rollers on our hands prov
ed in more ways than one a serious
handling, not only pecuniarly but be-
cause they seemed utterly incapable
of looking out for themselves. So
poor Herbert had to return to the
Sonce for them while | went with AL
fred down to the station to the car.
We walked down 9th Ave. to the Con-
cordia Park which was packed and
damned with humanity and the street
was over powering, no provision hay-
ing been made for sanitary arrange
mcnts of any kind. The Owen home
now a heap Of ruins. | could see into
the charming roOmswhere We had pas
Sod so many pleasant hours and a dull
ache filled nv heart. We passed the
railway station which was the most
pcrilous sthetch Of our journey, The
towers were ready to fall with the
lightest shake and the street so mar
row that had Il shake occurred saliva
ton would have been well nigh inn
possible. However none occurred and
we reached the safe haven Of the car.
Shortly afterwards, Mrs Clark's
greeting was warm enough to meet
any feeling Of resentment | might
have had and her explanation cleared
up Che misunderstanding completely
MIR. Clark's greeting was: "Well al
on account Of your damned pride you
dlden't COM down here from the be.
Il ginning where you belonged" 1t made
mo feel truly welcome and | had
feeling Of t~hanhfulness that circum
stances had forced us to give up GU
damned pride as Mr.. Clark callet
it. Then Mrs. Roach pretted me wit
cfusion and soon Herbert arrived
with the burdcns0me Rollers in tow
What Il relief to sleep in the Garth,
Reaches, Rollers, Cooks and Alfre'
and Morley in the body of the car an
Mr.. and Mrs. Clark in tbs little pri
: waite room. The first night Alfred an
Morley slept on the observation plat
form and we three couples inside, bu
as the Reaches left soon we had NOR
room and all slept inside. Thet frs
evening Mr.. Clark insisted on on
playing Bridge no doubt 20 keep on
minds occupied, thereby preventing u
from dwelling on our troubles. W
played q few games, Mrs. Roach, Mr.
Clark, II. and l.. but we We're o
pretty tired and so went to bed earl,
Sunday, Dec. 50. The day passc
quite uneventfully. Occasional sligl
shakes, but nothing serious. hG