San Francisco struck by destructive earthquake and resulting fires, April 18, 1906

VOL. 62-KO. 220. TEN lAGES-80 COLUarNS. BUFFALO. -N. Y.. WEDNESDAY. APRIL 18. 190C. TEN PAOES-80 COLUMNS. , ., QUE CEST. LEADING EVENING DEMOCRATIC NEWSPAPER IN STATE OUTSIDE OF GREATER NEW YORK SAM FRANGISGO: , IS VISITED '-BY AN ' : .APPALLING EARTHQUAKE AND FIRE I ORFftT nniiin ADPATinm iq mm PAnia , m iip pm II HH i fl U H I H i V I H H "9 I 111 IK1 1 11 Bill B D I II B H II II IIMI III I I . I Sacramento. Cal.. April 18,-The B I I H H B H lJ I THOUSANDS Inhabitants Are Fleeing. Panic-stricken, to Other Towns and Villages by Ferries, and Many Drop Dead in the Streets from Terror and ' : Fright Grqat Buildings Ruined. : r f" j OS ANGELES, Cal., April 18. Great loss of life and terror and I panic that baffle description followed a series of earthquake shocks in San Francisco at. 5 : 13 o'clock this morning. An early estimate placed the number of persons killed at 1,100, but later-reports . say lit is known that 2,000 'persons have met death in the most appalling disaster ever visited upon the Pacific Coast. Following the earth shocks, which continued at frequent intervals until. 8 :17 "o'clock; fire broke : out . in the costly business blocks and spread to the residence section. The waterworks plant was made use- ; , &amp; &amp; First Building Down. j&amp; &amp; ' ' i ' , - ft ' : M f X ?s El i M rSHL , POSTAL TELEGRAPH BUILDING. rrom Early Reports It Appeared Perhaps This Was. the Only Building " to Be Wrecked. less by the earthquakes,, as a result of which the Fire Department was helpless. v t ; The new and magnificent City Hall, recently built at a cost of $6,000,000, was completely wrecked by the shocks, and it is reported that the bodies of many persons caught in the building are buried beneath the tons of stone and mortar. , The best and most accurate information regarding the earthquake indicates the whole city is being destroyed by fire. From the highest elevation in San Jose, about tewnty-five miles from San Francisco, the city can be seen ablaze. At 11:45 o'clock the fire. was reported beyond control. It was then, re-. Btroylng Market Street and had reached the Palace Hotel. Both the Western Union and Postal buildings had been completely, destroyed. San Francisco and Bay City report loss from shock and results ; of the fire will reach into "the millions. 5 A hundred buildings Vere burning in the section rased by the shock 'and the streets were filled with v debris. Fire which started in the business section was being fought with dynamite, but there was little progress in checking the flames. , From Montgomery Street east to the water front, the city was in flames-. Three hundred bodies had been taken from the ruins. ' Another report said the business section of San Francisco was In ruins, and a' fearful halocaust was raging, the" result of the terrific - earthquake. Thousands of persons are probably dead. Three hundred bodies have already been taken to Mechanics Pavilion, which has been transformed into a morgue, and more are arriving every minute. . . The earthquake shattered the water mains, and the Fire Department Is unable to combat- the flames." Fires are burning in dozens of places. The utter ruin of the business section Is inevitable. ,: The fire Is nearing the Palace Hotel at this hour. 7 o'clock. - A dispatch from San Francisco later said: t . - "The ferries are all engaged carrying 'people to Oakland and other points of safety. The people are fleeing from the city by thousands. In the panic many drop dead In the streets." ' . . v Another San Francisco dispatch says the St. Francis Hotel and also the palace Hotel withstood the severe shock and remained Intact. Buffalonians in St. Francis Hotel Ti- ha- been expressed in this city today that H. T. Koerner and wife, wealth? residents of Grand Island, may have been victims of the earth- -keh?nl wmchl8i3sioJhSve bnlntVreJked district. They had planned to .'aV'fiW"? e catastrophe is not known. Their ARE DEAD - a 9 1111 ill C-v-x V friends in this city tried to reach Mr. and Mrs. Koerner-by wire this morning, .but were unsuccessful. The suspense will continue until some definite Information as to their whereabout Is received here. Instruments Here Didn't Record It. The seismic disturbances, which caused so much damage in San Francisco and 'were felt in Cincinnati and other cities this