Willett Smith to mother & sisters, 1906-05-01

We used to have some pretty hard earthquakes in Manila but they would only last a day or so and be over but here they seem to keep up you see it is 12 days to day since the big one. I sent Annie and Hannah some postals that I bought the night before the earthquake I had some addressed and some I didn't I was going to send them the same night but I couldnt because I could not get the stamps and they were in my

will be found it is the worst I ever saw.

I am really scared myself [??] of the time but I have been offered a good position as soon as things get straightened out a little. I saved part of a mans things from the fire I saved his piano a sewing machine and a trunk full of clothes for him he was a total stranger to me but I helped him and I found out he is Spreekels private secretary and superintendent of the Oceanic Steamship Co and of the Spreekels Sugar Refining Co

and the docks everything else in ashes and ruins.

I guess there were fully a 1000 people killed and a thousand more injured the papers from Oakland claim there was only 350 killed but I know myself I saw over 200 bodies taken out on one street alone and there are hundreds that were killed in falling buildings and burnt up by the fire and never will be found Lots of people have gone crazy since the disaster and people are running around all over looking for friends and families yet

I cant buy any I have quite some money over $30 but I couldnt buy a row of pins for it there is not a store of any kind left in the once that was San Francisco Well my address is below Good bye I am O.K. write soon

Willett Smith #1531 - 48th Ave Oceanside c/o Mr. H. E. Root San Francisco Calif

Cant buy a postage any [how?] it goes with .....out as......

to experience any thing like this I suppose you have read all about this in the paper but it never can be put in print it was so terrible.

All I can say is that every body that got out with their lives can thank their stars I hope you will write to me soon as you receive this and let me know how everything is and how you all are you must excuse paper this is all