San Francisco Earthquake story

Met opera singers were there--

Caruso was terrified--he thought Vesuvius was erupting--

Emma Eames remained calm--as always. (When she performed in Aida once, a critic--annoyed by her sang froid--wrote that there was skating on the Nile last night.

Pol Plancon, great French bass, was scared out of his wits.

Met singers had left their building, went to sleep by the side of a road, with blankets, near North Beach.

Pol Plancon was awakened by a friendly cow nudging him.

His immortal words were: "Emma, quelle est cette horrible bete?"