morning, did not effect Buffalo. "I have examined the barograph, a delicate Instrument which would re cord, such a condition." said Forecaster Cuthbertson this morning, "but cannot find the slightest trace of any vibration in Buffalo. Any change in pressure would be registered on this complicated instrument. "The earthquake must have destroyed all telegraphic communication with 'Frisco, because up to the present we have not received any weather reports from points on the Pacific slope." Postal Has One Wire to ?Frisco. The Postal Telegraph Company has one wire running into San Francisco this afternoon, according to information given out at the local offices of that company. For a time this morning the' company's service into the stricken city was entirely cut off. Messages accepted here by the Postal Telegraph Company for 'Frisco are all subject to delay.- ENTIRE CITY MAY BE WIPED OUT BY FIRE New York, April 18. The Rock Island Railroad Company has received the following message from its Chicago offices, timed 11:45 o'clock: "San Francisco is being wiped out by continuous quakes and flames. Fire is working towards the docks unmolested. Waterworks are out of business, esti mated dead 1,100." SEVEN HUNDRED BODIES HAVE BEEN RECDVERD Forth Worth. Texas. April 18. At 10:30 o'clock Information reached this city that so far 700 bodies had been recovered from the ruins of the collapsed buildings in San Francisco and the property loss will reach $30,000,000. From all Information obtainable the cities of San Francisco and Sacra mento were .the chief sufferers, al though the force of the seismic disturb ance waji felt -over a considerable area. buildings have ijollapsed and - the. dead and' injured are being reached - as fast as possible. The - greatest danger appears to be from the large number of fires raging in 'the X-ity. The fire is eating its way along Market Street. The city of Fresno reports it the most disastrous earthquake known in the history of the Pacific Coast. Thousands of buildings were wrecke'd and destroyed. The people were, asleep when the shock occurred, and rushed madly Into the street, almost crazed and naked, as the large buildings swayed and collapsed, burying the occupants. At last accounts the fire on the south side of Market Street was eating .Its way within .three blocks of the Palace Hotel. Shock Is Recorded. Cleveland, April 18. At 8:34 o'clock this morning the instrument of the Rev. Father Odenbach, at St. Ignatius' College, recorded , a slight earthquake shock. Seven Sections on Fire. New York April 18. Logan &amp; Bryan received the following message from Chicago: i "There are seven fires In different parts of the. city of San Francisco, the largest being on Market Street, and not a drop of water. The buildings which were partially or' wholly Hestroyed by shock were old, antiquated affairs. New buildings are all ; right. Cannot give you estimate of loss of life." Acres of Buildings Burning. Sacramento. April 18. Private railroad advices from Oakland say half of San Francisco's City Hall is down. Nearly all three or more story buildings are down or badly damaged. Acres of frame buildings south of Market Street are burning. jr Loss . of life is heavy. Business Section Boomed. San Francisco, April 18. The business section of ' the city is doomed and the residence sections are Imperiled. Water and gas mains have burst. There is no water to fight the fast-spreading fires. Escaping gas has caused explosions. Broken electric light wires are a source of great danger. At the first earthquake the city was just waking for the day. There was a teirlfylng rumble. . Then the city trembled. Big buildings rocked like ships in a pitching sea. . Then they crumbled and crashed into- ruin. Scores of nersons -were caueht in the. debris. Residents, in a state of panic, rusnea into the streets. Question's flew from lip to lip. Succeeding shocks added to the terror of the people, i People stag a-ered when they tried to ? walk. The earth continued to tremble. Fire alarms came fast from various parts of the city. t The firemen, brave, though in peril,-1 rushed their apparatus where it seemed most needed. They could"-do no work. Everywhere mains had burst and streams of water were uselessly spouting into the streets. A high wind rose, v The flames were carried frrom building to building. The fire fighters resorted to dynamite to check the progress