Willett Smith to mother, 1906-04-22

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SC0206_b05_1906-04-22

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Ruins of San Francisco

Don't know what date it is Sunday.

Dear Mother & Sisters

Now that I have little time I will write you few lines to let you know I am not hurt as yet but I had an awful narrow escape. I arrived in town the night before this terrible thing happened. I dropped a postal at the depot in Sacto telling you I was leaving town

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[flying?] transomes & plaster we rushed down stairs and across to the docks & we was dodging live wires & bricks & everything there. We were in our under clothes the house went in a heap. We got a pair a pants & a jumper out of a broken clothing store window & we finally got a pair of shoes apiece & when we came to our senses from the fright the whole town was blazing

Last edit 10 months ago by MatyasNiedermeier
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I don't remember who I addressed it to. I wrote it in hurry in pencil. I came down on train. I got here at six o'clock with my friend & we went around town & took in the sights & my friend and I looked for a rooming house for the night & we was going up to one of the big places but I don't know what told me it seems it was nature not to go & I didn't so I

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went down on the water front & got a room at a place I knew. We went to bed about 11 o'clock & I must have been sleeping on the edge of the bed because I was thrown on the floor by the shock. I & my friend tried to get out of the room & the door was jammed. We bursted it to splinters the stairs & halls was full of

Last edit over 6 years ago by SiobhanLeachman
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full to eat they have pressed all the horses & wagons into service & the horses have died by the hundred . They have been drove to death & the automobiles are out of gasoline & it is terrible.

I have a little money but I could not buy a loaf of bread if I had a million dollars. There isn't a baker shop in Frisco that has an oven left they all got caved

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in twenty different places the engines could not get a drop of water because the quake broke all the water mains & we did not know what to do. We came back to our house & managed to get in the bar room & we got one of our valises it is mine thank God & we have got an extra pair of pants and 3 shirts that is all we have in the world the fire burned so

Last edit over 6 years ago by MCortesi
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has set in & the dead wagons are over crowded the army and soldiers are all here the have brought troop & supplies clear from Chicago & doctors & nurses from all over Calif, Oregon, Texas, New Orleans & every where & food & clothes are being rushed here as fast as possible & we are beginning to fare a little better now. We was two days with out a mouth

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fierce it drove us up town & we had to run it seems the fire just roard & we kept going. We got up in the residence section & we came out here & have been here since.

Thousands of families have not get a blanket to put over them. The suffering is terrible with the women & children. I guess a thousand or more was killed by falling houses & pneumonia

Last edit over 6 years ago by MCortesi
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up so long I have stood it awful good but I dont know what I have been doing half of the time. I was nearly played out I have not had my shoes off since Wednesday morn till just now.

Dont worry about me. I am all right I have fared better than a good many I have

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I am helping the people all I can. I have only had three hours sleep since 15 minutes past five Wednesday morning & am going to sleep now as soon as I get this letter finished. The only thing that has been plentifull was whiskey & liquor the soldiers took it out of all the salloons & took charge of it & that is all that has kept me

Last edit over 6 years ago by MCortesi
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