Excerpt from my Great-Great Grandmother's Diary Entry: The San Francisco 1906 Earthquake

Photo of Alice Josephine Gallaher Williamson
For more links to photos of those mentioned in this diary click here



My Second Cousin mary Koger Found this and wrote it up. I was lucky enought to be on the email list.  She refers to Raymond below. He is my great grandfather Raymond E.S. Williamson who is buried at Arlington.  See link to him here.


Excerpt from the "Places I Have Visited" Diary

of Alice Josephine (Gallaher) Williamson:

The Great San Francisco Earthquake of 1906

"Terrible Earthquake in Cal. April 18/06 5.14 A. M. while we were at the Hotel Del Monte in Monterey Cal. And we escaped. 2 killed in our hotel.

We were all thrown right out of our beds at 5.14 A. M. Apr. 18^{th 1906 by the terrific Earthquake—which the whole country can never forget!!!!!}

Of course we all were simply dazed and could not stand on our own feet the house was rocking so and the bath even emptied over our floor—One of doors locked on us. We immediately ran to the other which we opened and by that time, we could stand better and I pulled sheet off our beds and threw our clothes in it, for water was pouring over us from the water main that had burst, by the time we got in hall we met crowds of people all terrified like ourselves and that was the first we heard someone say, "It’s an Earthquake—" My impression was of a Tidal Wave—for the house was rocking like a ship at sea, and we could hear the ocean roaring in the distance—The terrific crash of falling chimneys was awful! (for 19" fell at once) Our rooms were a mass of brick and we never went back in them—

All were in fear and trembling and for days we simply sat about grounds of hotel in fear for there were many small shocks after the big one—Raymond [son, R.E.S. Williamson] and I never undressed while we were there nor many others and we could not sleep. The tracks were sunk, no trains, all communication cut off. We immediately tried to send telegrams, for our poor family knew we expected to be in San Francisco at St. Francis Hotel where we had rooms for Wednesday, April 18th. Our trunks had been sent ahead of us to San Francisco and all we had for nearly 14 days was in hand baggage. Nothing can describe our feelings while we were there like so many prisoners. We could not get away—Nor could we get _________ or money. The whole place was simply helpless—So many reports—and when we heard San Francisco was Afire—It was awful!! For many of the guests at our Hotel were from San Francisco and their distress was dreadful. So many knew their homes and family were in danger. Day after day passed. It was awful. We could not get away. We cold put our hand right down in a big crack in the earth near the hotel—

We wrote and sent word everyday and on Thurs 26th we rec’d Frank’s telegram. Frank’s telegram was some comfort for then we knew they had rec’d word from us. Served each day awhile for the poor and suffering—Raymond never was away out of our sight for a moment! April 28th Rec’d telegrams from Bro Ecc and Uncle Raymond On Sun. 29th Mass at San Carlos Mission in Monterey. Joy beyond description.

Monday April 30th We started to San Francisco Such sights we saw going along the train, can never be described—The country—the homes, the absolute destruction by the Earthquake no paper has exaggerated. In San Jose the most damage done seemed to be—the beautiful University was a sight—Then as we got nearer and nearer and nearer to San Francisco we could see the refugees living along the roadside in tents and out of tents cooking in sheets etc. When we arrived 1 ½ hours late at City Depot—with fear we rode in a carriage across the city and right over still smoking debris through walls of destruction as far as we could see. All that remained of the once beautiful City of San Francisco. We crossed Oakland Ferry—Till our train left we had to just sit around our boxes till 6.30 P.M. by S. Pacific Overland to Salt Lake City—Through 40 miles terrible and suffocating snow sheds traveled 2 days and 2 nights—crossed long bridge over Salt Lake –(well named) too salty to sail a boat or give life to a fish. On the train we met a young couple and little girl 4 yrs old whose house, automobile and _____ all destroyed and who had slept in Golden Gate Park several nights. We took them to a hotel and gave them some clothes and some lunch at the Knutsford Hotel where we stopped two days. Had first sleep in a bed since the Earthquake.

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<a href=http://technorati.com/tag/San+Francisco+Earthquake rel="tag">San Francisco Earthquake</a>
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Comments

[Sian]

Hi,

I am a college student from England and would like your permission to use your great-great Grandmother's diary entry in my coursework analysis of language change. I must pick two diary entries that have a common theme -- in this case the destruction of a city caused by an earthquake/fire (I am also analysing Samuel Pepys' diary entry on the Great Fire of London). It would be fantastic if I could also use this excerpt.

Many thanks,
Sian