of the flames. Explosion followed explosion as buildings were blown up. This proved little hindrance to the flames. Fires broke out here and there, faster than the dynamite could be used. The people slowly gathered their wits, though many fled, terror-stricken. The catastrophe made heroes in a moment The crowds gathered close as possible to the most dangerous points, and began to carry the dead and injured from the ruins. . - o Shown in Albany. Albany. April 18. The , seismograph at the State Museum here. -the only instrument of the kind in thla part of the country, showed the effect of the earth quake waves In a marked manner. The needle was violently agitated ror an hour this morning, beginning at 8:26. The waves traveled generally from west to east. - . - . . : . , , Berkeley and Oakland. New York. April 18. The Western TJnion advices from ;San - Francisco, re-calved ' here at 1:30 o'clock, state that the damage to Berkeley, Oakland and other places In the vicinity of ban I Francisco, la sever The Western Union Telegraph Company has no open wire running into San Francisco this afternoon. The nearest wire in use runs as far as Oakland Point, a few miles from the scene of the earthquake. Telegrams1 filed In the Buffalo offices of the company for Frisco are all subject to Indefinite delay. Word was received here that the underground wires of the company In San Francisco are wrecked. FIFTY BLOCKS DEVASTATED BY EARTHQUAKE AND FIRE New York, April 18. The Postal Telegraph Company is advised that the area covered by the earthquake is about fifty blocks, in which the buildings have been almost totally destroyed. The greatest damage was done east and south of Market Street, to the bay. This area includes Sansom Street, Mission Street, Battery Street, Front Street, Davis Street and Drummon Street, and from Montgomery Street to the bay. The buildings 'or the following streets have been destroyed: First, Tremont, Beal, Main Spear, Stuart and East South streets. This section is devoted largely to manufacturing enterprises. The principal banking institutions are located in a quarter of the city which has not been seriously affected. According io advices received,' the loss of life is not yet known, although it is believed it will be quite large. Fire arX - in. th- ruinid - section and 'is spreading. - The .water " mains supplying that district have been destroyed, and buildings in the adjoining sections are -now being dynamited to prevent' the spread of flames. . The Western Union Telegraph Company is in receipt of the following message from Sacramento: "We had a heavy earthquake at 5:15 o'clock. All the clocks stopped at that hour. There are three miles of railroad bed sunk out of sight between Suisnan and Benetia, and all telegraph wires vere taken with It. "At Pleasantdn several railroad cars were turned over on the main line, blocking the tracks. At Tracy all of tlv chimneys were torn down." - Another Western Union dispatch from Sacramento reads: ' "Sacramento had Rlnole. The operator there says a big fire Is raging in Berkeley, a suburb ofOakland. He thinks the town is on fire. The railroad is going to send out the 8:20 o'clock train by way of Vallejo, but they 7do not know how. far they will get. Am afraid it is serious . in San Francisco." Washington Felt It.v Washington. April 18. For nearlv four hours this forenoon Washington felt the tremble of -an earthquake, the most severe that has been recorded here In years, if ever before on the delicate instruments of the Weather Bureau. While registered' as severe on the seismograph, the rocking was not perceptible to persons on the streets or in buildings. When the first reports of the earth quake in San Francisco were received 1 in Washina-ton by the Pnblihers Press the officials of the Weather Bureau at once began an inspection of the seismograph. Dr. Martin, in charge of the instrument division said it showed the quaking of the earth since before 8 o'clock. Shortly after that hour, the shock was so severe that the needle was- thrown entirely off the sheet on which the record is made. The unnsual tremblings continued for half an hour,' and gradually became less and less. By 11 o clock - the deviations of the needle were becoming rare. Owing to the fact that the seismograph had just been relocated, the vibrations of the earth In a north and south direction were not recorded, the record