Identifier: historyofearthqu00aitk (find matches)
Title: A history of the earthquake and fire in San Francisco; an account of the disaster of April 18, 1906 and its immediate results
Year: 1906 (1900s)
Authors: Aitken, Frank W Hilton, Edward
Subjects: Earthquakes -- California San Francisco
Publisher: San Francisco, The E. Hilton Co.
Contributing Library: New York Public Library
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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om the ruins of the dining room. Nelsonwas nowhere to be seen; the roaring pillar of f^amethat had been the kitchen made a search for himimpossible. For many days Johnson sought his oldfriend and partner, but in vain. At last he took uphis search at the old place. Bricks from the wallsof neighboring buildings lay in great piles wherethe little restaurant had been. For days he workedamong the hot debris; at the bottom, pinned underthe overturned stove at which he had been cooking,lay the charred body of him he sought. Through the south of Market district theremust have been many such cases. Scores, pinnedin the wreckage, were burned to death in the fireswhich followed the caving in of hotels and lodginghouses. Many there were who were nearly savedand in the end had to be left to their cruel fate,despite all that they and their heroic, stout-heartedrescuers could do. One man who was taken outof such a wreck at the last minute tells of twoOthers who were near him, and who, like him, were
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14«i THE WORK OF THE FIRE unable to free themselves. Even as the fire ap-proached they cheered each other. Im not at allhurt, said one, but theres a big beam across myback and I cant get out. I guess theyll have ussoon, though. I could get out all right myself,said the other, only that my wrist is held tight inthe timbers. And there they had to be left whilethe merciless fire burned those around, and, finally,themselves. In some places which the fire did not reach untillong afterward there were equally harrowing oc-currences. High brick walls crashed through ad-joining lodging houses, carrying the various floorsof the latter down in mingled wreckage beneath.Thus many were killed outright, or so badly injuredthat they died soon after. Here, too, were grimtragedies; for in adjoining rooms, perhaps, childrencried in vain for parents lost to them forever, ormothers were crazed by the sudden grief that hadcome upon them. In many cases people were killed by fallingchimneys as they started

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