1906 Earthquake

Headquarters, so there was nothing to do but send some sort of cheering word and get ready to hike in the early morning. Four of us went down -- and it was a trip like a nightmare -- always going but never getting anywhere. The train was crowded with anxious people, and at Stockton the excitement was near hysteria, and the reports by papers the most discouraging. "Impossible to get into the city except by permit from Funston" -- "Fire north of Market west to Buchanan and still burning" -- "San Jose a ruin" -- "Stanford University wrecked" -- and the train was slow, late and the day very hot.

I decided to try to get in by way of San Jose for the country was wide and no water to cross, and it would take more patrol than they could spare to keep the front closed by night. The rest went via Oakland-- The train arrived at San Jose in the end, about 4:30! and queer tilts on wooden houses, and the absence of visible chimneys told part of