showing onlv thit in an east and wst di"vtirn. The duration of the quaking led Dr. Martin to conclude that the origin of the earthquake was several thousands of- miles away, and. although he was unable to examine- the record while It was being recorded, was inclined to believe the .origin was far beyond San Francisco. . . The record, which was then being made, resembled very much the earthquake that occurred in January, 1906, felt here, but orginating In South America. He is inclined to believe the present shocks have no connection with the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Earthquakes, he said, are likely ; to attend the volcanic eruption in the imediate vicinity of the. volcano, but not. at such distances a&amp; this. - SOME OF THE FINEST BUILDINGS IN THE WORLD San Francisco, April 18. Through a break in the Coast Range, tbe Sacramento River flows through to the great bay inside the Golden Gate. San Fran cisco lies at the river's mouth. The city was reclaimed from a desert of hills and wet sand. Big hotels stand today where . fishing was good in the 50s.- - v - :-:., Most of the houses in the resident district are wood, and insurance men look, askance when asked to guarantee the residents , agamt loss. But bus! ness men rely on a good fire department and built some of the finest office buildings in - the world. As a whole, the cltv is not especially well built. . A -large proportion of, the inhabitants are foreigners. There are 20.000 Chinamen here-alone. San Francisco's $8,000,000 City Hall, one hotel -with 1.400 rooms, theaters open throughout ; the year, a public library of 120,000 volumes, a public bath, accommodating 2,009, and a popu JUUou of S0.0u0. . . - . tli if t ' I Hi tni 1 1 iini"-' T T " ' ' - :.vl - i.v - z t t ill i " " Mi i " SAN FRANCISCO'S CITY HATX. This Beautiful Building Is One of the Notable Architectural Features of the City. It Is located at the Corner of Market Street and City Hall Avenue, and Was Erected at a Cost of $6,000,000. - EARLY EflRT ' ' SN FRANCISCO; April'' i 8: An - earthquake . this fmornihg wrecked the Hobart Building:, in which are located the offices of the Postal .Telegraph Company and the Northern Pacific Railway Company : . ' . I The earthquake was a disastrous one. Many persons are reported killed and houses wrecked and fired. There is no water. j At 5:50 o'clock 'frequent shocks were felt after the first severe quake. At that time the Postal employes hadto flee from the building, and great loss of life is feared. , - -Waterworks Destroyed by Shocks, and San Francisco Is Burning. SAN FRANCISCO, April 18. The earthquake wrecked the waterworks. Fire soon. spread in all directions, as the Fire Department was unable to handle it. There is no direct communication, both telegraph companies having been driven out of their buildings. In the Very Heart of the City. That portion of San Francisco In which the Postal Telegraph Building is located. Is the principal business section of the city. The great Call Building, a skyscraper. Is a stone's throw away and so Is the high Chronicle Building. The district is the line between the wholesale and business section and Includes practically all the largest blocks of the city. The huge ferry railroad bridge is less than half a mile away. The beau tiful DUblic fountain on Market' Street, Is a close neighbor of the Postal building. Two or three blocks away Is Union Square, in wnicn is iocau w. Dewey monument, commemorating the Battle of Manila. The limits of Chinatown are only half a mile away. Big 'Frisco buildings and streets are practically aesertea 01 peopie as early as 6 o'clock in the morning. Business does not begin until 9 o'clock, and It Is after 8 o'clock before the streets 'become at all busy looking. The mint and new postoftlce and the mag niflcent elty hall are nearly a dozen blocks distant from the Postal building. Disturbances Noted In Cincinnati. CINCINNATI. April " 18. The "Weather . Bureau here reports that an earthquake occurred this morning between San Francisco and Sacramento. CaL Wires are down and no particulars are known. Slight Shock Felt in Washington. WASHINGTON, April 18. The Weather Bureau officials announce that an earthquake of miniature proportions occurred. In Washington this morning. The needle In the seismograph, about 8:30 o'clock, waa thrown violently from side to. side. The shock, however, was not perceptible