y building and several
adjoining blocks were destroyed by fire. A new high school in Normal
Park was a complete wreck.

The Nevada & Porter building on Second street, the Rucker building on
Third and Santa Clara streets were also ruined.

The annex to the Vendome Hotel was completely wrecked, and one man was
killed therein.

Sheriff William White, of Los Angeles, who was in San Jose at the
time attending a convention, thus describes the scenes following the
quake:

"San Jose, which was the prettiest city in California, is the
worst-looking wreck I ever saw. When I left there nineteen dead bodies
had been recovered and there was a possibility that others would be
found. I reached Agnews Asylum a few hours later in an automobile and
was one of the first on the spot. There I helped to carry out sixty
corpses. At noon, when I arrived at San Jose, it was believed that
fully 100 bodies were still in the ruins.

"The shock came to San Jose exactly at 5:12:45, according to the clock
in the St. James Hotel, which was stopped. Supreme Court Clerk Jordan,
my young nephew; Walter Jordan and myself occupied apartments on the
fourth floor of the St. James Hotel. The shock awoke the three of us,
but only seemed to disturb my nephew, who commenced calling out.

"There was not a brick or stone building of two stories or over in San
Jose that was not leveled to the ground or so badly damaged it will
have to be torn down. Some fires started after the quake, but the fire
department soon had them under control.

"I secured an automobile at 7 o'clock and left for Agnew, where the
insane asylum was located, with two or three of the visiting sheriffs.
The sight there was awful. The walls were standing, but the floors had
all fallen in.

"Scores of insane persons were running about in the grounds, unwatched
and uncared for. I helped to take out the body of Dr. Kelly, the
assistant superintendent of the asylum, who had been instantly killed.
A nurse who was also taken out of the ruins by me died a little later.

"After getting away from San Jose I saw evidences of the earthquake at
Niles and even as far as Livermore in the shape of fallen chimneys and
broken glass."

The main building of the State Hospital collapsed, pinning many of the
patients under fallen walls and debris. The padded cells had to be
broken open and more dangerous patients were tied to trees out on the
lawn in lieu of a safer place. The doctors and nurses stuck he