The morning call., 1894-12-26
PRICE FIVE CENTS.

knick knacks and curios, some of
the furniture. and heaped in an
angle in the fencing a goodly stock of
wines and liquors. The slverware and
paintings had been taken t. Sutro Heights
for safekeeping.
In itemiZing some of the souvenirs and
arucies OF value saved Mr.. Wilkins re-
marked: I'VE saved one souvenir belong
ing to Mr.. Sutro for which | am very
thankful. That was a photograph OF the
pioneers of California. There are but two
or three of the kind in existence. IIisa
very rare photograph, as it was taken in
the '5Os and contains the pictures of 452
pioneers. 1t was originally the property
of Captain Foster, from whom Mr.. Sutro
secured it.
"All old Californians will remember
Uncle Billy's Dream" continued MIR.
wilkins. "Unfortunately that picture
was burned. Every old-timer remembers
Billy and George, who kept the saloon
where the Sacramento River steamers
used to land. Uncle Billy was immortal
ized In that picture.
"One OF Golfers fine paintings, belong
ing to Mr.. SutrO, was saved NY collec-
tlon of shells and unique jewelry, which l
valued very highly, was destroyed by the
fire."
MIR. Wilkins declared that there was no
doubt OF the fire being accidental, and Mr..
Sutro agreed with him, declaring that none
would be vandal enough to destroy a prop
erty so rich in "reminiscences and so Closely
connected with the city's eariy days, as
we'll as with It's later history.
Standing under the brow of the hill a
few feet from the fiery portal # the blazing
Cllf House, Adolph Sutro stood and
watched the progress Of the DESTROYER. II
ne grleved over The loss of his treasure his
sorrow was confined to his heart, for
neither by voice nor look did he betray
regret. save for one brief moment, when
he declared tnat If his employees had used
the hose leading to the reservoir in the
hill instead of the extinguishers, the house
would have been saved.
His memory travelled back through the
vanished years to the bright places in the
history of the burning structure and he
remembered the famous men and women
that had stood upon its balcony and
looked WITH rapture upon the shining
waves of the majestic Pacific aud the
frolicking am phibia on the rocks.
II bOugh. il about fifteen years ago." he
said. "The place was then known as the
Cliff House ranch, and believe there was
a diaDidated little farm house down there
on the beach. The Cliff House was a re.
sort in those days that bad rather shady
reputation. but after the property was i'm
proved and distinguished visitors came
here it became famous throughout tie
world.
"Who have been here? Why, l might
aVarV famOue ma m and
came here since it was built. Grant came
here when he was making his to ur of the
world. President Harrison was here
few years ago. The immortal Patti,
King Kalakaua. Eze ia, poets, artists,
scuptors and scientists. Men distin-
guished in the world of letters have been
guests at The Cliff.
when bought the place it belonged to
C. C. Butter, the Buckley estate and Mr..
Austin.
will rebuild the Cliff House? No,
not the Cliff House as 1t was. but one of
the greatest hotels in the land. l think I
will build upon the site of the old house.
but not Immediately"
"Was not the Cliff House on fire several
years ago?" the next Mayor was asked.
An emphatic negative was the eply. "It
ever on fire, until now," he declared.
''And | think, as l said before, that it
wnuld have been saved if the water in the
reservoir had been used at the appointed
time.
There was DO fire here, but there was
one of the greatest explosions of dynamite
800 feet from this spot, and ! was in my
room up there on the hill at the time.
SIT was on January 16 1887. that so 600
pounds OF dynamite were accidentally ex-
ploded on board the schooner Parallel. Ii
shattered the western wall of the Cliff
House. the Point Lobos signal station and
an old building tina; stood near
The Parallel was outward bound and was
caught by current that drove her upon
the rocks. Captain and sailors knowing
the deadly peril of their position if they
remained abandoned the schooner to its
fate. The Parallel pounded upon the
rocks until O'Clock in the evening, when
some of the dynamite caps were exploded
and the boat and her cargo went up with
a terrific crash.
Many expressions of profound sympathy
were r. ceived by Mr.. Sntro. and many