to those in the building or on the "streets. - Carrying the Dead Away in Scores. . . j 11 10 tv, postal nffir was damasred. but not serl- ously NonTof the occupants was killed, but many were Injured and k lied In tne city, me water mauia uuim - - - Firemen are now blowing up buildings. . , . At " o'clock the work of rescue was under way. but in an unorganized manner, owing to the panic Dead were being carried, from tho buildings in SO The history of California proves it to be a land of earthquakes. The first recoTdedXtuTbance occurred In 1790. Of all the cities on the Pacific San Francisco seems especially iU-f ated. . Fifty-one earthquakes visited the city from 1851 to 1865. . Fire Is Spreading Rapidly. nmnmn -ii is Tnfnrmiilon has been received that the fire at San Francisco is reaching beyond the big FIRE CHIEF AND A I ... , ' . POLICEMAN KILLED - San Francisco, April 18. A cond shock followed, the one of early .this morning, about three hours later. It toppled over many buUcings. Fire Chief SuUivan and Policeman Frentner TICKSOX In this city. April 13, 190S. William, beloved husband of Susan Dick-eon, and father of William, Jme and Hcnrv DlcRaon. and brotoer of Patrol-"rl?er Percys. Dickson. Station No. 7.; and iillton. Eva, Nellie and Jennie Dickson Funeral will .be held from tbe family residence. No. Jefferson Street, Saturday mornlnj? at-8: o'clock, and from St. Vincent's Churcn t o clock. Frittnda are invited U attend. If ! H! :!fW-r; y "x n va .. . -jr. , .v.-x-y.'O.v.v. .l'i'l - - vw.::'.;.:.A m.;:.: :.: given to the city by the actress. Lotta. Pacific Hotel. were killed beneath the ruins. Thieves are already ransacking the ruins and soldiers are being . rushed from the Presidio. Berkeley Is reported to be destroyed. It is the swell suburb and residence section across the bay. Millionaires by the score have their home there. San Francisco Is a ball of fire. The Lxamlner and Call buildings will probably be afire within a few minutes. The Examiner presses are. covered by a mass of debris. Building: Slows Up. Portland. Ore.. April 18. The Pacific States .Telephone &amp; Telegraph Company report that Its main exchange at No. 216 Bush Street. San Francisco, is in flame. ; It adjoins the Mills Building.. An explosion blew off the top of the telephone building.- It Is doomed, as there is no water supply on account Gf the cracked mains. Many lives are Sacramento. CaL. April 18. The strongest quake in fifteen years occurred here at 5:15 o'clock this morn-Intf. The vibrations were northeast and southwest, lasting three minute. They awoke the entire city and caused a panic in the hotels. Nobody was in jured here. Several large cracks were made in tne Federal Building. The. plaster In finished buildings fell. Telegraphic communication with outside points was broken for three hours. No direct news han come from San Francisco. Great anxiety is felt-about interior points. 3:. OOO SAN FRANCISCO, APRIL. 18. IT IS ESTIMATED NOW THAT S.OOO PER SONS "are DEAD. ' Reports; in Ashfork, 'Ariz. Ashfork. Arlx.. April -18. Reports of the earthquake shock at San Francisco received here-say the" first Tumble was beard at 5:10 o'clock. Buildings toppled and fell In every direction. The police patrol -Is. carting-the dead -from the buildings. . . . - Fire broke out In the wholesale house Wstrict, the- water front and" other localities, with no water to fight it. The city Is menaced .by as -terrible a foe as the convulsions of a few minutes were alarming. . . X ft n n P nun nun n op n o 4-a x. NEW ST. FSANCIS HOTEL. : In the Park Before the Hotel Stood the Monument Commemorating Dett ey's Victory at Manila Bay Several Buffalo People Axs Reported. Stopping There. At the Postal Telegraph office the building is partially wrecked and most of the postal and cable employes fled for their lives. At 7:30 o'clock not a single wire with Ashfork and Los Angeies was restored, shock was felt as far south as Santa Barbara, but not felt at I-os Angeles. The Postal Telegraph electrician is now endeavoring partially to restore communication. All power lines In the city are wrecked. The Pacific cable was not damaged, but the loss of power seriously crippled communication, and it Is unsafe as yet to remain In tbe offices. There has been a slight shock every few minutes since the heavy one. A terrible panic exists in the city. Everyone Itushed to the streets. Many hundreds