said. "Words are too feeble, entirely too inadequate, to portray the
fear that clutched the human breast. The most graphic pen could not
faithfully portray the sickening horror of that night.

"Plaster falling from the walls in my room in the fourth floor of
the Terminal Hotel in Market street aroused me from a sound sleep
about 5 o'clock in the morning. I sat up in bed, and got out onto the
floor. The building was shaking like a reed in a storm, literally
rocking like a hammock. It was impossible for me to stand. Another
shock threw me heavily to the floor. I remained there for what seemed
hours to me. Then I crawled on hands and knees to the door, and
succeeded in unlocking it with much difficulty. I was in my night
clothes, and without waiting to even pull on a pair of shoes I made my
way down those swaying stairs as rapidly as I could.

"When I reached the street it was filled with half mad unclothed men,
women, and children, running this way and that, hugging and fighting
each other in their frenzy.

"The loud detonations under the earth enhanced the horror. The ground
kept swaying from side to side, then roaring like the waves of the
ocean, then jolting in every conceivable direction.

"Buildings were parting on all sides like egg shells, the stone and
brick and iron raining down on the undressed hundreds in the streets,
killing many of them outright and pinning others down to die slowly of
torture or be roasted alive by the flames that sprang up everywhere
around us.

"When things had quieted somewhat, I went back to the hotel to dress,
and discovered that the entire wall of my room had fallen out.

"I succeeded in finding most of my clothes, and after donning them
hastily went back to the work of rescue. When I got back to the street
from the hotel the entire district seemed to be in flames. Fire seemed
to break out of the very earth on all sides of Market street, eating
up buildings as if they were so many buildings of paper. A big
wholesale drug house on Seventh street exploded, throwing sparking and
burning embers high into the air. These fiery pieces descended on the
half-clad people in the streets, causing them to run madly for places
of safety, almost crazy with the pain.

"Soon the improvised hearses began to arrive. Out of every building
bodies were taken like carcasses out of a slaughter pen. Automobiles,
carriages, express wagons, private equipages, and vehicles of all
kinds were pressed into s