Stanford Student Letters and Memoirs

[modern notation: Earthquake ltr. from Bacon, p.3]

not a business house standing down town, You can't imagine how clean the sweep is. Can't tell the streets. We walked down to California and [Sansome?], the middle of the street has been cleared so one can walk through. I have such a strange feeling, and guess every one else has. Cant describe it, feel like I was in a strange world. To think that this city has been destroyed. The first three or four nights we had such bright light from the fire, But after that such darkness. And that awful stillness. Oh it was terrible.

[modern notation: Earthquake ltr. from Bacon, p.]

But I tell you we are thankful for that, We haven't lost any property by fire. But the damage from the earthquake will amount to two or three thousand I am afraid, at the rate they are charging. Had eight window glass put in, thirty three dollars. Everything is cash. No credit any place. Our interests down town are all gone But our losses are nothing compared to so many - The Maguires have lost everything but their home, not one dollar coming in. They had so much down town property. Such suffering, so many have been killed. We had a sick friend, they were moving her to Oakland on a hand cart, she died on the boat. I saw a man carry a dead body on his back past here. In Cora's little street here we have the hearse and two dead wagons standing all the time. Undertakers have taken a house around on California St. The Parks are still crowded with tents, and such a hard rain as we have just had, I cant sleep for thinking of all those poor people. Cora sends lots of love to you. And says she will answer your good kind letter just as soon as she is able. It has been very hard on her. She is about used up today -

[modern notation: Earthquake ltr. from Bacon, p. 6]

Guess she wrote you that the Rothkopfs were burned out and [were?] with her. They have gone over on their ark to live. All they have left, [Coobin? Corbin?] and his wife were burned out they were with me for about two weeks.

It is late so must close. With much love to all

Yours Kate

2695 Sacramento [St?]

[modern notation: Earthquake letter 18 Apr '06, p.1]

[preprinted: STANFORD UNIVERSITY, CALIFORNIA]

Wed. A. M.

Dearest Folks

Strange to say I'm still alive! I can't tell the beginning for I don't know anything about it - except this - I have a faint recollection of sitting up in bed (I guess it was light) Somehow I got my kimono (knocked all over the room to get it) & next found myself in Eva's room. I don't know how I got there or what I thot. I never heard such a noise in all my life & things were just flying all over my room

[modern notation: Earthquake letter, 18 Apr. '06, p. 1b]

I seemed to be perfectly crazed - all the other girls have some thots but I don't think I thot a single thing.

(We are sitting out on the lawn now waiting for another shock - expect it about 11 got news from Mt. Hamilton) Good-bye if the earth swallows us up. We're hoping for the best & are really quite cheerful.

I can't tell you how perfectly miraculous it is that we're all alive. Not a soul in our house was even scratched but Mrs. Spencer

[Earthquake Letter Apr. 18, '06, p. 2]

2

[preprinted] STANFORD UNIVERSITY, CALIFORNIA [/preprinted] was thrown from bed & sprained her ankle. It was about 5 o'clock that it happened. We chased out on the porch in our kimonas barefoot some in their night gowns & blankets etc. You never saw such an array & variety of clothes. After the shock subsided we went in & put on clothes enough to go to the Quad. We could see that the church steeple wasn't to be seen etc. Every chimney on the campus is down.

[modern notation: Earthquake letter 18 Apr. '06, p. 2b]

even the great big one, Pink in the engineering buildings. It feell thru them killed the engineer - those buildings are wrecks. The church is a mass of ruins, can see clear thru it. I simply can't describe its ruin. The memerial arch is down - cruched the arches around. The arcades in lots of places are destroyed. Every chimney (75 or more) on the Chemistry building are gone. Parts of the Museum are knocked in. The new Gym & library are utterly demolished. Nothing but the frame

[modern notation: Earthquake letter, 18 Apr. '06, p. 3]

[preprinted: STANFORD UNIVERSITY, CALIFORNIA]

of the dome standing. The buildings haven't been accepted yet so guess the contactors will have to stand the loss. The big gates are just a pile of stone.

The chimneys fell thru Roble & took the floors with them. Three girls feel thru the floor but no one was hurt over there. Joy, I'm glad I don't live there.

Encina had the same misfortune, the air shafts fell thru taking all the rooms thru to the basement, with their occupants. The boys were working

[modern notation: Earthquake letter, 18 Apr. '06, p. 3b]

hard digging the poor fellows out. One was dead & the others badly hurt. Guess the hospital was full. I'll bet there was lots of heroic work done around by all the boys & everybody.

The Chi Psi House is the worst of the residences. It is shoved over to [1?] side & all collapsed like a card play house.

Some of the other houses had their sides knocked out & all their chimneys off. Inside I guess every house is a wreck. There is hardly a ft. of plaster on our house down stairs. Furniture was all upset

[modern notation: Earthquake letter, 18 Apr. '06, p. 4]

[preprinted: STANFORD UNIVERSITY, CALIFORNIA]

& everything breakable broken - my plants were all over the floor, pictures down etc.

The earthquake could not have been at a better time - light yet all in bed - just before the fires were started for breakfast. because the stoves & chimneys are all to pieces We finally had some coffee & bread for breakfast - cook things on a campfire in the back yard.

Just think if folks had been in the Quad 100s would have been killed.