San Francisco During the Eventful Days of April, 1906 | Page 3

me in years past. These I gathered up, and with my deeds and
insurance and other papers soon had my arms full. I saw a fish-basket
on my closet; I got it down and put all these little things in it, then
opened the little iron box in the corner of the safe, and there dropped
out some coins on the floor. I remembered that I had put four
twenty-dollar pieces in there the day before. I felt on the floor and
picked up two of them, and as I did not find any more I concluded that
they must have remained in the safe; so I took the fish-basket and my
books and papers in my arms, closed the safe, turned on the
combination, and started down the stairs to the street. The sparks were
plentiful in the area when I went up, but they were more so as I came
down, - a perfect firestorm, after the manner of a snow-storm. When I

got back on to California Street the air was a mass of sparks and smoke
being blown down the street toward the ferry. As I had to go against it
to get to Front Street, I was afraid that my papers would take fire in my
arms; so I buttoned up my coat to protect my papers, pulled my hat
over my eyes, and dived through, up California Street and out Front
towards Pine Street, from where I started. There I found it clear of
smoke and fire. As I passed along with my arms full I saw a typewriter
cover on the street, which I picked up. Finding it empty, I stopped and
turned it over and, dropping my bundle into it, started for Front and
Market Streets. There was no fire within a block of that corner at this
time. This was about 8 A. M. - perhaps 8:30. I sat down on an empty
box in the middle of Market Street for a rest, when W. R. Whittier
came along and helped me with my load. We took it to the door of the
Union Trust Company, and they would not let me in. I went upstairs
and found Mr. Deering, who took it, and we went down and put it into
the vault between the outer and inner doors. (In twenty-two days
afterward I received it back in as good condition as when I had left it
there on the memorable 18th, of April.) I next went up to Third Street
and found the fire raging strong at the corner of Third and Mission. My
son was passing in his automobile, and I got in with him. He was going
to the Mechanics' Pavilion, where he said he could do some work for
the temporary hospital established there. When we reached the Pavilion
they said there were two hundred wounded inside. At this hour there
was no building on fire on the south line of Market Street west of
Fremont Street. We went around to the drug-stores and hardware-stores
to get hot-water bags and oil and alcohol stoves and surgeons'
appliances. We took with us Miss Sarah Fry, a Salvation Army woman,
who was energetic and enthusiastic. When we arrived at a drug-store
under the St. Nicholas she jumped out, and, finding the door locked,
seized a chair and raising it above her head smashed the glass doors in
and helped herself to hot-water bags, bandages, and everything which
would be useful in an emergency hospital. I continued with Harry for a
couple of hours. I then started down Market Street. The fire at that hour,
10:30 A. M., was raging strong south of Market Street from about Fifth
to Tenth Street. I left Market Street and went up on to Golden Gate
Avenue. At Hyde and Golden Gate Avenue I saw a large two-story
house which had been wrecked by the earthquake. The doors, windows

and all the upright-portion of the first story, were crushed and stood on
an angle of 45°. I enquired of a woman seated on a pile of rubbish, who
said "no one was killed, but what am I to do?" The City Hall was badly
wrecked, great cracks were to be seen and about two-thirds of the great
dome had fallen. On one of our trips we went out to the Park
Emergency Hospital, and at 11 o'clock I found myself in the Pacific
Union Club and was able to get a cup of coffee and a sandwich, which
was the first food I had tasted that day. I went out from the club and
saw the fire raging on Market Street between First and Second. About
this hour a policeman notified me to meet the Mayor at the Hall of
justice, who had called a meeting