along sat a man with
his wife and child. He had had a good home and business. Wrapped in a
newspaper he held six hand-painted dinner plates. They were all he
could dig out of the debris of his home, and by accident they had
escaped breakage.

"This is what I start life over again with," he said, and his wife
tried to smile as she took her child's hand to continue the journey.
Thousands of these instances are to be found.

Owing to the energetic efforts of General Funston and the officials of
the Spring Valley Water Company the sufferers in all parts of the city
were spared at least the horrors of a water famine. As soon as it was
learned that some few mercenaries who were fortunate enough to have
fresh water stored in tanks in manufacturing districts were selling it
at 50 cents per glass, the authorities took prompt action and hastened
their efforts to repair the mains that had been damaged by the
earthquake shocks.

John Singleton, a Los Angeles millionaire, his wife and her sister,
were staying at the Palace Hotel when the earthquake shock occurred.

Mr. Singleton gave the following account of his experience: "The shock
wrecked the rooms in which we were sleeping. We managed to get our
clothes on and get out immediately. We had been at the hotel only two
days and left probably $3,000 worth of personal effects in the room.

"After leaving the Palace we secured an express wagon for $25 to take
us to the Casino near Golden Gate Park, where we stayed Wednesday
night. On Thursday morning we managed to get a conveyance at enormous
cost and spent the entire day in getting to the Palace. We paid $1
apiece for eggs and $2 for a loaf of bread. On these and a little ham
we had to be satisfied."

[Illustration: Copyright 1906 by Tom M. Phillips.

=RANDOLPH STORAGE.=

Walls shaken down by the earthquake.]

[Illustration: Copyright 1906 by Tom M. Phillips.

=DESTROYED SWITCHBOARD.=

The electric lighting company.]

[Illustration: Copyright 1906 by Tom M. Phillips.

=ST. DOMINICI CHURCH.=

A part of the steeple shaken out by the earthquake.]

[Illustration: Copyright 1906 by Tom M. Phillips.

=ST. DOMINICI CHURCH.=

A view of the wreck which tells its own story.]

John A. Floyd, a Pullman conductor on the Northwestern railroad,
living in Chicago, gave a lengthy and vivid description of the quake
and its effects.

"If I live a thousand lifetimes I will never forget that night," he