San Francisco
San Francisco
321
How fair she looked! and calm, queen of the West!
As though no auguish s’er could plerce her breast
Tranguli and similing she in slumber luy
At walking dawn upon that fatal day
No rosente tinge yet graced the early morn:
To lend its splendor to the day just born:
No warning reached us on the stilly
To tell of desolation and despair
Midat earthquake horrors all the city woke!
Lives! Homes! Hearts! Minds! werewrecked with one fell stroke!
We qualled beneath that grindingrend- Ing shock,
Whose vielous force but seemed our fanrs to mock!
While mingling with the uproar plero- Ing cries
And groans burst from the ruins! and the sklen
Were lurid in an Inatant with the
That wiped from off the earth a thou- sund names!
Catastrophe! Calamity! despair and death!
Horror on horror in a lightning’s breath!
A million hopes expired in hell’s own giare
While devastation faced us everywhere
Hearts were uprooted from their native should
Ties fondly oherished dled midst mad turmoll!
Ten thousand fortunes helped to feed the fires
That leaped with fnendish glee o’er roof and spires
Until the very clouds were reached and passed:
While heroes grandly fought that holo-caust! A
nd tolling o’er each blackened aah- strawn pave,
Hugging some treasure that they yearned to save:
Tramped refugees three hundred thou- sand strong
Dragging their goods and weary limba along
Yet on those faces blanched with dead- ly fear,
Stole endurance held the place of tears
The all-devouring names that licked the skies,
Dried up the tears that started to our eyes,
The all-prevalling need of strength and grit
Made soul and muscle every task
Soon on the winds, that swept the desert
Was bourne the “hunger cry” with lightning haste
For though the city burned and mains were burst,
The people still must eat and quench their thirat
A cry of horror rang throughout all lands!
Warm hearts responded to our call strong hands
Were stretched across the continents to save
A stricken multitude from famine’s grave
The world’s great heart and pulse beat but as one:
But one desiro-that naught be left undone!
And e’en umidst our danger and dis tress
We yet found time humanity to bless!
Ursula Burford Barry
