Multitudes of persons besieged the telegraph offices, and the crush
became so great that soldiers were stationed at the doors to keep them
in line and allow as many as possible to find standing room at the
counters. Messages were stacked yards high in the offices waiting to
be sent throughout the world. Every boat from San Francisco brought
hundreds of refugees, carrying luggage and bedding in large quantities.
Many women were bareheaded and all showed fatigue as the result of
sleeplessness and exposure to the chill air. Hundreds of these persons
lined the streets of Oakland, waiting for some one to provide them with
shelter, for which the utmost possible provision was quickly made. No
one was allowed to go hungry in Oakland and few lacked shelter. At the
Oakland First Presbyterian Church 1,800 were fed and 1,000 people were
provided with sleeping accommodations. Pews were turned into beds. Cots
stood in the aisles, in the gallery and in the Sunday school room. Every
available inch of space was occupied by some substitute for a bed.
As the days wore on the number of refugees somewhat decreased. Although
they still came in large numbers, many left on every train for different
points. Requests for free transportation were investigated as closely
as possible and all the deserving were sent away. Women and children and
married men who wished to join their families in different parts of the
State were given preference. The transportation bureau was on a street
corner, where a man stood on a box and called the names of those
entitled to passes.
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