18 Apr 08 Earthquake!
The year was 1906. It was 5.13 am. Most of the people in San Francisco were still in bed asleep when it came, apparently from east to west. It lasted almost two minutes.
Many people were crushed to death, by falling buildings, as they rushed into the streets in panic, mostly in their night-clothes.
Over 3,000 people were killed, thousands were made homeless, as the earthquake struck. About a half of the city was laid waste by fire, and as the water mains were ruptured, there was little fireman could do, but to watch it burn.
The Valencia Hotel, a four-story wooden building, collapsed into its basement, nder which were trapped many dead and dying occupants. The basement filled with water, and some victims were drowned.
Soldiers were ordered to shoot looters, and anyone caught robbing the dead and to guard with their lives the millions of dollars’ worth of property placed in the streets to escape the flames.
Tags: 1906, earthquake, falling buildings, fireman, flames, looters, looting, martial law, nder, night clothes, occupants, san andreas fault, san francisco, san francisco earthquake, valencia hotel, water mains
13 Feb 08 Phone Call
The boss wondered why one of his most valued employee had not phoned in sick one day. Having an urgent problem with one of the main computers, he dialed the employee’s home phone number and was greeted with a child’s whisper. ‘ Hello ? ‘
‘Is your daddy home?’ he asked.
‘ Yes ,’ whispered the small voice.
May I talk with him?’
The child whispered, ‘ No .’
Surprised and wanting to talk with an adult, the boss asked, ‘Is your Mommy there?’
‘Yes.’
‘May I talk with her?’
Again the small voice whispered, ‘ No .’
Hoping there was somebody with whom he could leave a message, the boss asked, ‘Is anybody else there?’
‘ Yes ,’ whispered the child, ‘ a policeman ‘.
Wondering what a cop would be doing at his employee’s home, the boss asked, ‘May I speak with the policeman?’
‘ No, he’s busy ‘, whispered the child.
‘Busy doing what?’
‘ Talking to Daddy and Mommy and the Fireman ,’ came the whispered answer.
Growing more worried as he heard a loud noise in the background throu gh the earpiece on the phone, the boss asked, ‘What is that noise?’
‘ A helicopter ‘ answered the whispering voice.
‘What is going on there?’ demanded the boss, now truly apprehensive.
Again, whispering, the child answered, ‘ The search team just landed a helicopter .’
Alarmed, concerned and a little frustrated the boss asked, ‘What are they searching for?’
Still whispering, the young voice replied with a muffled giggle…
‘ ME .’
Tags: adult, boss, cop, earpiece, fireman, helicopter, home phone number, loud noise, mommy, policeman, search team, small voice, throu gh, whisper, whispered answer, whispering voice
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