Creator
[Annie] Wanda [Muir]
Recipient
[John Muir]
Transcription
Mays. April 18 '06
Dear Papa
At five o clock this morning the worst earthquake ever known here, struck Alhambra Valley and left the houses in it a wreck. Every one of our five chimneys (our own at the big house) is down, the roof is torn up, all the [illegible] except the parlour one, are entirely smashed and a great deal of the plastering is down. Nothing else is much hurt. Your books and papers are alright and so are our pictures. But I never saw such a smash in my life. The whole house has to be rebuilt. What shall I do? Hadn't I better get back to Arizona as soon as possible and let you come up and see what has to be done?
Mays new house has all the plastering off down stair and both chimneys are down and one side of the porch. Aunt Margaret's house is moved eight inches off the foundation and the chimney is down
08545
but there is not much damage inside and she is alright but I don't know where she will go while it is being fixed for they cant have a fire in there now. The only house in the valley that is not hurt is the adobe. Didnt hurt it at all except a little plaster in front. Most all of Martinez is in ruins. There are rumors of awful things in San Francisco but as all the telegraph wires are down and there are no trains running I dont know how true they are
I dont know when this letter will go but Ill write it so you will know as soon as possible that we are all well and so you can come up if you think it best. I wish you could come while I m here if it is possible for you to leave Helen long enough. Unless you tell me something to the contrary I will start back to Adamana as soon as my teeth will let me, probably a week from today. Ive been going to the dentists for the last three weeks and am not through yet though I hope I will
be soon.
Tell Helen that her guitar and the rest of her belongings are safe and unhurt. Ill write again when I find out how things really are and when I get calmed down a little
Lovingly
Wanda
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Location
[Martinez, Calif.]
Date Original
1906 Apr 18
Source
Original letter dimensions: 25.5 x 20.5 cm.
Recommended Citation
Muir, Annie Wanda, "Letter from [Annie] Wanda [Muir] to [John Muir], 1906 Apr 18." (1906). John Muir Correspondence (PDFs). 3510.
https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/muir-correspondence/3510
Resource Identifier
muir16_0185-let.tif
File Identifier
Reel 16, Image 0185
Collection Identifier
Online finding aid for the microform version of the John Muir Correspondence http://www.oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/kt0w1031nc
Copyright Status
Copyright status unknown
Copyright Statement
Some letters written to John Muir may be protected by the U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.). Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user.
Owning Institution
Holt-Atherton Special Collections, University of the Pacific Library. Please contact this institution directly to obtain copies of the images or permission to publish or use them beyond educational purposes.
Pages
3 pages
Keywords
Environmentalist, naturalist, travel, conservation, national parks, John Muir, Yosemite, California, history, correspondence, letters
