San Francisco

Woodville Examiner, Volume XXII, Issue 3876, 21 May 1906, Page 2

San Francisco

AN EYE-WITNESS’ ACCOUNT.

THRILLING EXPERIENCES.

Auckland, May 19. Among the passengers by the Moaoa from Vancouver are Mr and Mrs Shipman. They arrived in San Francisco the night before the earthquake, and had compartments on the eleventh floor of St, Francis Hotel.

Mr Shipman says he wasawakened by the earthquake at 5.13 a.m. As soon as the hotel became stationary he went to the window and saw the stairs crowded with guests—men and women frantically rushing into the streets in their night clothes. '* It was the nearest to a stampede I had ever seen,” says Mr Shipman. “ Getting dressed, Mrs Shipman and 1 went downstairs, and met a man in pyjamas. He was pale and breathless, and informed ns that the city was doomed to destruction. We found the square opposite the hotel crowded with people sitting on their household goods, their homes having collapsed or were being burned. “ Standing on Market-street, and looking down Third-street we coaid see the flames rapidly eating their way to Market-street.

“ About 8.30 a.m. the militia marched down Market-street, station* ing soldiers at intervals. The city was placed under martial law. The crowd moved morbidly down Mar-ket-street, silent and dazed, watching the spread and approach of the devastating flames. None seemed to want to speak. “The street presented an odd aspect, husbands and wives carrying bundles suspended from their shoulders. Everything propellabie by human motive power was pressed into service and piled up with household effects, from trunks to green parrots. Ail were travelling in the same direction away from the flames.

"At two o'clock the flames had covered apparently half the centre of the cily. They progressed in crescent shape. At six o'clock the Mission-street end of the crescent had burned itself out, and carried the fire to the wholosale district and the water front north of Marketstreet. At-nine o'clock the fire was near Sf. Francis Hotel from both ends of the crescent. Bell boys, more dead than alive were requisitioned to carry trunks and valises from the hotel. We left the building hastily, the building on both sides of the hotel being on fire. Twice we were ordered to leave oar things and get out of danger by the soldiers, whs were dynamiting the buildings on both sides of the hotel to stop the progress of the fire. Everybody seemed to be dragging trunks and goods into the streets,which were crowded with refugees. " Next morning we got our effects and removed to the Aita Plaza. We camped there for three nights. The first uighfc we slept on our trunks, the second on a mattress, and the third in a tenfc with steamer blankets. For two days we lived on biscuits and water, and on the third day relief parties brought us provisions. "land others were pressed into service by the soldiers in making the park sanitary, digging trenchesj and cleaning up refuse. " There were perhaps a hundred families in the Alta Plaza."

MR ATACK'S ACCOUNT. AN INTERESTING DESCRIP. TION. Auckland, May 19. Me Atack, Manager of the New Zealand Press Association, who was in Santa Cruz at the time of the earthquake, contributes an interesting account of the disaster. The Santa Oruz shock was severei but only one building was thrown down, but San Jose, through which he had to pass in a desperate attempt to reach Frisco by road (the railways being interrupted), suffered badly. Buildings were down in every direction. The disaster would have been a replica of that in San Francisco only the water mains remained intact. Sixty miles away, passing over the mountains, the detonations of dynamite used in the attempt to check the fire could be plainly heard. He reached Oakland the afternoon after the commencement of the disaster, and the story from this point is best told in Mr Atack's own words.

The great ferry building opposite was still standing, its lofty tower denuded of some of Its wall, but not visibly much hurt by the quake, and untouched by fire. To the left, the buildings on the south side, the ground being mainly flat, were mostly occupied by the humble section of the population. On the right it swells into low but often very steep hills, covered with fine residences, while on both sides of Market-street, and the immediately adjoining streets, especially to the north, had been erected large costly buildings each representing millions of dollars. It was hoped on Wednesday, even when the fire had gathered strength, and assumed large proportions, that the conflagration would not cross this grand avenue. Doubtless, it could have been stopped had there been water enough, but stones rolling from the hillside crushed the principal main, where it enters the city, and there were too many fires to cope with at' once without abundance of water.

As Mr Atack stepped out of the ferry building, the smoke was blinding. Ashes were falling fast, and were driven before a strong wind. Though it was reported that the fire was under control and practically extinguished, it was still 60 hours after the earthquake raging fiercely in one corner, and not actually checked till three in the morning. It had crept round the hill, and spread until it had wiped out every building on it, and lodged itself in a big lumber yard and factories on the water’s edge. Aided by fire tugs, the firemen, soldiers, and sailors fought desperately to prevent it fastening on (he

wharves. Thess hid suffered badly by the quuJif. iM>tny of the sheds had collapsed, and the piles were canted, but the live hid nut toncht d thfm, ai»d if (hey wi.tb now lickid np the ruin of (he poi fc would indeed be complete. More lhau once the cantest was almost given up, but human endurance proved stronger than the fire, and it whs stopped some diefcance from the ferry building, but not before portions of the wharves had been destroyed. Bo great was the beat that came from (his direction you could uotget within a mile of the scene. All attempts at looting were sternly repressed, and the mob lynched three plunderers before the military came on, and quite a number were shot afterwards, but there can be Utile doubt that some men lost their heads and used the bullet and bayonet most inhumanly. It was reported that one poor old woman was deliberately bayoneted by a patrol for merely remonstrating, and that another of these guardians stabbed a policeman who interfered in Borne way with him. Although there were many such instances, without the soldiers the frenzied mob could not have been bandied, when the streets had to bo cleared for dynamiting. This dynamiting did not prove au efficient check. Hundred of tons were exploded, yet, except towards the end, without the slightest effect. The fire immediately swept over the gap, or worse still, fresh fires were started by it. The last grim stand was made at Vanhes avenue. This street was wider than Market-street, and running ok ttn a nolo imm if, in A, nfirLhfirlv

direction. It was full of costly abodes, great tenement bouse?, hotels, and church* s. If that were orossed, the small remaining portion of the city must go. The fire was sweeping on, and it was certain that despite the widih of the thoroughfare it would do little as a barrier. Sixteen blocks were dynamited, and one can imagine the horrible destruction, and grim magnificent courage of it. The explosive was laid, aud row after row of stately edifices, rising Btorey upon storey, sprang into the air and crumbled into dust. The owners, at the sound of the bugle, silently withdrew and watched their homes vanish into nothing. The heroic remedies in this instance bore good fruit, for though the fire appeared in places, most of one side was saved. This was the only instance in which dynamite proved effective. In Cbioatown, it is believed many Chinamen were blown up with their buildings. Tbey wanted to pray to their josses, and could not be got out. In one place, a gentleman told me he saw three men and a number of animals all killed at one blast. The United States Government estimates the casualties in the'Frisco disaster at 300 killed, 200 injured, 200,000 homeless; property destroyed 100,000,000 dollars. The Coroner puts the fatalities at over 1000.