The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1920-02-06

of a Bride
Copyrighted. 1919. by the News
paper Enterprise Asaociation
THE EARTHQUAKE CAUSES
RUIN AND DISASTER BE
FORE MY VERY EYES

The auto I'm front of US was pilot.
ing Morrison's outfit. | saw Il rise
a wee bit as "A rowboat mounts n lit
Ito wave. II went dlngonally over
the top OF the wave. upset with a
elaboration which looked almost like
intention, then settled onto It's
side.
The same twisting OF the earth's
crust made our own car skid at right
angles To the road. our chauffeur
suddenly stood on his brake and our
car stopped with It's nose In n
ditch.
made II roar. came one OF the heav.
Test machines in Morrison's train. II
was out OF control. II brushed so
| close To the rear OF our car that
tho wind made by It's progress swept
my hair into my eyes. IL crashed
straight into the overturned car
which had preceded oursl
Tho earth shook again and two
autos behind us sidoswiped. toppled
toward each other affectionately.
their hoods in shreds and splinters.
Farther back, half "A dozen autos slid
toward each other, but remained up
right massed In n close formation.
They kept grinding against each
other and the noise they made as
they damned together lasted longer
than the earthquake, II seemed to
me.
felt very sick-scasiclf. I
dropped back into my place and Gov
cred my face with my hands.
| Holy saint in heaven, save us-'
muttercd Morrison as he leaped To
the ground. Daddy also got out but
Gene Archer was too weak to stir.
The choking odor OF gasoline
smudge reached us. Somebody was
cursing wickediy. From the wreck.
age In front OF US came n terrible
groan. IL was more frightful than
any shrek could ever be. I put my
hands over my ears and kept them
there until. after n little. Gene
Archer pulled them away.
He's deadr' said Archer solemnly.
IF we hadn't slxidded we'd all be
dead. too"
Are they afl-those In the wreck
all dead7" I gasped. Maybe some
body still lives. Maybe ! can help"
| reached for the door.
mo! You mustn't see. Don't
look. ! beg OF you. Mrs. LorimerF"
Then came Morrison's voice:
Take the woman away Here,
Mr.. Lorimer. get back into your seat
md go on to Vera Cruz without
mcT'
Bob Bobr' cried. "And Chrys.
What has the earthquake done TO
them2"
Perhaps tho quake was even
worse back there. Morrison" said
daddy.
I'm find out as soon ms I get
these machines untangied Trust me,
Mrs. Lorimer." He motioned to the
chauffeur:
Get out OF this. nowr'
In n few minutes we had been
hauled out of the ditch. had made
a circle in the field around the wreck
and were off again toward the east
and the coast
We had TO move slowly. We were
obliged to pick a new road. for the
old was cracked and broken. Some.
times we passed the debris OF ruin.
/ cd hut, sometimes the chaos OF n
I village flattened out on the earth.
II seemed 10 me that all the people
OF all the world had taken 20 living
in the open air.
The horrid bald birds that SO
/ hated. no longer followed our car.
/ But we saw scores OF them swoop.
| ing over the villages or flying
toward the scene OF the auto wreck.
i've got to help. Let me do what
can" I pleaded as we approached
group OF waiting women.
But daddy was stubborn.
we can't waste time" he said.
You see for yourself that Archer
issafl in. He must have a bed and
doctor as soon as we can find
one"
Daddy permitted me. however, to
take n young woman into the car.
She was soon to become n mother.
Then he gave up his own place TO
boy whose leg had been crushed
by a falling beam. There was n hos.
pital In the next town. the natives
said. But we found the next town
in ruinsl Three thousand people
were homelessi Suffering stalked
the earth.
Was Bob. wondered, suffering7