THE SAN FRANCISCO DISASTER.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXVIX, Issue 8144, 19 May 1906, Page 5

THE SAN FRANCISCO DISASTER.

« ■ ■ A NEW ZEALANDER'S EXPERIENCE. GRAPHIC DETAILS. SCENE IN THE CITY. APPALLING DAMAGE. AUCKLAND, May 18. Mr W. 11. Atack, Manager of the New Zealand Press Association, who was in Santa Cruz at the time of the earthquake contributes au interesting account of the disaster. At Santa Cruz, the shook was severe, but only one building was thrown down, but, at San Jose, through which he had to pass, in a desperate attempt to reach San Francisco by road, the railways being.interrtfbted, suffered badly, buildings being down in every 3ireotion. Sixty miles' away/passing over the mountains the detonations of the dynamite used in the attempt to oheck the fire could be plainly heard. Mr Atack reached Oakland on the afternoon after the commencement of the disaster. The story from this point is best told in Mr Atauk's own words:— "The great ferry building opposite is still standing, its lofty tower denuded of some of its walls, but not visibly much hurt by the earthquake. It was untouohed by the Are. To the left of the building, on the south side, the ground is mainly flat, and most of it is oocupied by the bumble section of the population. On the right it swells into low but often very steep hills, which were covered with fine residences; while on both sides of Market Street and in the immediately adjoining streets, especially to the north, had been erected large and handsome buildings, each representing a cost of millions of dollars. It was hoped on Wednesday, even when the fire had gatheied the strength and assumed the proportions of a conflagration that it would not cross this grand avenue. Doubtless it could have been stopped had' there been water enough, but the stunes rolling from the hillside orushed the principal main, where it enters the city, and there were coo many fires to cope with at cnoe without an abundanoe of water. Though it was reported that the Are was under control and praotioully extinguished it was still, for 60 hours after the earthquake, ragihg fiercely In one corner, and was not aotually checked till three o'clock in the morning. Mare than once the contest was almost given up, hut human endurance proved stronger than the fire, and it was stopped some distance i from the ferry buildings, but not before a portion of the wharves had been destroyed. So great was the heat that from this direction you could not get within a 1 mile of the scene.

AJI attempts at looting were sternly repressed, and the mob lynched three pluuderers before the military came up, Bud quite a number were shot afterwards. There oan be >ittle doubt but some meu lost< their heads, and used bullet and bayonet <most inhumanely. It is 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 some way with him. The dynamiting did not prove an efficient oheck, though hundreds of tons were exploded, yet, except towards the. end, without the slightest effeot. The fire immediately swept over the aap, or, worse still, fresh fires were started by it. The last grim stand was made at Van Ness Avenue. .Running at an angle from it, in a northerly direction, were costly abodes, great tenement houses, hotels, churches, etc. If that section were orossed, the small remaining portion of the city must go. The fire was sweeping on, and it .was certain that, despite the width of the thoroughfare, it would do little good as a barrier. Sixteen blocks were dynamited, and the Are was eventually checked.

ROADS TORN AND TWISTED. ARRIVAL OP SOLDIERS SAVES THE TOWN PROM PILLAGE AND RiOT. THIEVES TRY TO ROB THE MINT. EIGHT SHOT DEAD. AUCKLAND, May 1,8. Mr W. McGutoheon, stage manager of the Wm. Collier Company, has an interesting story to tell. "We arrived in ' San ■ Francisco, on Monday night," he said, ''and most of us put up at the St. Francis and Palace Hotels. I got upon the seventh floor of the St. Pranois Hotel. The earthquake threw me out of bed. The room shook like a rat in the jaws of a terrier." "As soon as I had dressed, I went down stairs. That hotel was in a terrible state. The plaster lay in heaps all over the floor, and chandeliers were piled on top. The furniture was thrown everywhere,, and the place looked a regular wreck, but as a matter of faot there was no structural damage beyond the fallen piaster. When I reached Union Square it was crowded with people. The people were frightened to death, but there was absolutely no panic. "After the ( shook we ( \vent to the Parka. In the morning we bought a few baked beans, and a little bread, and that was our breakfast. A wagon came round and supplied us with water. "The town was plunged in darkness by the breakage of the gas mains. "Buildings were down everywhere, houses thrown into the middle of the street, roads torn and twisted, and opened into great crevices. People were rushing about, but there was no crying or wailing.

TELEGRAMS.

By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright

"By daylight the soldiers from Presidio had Arrived in town. Their prompt nrrival alone saved the town from pillaae, and riot. They wero stationed at the banks and other financial institutions with orders to shoot pillagers, and they carried out their instructions. There was uo arresting; any thief caught in the act was incontinently shot, an.l this quickly overawed any of the roughs beuc on theft. "A aang of 40 or 50 thieves tried to sack the mirt, then- uninjured. They were met by a,volley from the soldiers, and eight were shot dead. The rest quickly sought shelter, and didn't renew their depredations. Altogether about 14 were shot. "Anybody seen attempting to get into a building to steal was shot at sight, and in a very short space of time complete order prevailed. "The fire commenced in a building in Union Square, and the rapidity with which it spread was simply amazing. Next morning the scene in the Are area was appalling. "There was no water supply, owing to the twisting and bursting of the mains, and the brigade dynamited the buildings to stay the progress of the blaze."