Complete Story of the San Francisco HorrorWhite, Trumbull
History
Complete Story of the San Francisco Horror
White, Trumbull
Disasters; Earthquakes; San Francisco Earthquake and Fire, Calif., 1906; Vesuvius (Italy) -- Eruption, 1906; Volcanoes
The Pritchards were hurrying to San Francisco with the expectation of
finding their three children dead in the ruins of their home.
Landing in New York April 24, the Pritchards learned that their home
had been destroyed before any of the occupants had had an opportunity
to get out.
Mr. Pritchard said that his information was that the governess was
dying in a hospital, and from what he has heard, he had no hope of
seeing his children alive.
At Philadelphia a physician told Mr. Pritchard that his wife was
bordering on insanity. At the station Mrs. Pritchard shrieked and
moaned until she was put into the car, where a physician passenger
volunteered to care for the case.
On the afternoon of the fire the police broke open every saloon and
corner grocery in the saved district and poured all malt and
spirituous liquors into the gutters.
San Francisco was famous for the excellence of its restaurants. Many
of these were known wherever the traveler discussed good living. Among
them were the "Pup" and Marschand's in Stockton street; the "Poodle
Dog," one of the most ornate distinctive restaurant buildings in the
United States; Zinkand's and the Fiesta, in Market street; the famous
Palace grill in the Palace hotel; and scores of bohemian resorts in
the old part of San Francisco. They are no more.
Down near the railroad tracks at what used to be Townsend street, food
was mined from the ruins as a result of a fortuitous discovery made by
Ben Campbell, a negro. While in search of possible treasure he located
the ruins of a grocery warehouse, which turned out to be a veritable
oven of plenty. People gathered to this place and picked up oysters,
canned asparagus, beans, and fruit all done to a turn and ready for
serving.
For a time there was marked indignation in San Francisco caused by the
report that the San Franciscans, in their deep-grounded prejudice, had
discriminated against the Chinamen in the relief work. This report was
groundless. The six Chinese companies, or Tongs, representing
enormous wealth, had done such good work that but little had been
necessary from the general relief committee, and, besides, the Chinese
needed less. No Chinaman was treated as other than a citizen entitled
to all rights, which cannot be said under normal conditions on the
Pacific coast. Gee Sing, a Chinese member of the Salvation Army, had
been particularly efficient in caring for his countrymen.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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