are reported killed south of Market Street, where several disastrous fires are raging. No damage of a serious nature or loss of life In the residence district Is reported. ' War Department Kews. Washington. April 18. The War Department was In communication with San Francisco for about two minutes this morning shortly after the earthquake.. The San Francisco operator stated the disaster was great, . that It was reported that more than 1.000 had been killed, that the dead and injured were then - being taken out of tbe danger zone, that the water supply had been cut off." and that mere were fears of a general conflagration. Fires had . News . from the Postal. " Cleveland. April 18. Tbe following telegram was received at the local office of tbe Postal Telegraph Company at 8:39 o'clock today, from San Francisco: "Office deserted. Power off.. Earthquake shocks still felt. No news available." " The time when the telegram was sent was not on tbe telegram, and wire service into San Francisco could not be had. " New York. April 18. A Western Union report from Fresno, CaL. at 10.03 o'clock says tbe shock was the most severe ever known. That was about all that could be learned. Fresno had at that time only succeeded in reestablishing communication with Sacramento, and Sacramento, apparently, could get no farther, than San Pablo, (Continued on Page Nina) PEESOHAJL; - A. E Hedstrora of the"lIedtrom Coal Companr returned this morning from a ix months European - trip. He appears benefited by the rest and recitation. SUSPENDED BY SECRETARY OF THE TREAS' URY, AFTER A CONSULTATION WITH THE PRESIDENT. TEMPORARILY STOPS HIS FUNCTIONS: -AS ; COLLECTOR OF THE PORT G R E I N E I MORE" LUCKY- W ASHINGTOST, APRIIi 1 SEOV RE3TARV OF THE TBEAICRV1 SHAW. AFTER - A -CONFER- EXCE WITH THE PRESIDENT THIS, AFTERNOON. - CONCERNING THH GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS UNDER CHARGES AT BUFFALO, ANNOUNCED THAT HE WOULD ' SUSPEND FRED O. MURRAY, COLLECTOR OF? CUSTOMS. ' , . Authoritative word to the effect tha$ Murray had been suspended , reached Buffalo this afternoon. Mr. Murraj has not been officially notified of th matter and when seen at his office" said that he knew nothing of It. - '"I have received no notification t that effect." said be. "and cannot stats what has been done. Deeming It th tetter course to pursue, I applied foS suspension several days ago. I do no : u y 5 ft nun n s a u n f r s fl know what the usual proceeding Its such a case Is, but I presume that Deputy Collector Bradish .will be lr charge." It is understood that Mr. Murray's suspension will not entail the loss o( salary unless It is made permanent, i A few hours previous to the receipf of the news of, Mr. Murray's suspension his attorney Issued a statement lit which he said that he thought suspend slon improbable and that the Govern- merit would - follow - the same course pursued in the. case, of Postmaster Orclner. "Mr. Murray Is an Innocent man. said he. "and all he asks is sun Immediate chance to prove himself ao. It we can get a court that can be proved in' three days and I do not think the Government will .subject a. man to suspension under such circumstances.' MAYOR ADAM T0- '8 Mayor Adam this afternoon sent the following message to San Francisco; "To the Mayor. "San Francisco, "California: . "The people of Buffalo extend sincere sympathy to the people of Sar Francisco. Ia our city can be of anjf service to your city, command us. "J. N. ADAM, "Mayor, DEDICATION OF TEMPZJ2. i District ' Deputy Grand Master WIIW lam H. Ellis and associate staff wlS dedicate Unity Temple at Black Roc to Masonry tomorrow night. The ceremony will be. conducted according to the ritual of the order and will be ver impressive. - After the dedication there - will be a banquet, given by Occidental Lodge, in honor -of the district deputy and other grand lodge officers. TOO LATE TO CXASSLTT. T Ofc'T-OI'EN FACH LADT'8 GOLJ lJ filled watch. In vicinity of Elk Street Market. Reward. 144 Fulton Street. V7 ANTED EXPERIENCED LLNEN- ti room girl, iafayette Hotel. VOL' CAN G ET y R fc" Hfa 11 'E FJ K '. J at Trautweln's. ' Kiver Street, r1 Erie Street. Buats arrive daily, arlUt HW FRISCO EIAYOR

The Buffalo Enquirer

San Francisco struck by destructive earthquake and resulting fires, April 18, 1906

San Francisco struck by destructive earthquake and resulting fires, April 18, 1906

The Buffalo Enquirer