Within a week from the beginning of the disaster the refuge camps were converted into comfortable places of residence, with adequate sanitation, and the homeless at least had temporary homes. All this was accomplished with a minimum of suffering and illness that speaks volumes for the courage, energy and common sense of the American people. [Illustration: =THE BEAUTIFUL VENDOME HOTEL, SAN JOSE.= This famous hotel was partly wrecked by the earthquake.] [Illustration: =POSTOFFICE, SAN JOSE.= This building faces a beautiful public square and was badly damaged.] CHAPTER XIV. RUINS AND HAVOC IN COAST CITIES. =San Jose, the Prettiest Place in the State, Wrecked by Quake--State Insane Asylum Collapsed and Buried Many Patients Beneath the Crumbled Walls--Enormous Damage at Santa Rosa.= Outside of San Francisco the earthquake did immense damage for fifty miles north and south of the Golden Gate City. San Jose, the prettiest city in California, sustained the severest shock, which killed a score of people and left the business section a pile of ruins. The loss in this one city alone amounted to $5,000,000. The State Insane Asylum at Agnews near San Jose collapsed and buried upwards of 100 patients beneath its walls. Among the buildings wrecked in San Jose are St. Patrick's church, the First Presbyterian church, the Centella Methodist Episcopal church, the Central Christian and South Methodist churches. Every building on the west side of First street from St. James park to San Fernando street either went down, toppling or was badly cracked. The Auzerias building, Elks club, Unique theater and many other buildings on Santa Clara street went down to the ground. On Second street the six-story Dougherty building and several adjoining blocks were destroyed by fire. A new high school in Normal Park was a complete wreck. The Nevada & Porter building on Second street, the Rucker building on Third and Santa Clara streets were also ruined. The annex to the Vendome Hotel was completely wrecked, and one man was killed therein. Sheriff William White, of Los Angeles, who was in San Jose at the time attending a convention, thus describes the scenes following the quake: "San Jose, which was the prettiest city in California, is the worst-looking wreck I ever saw. When I left there nineteen dead bodies had been recovered and there was a possibility that others would be found. I reached Agnews Asylum a few hours later in an automobile and was one of the first on the spot. There I helped to carry out sixty corpses. At noon, when I arrived at San Jose, it was believed that fully 100 bodies were still in the ruins.