The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-03-19
5aooeooo 0eeO0o0 Gee Observation-Disclosures

son, 40 years, and a woman who is
either his wife or daughter, supposed
to live in Lordsburg, N. M; Aaron
BischoffshaYen, Germany.
The work of removing the debris was
begun late tonight, when a gang of
about 200 experienced men were
put to work. The timbers and bricks
were so hot and the smoke still so thick
that the work progressed slowly. Gas
oIine tanks and electric light plants
were placed in various places. The men
devoted most Of their time to the Fifth
avenue and Forty siXth street sides. AS
they cleared away the outer portion of
the debris, they found portions of the
ground floor still intact. Up to late
hour the only articles found to reward
the laborers were three battered trunks
partly filled with clothing.
In front of the hotel, where the bal
cony had stood and where the struc-
ture had been eight stories high, there
was a pile of bricks and twisted iron
supports forty feet high. The wall of
| this part fell neither in nor out. 1t col
Iapsed and fell upon itself. With its
fall, which was early in the fire, all
hope for any one left in the building
was gone How many had managed
to reach the doorway when it fell will
not be known until the mass Is cleared
away. That will be several days
The men who are clearing the wreck
will work in shifts and be watched by
the police and a corps of inspectors to
| guard against the possibility of max
ing way with any valuables they may
| find. Nearly every guest who was saved
lost expensive jewelry or jewels. Some
lost diamonds to the value of many
! thousands.
In front Of the building a one-story
| frame house has been erected. This
will be the office of the contractor and
! the police HEADQUARTERS also. To this
] a II Val13 blpS will he taken
When the hour of the change of shifts
arrives the men coming off duty will be
called into this place and searched for
! valuables. No labOrer will be per-
mitted to leave his work and go out
| side the lines or communicate with a.
person inside the lines while at work
The last will and testament of Benja-
! min e. Jones, executed May II, 1894
was found this afternoon. 1t disposed
| of a quarter of a million dollars in
| property. Attached to it was a codicil
| which provides for the disposition of
| over to the building department.. Near
| the same spot some railroad bonds We're
picked up. They were wet and badly
! burned. What bonds they were could
| not be determined.
Some of the bodies in the ruins may
! be recovered Monday or Tuesday. 1t
/ will take a week to get at some of them,
! and perhaps it will take twice that
! long to get at those in the cellar.
Every preparation has been made for
handling of bodies. Wagons with
stretchers will be inside the lines and
the Coroner will take charge of the
bodies at once.
The home of Helen Gould was point
of interest to-day to sightseers. Hun
dreds who managed to get inside the
lines waited around in hope of catch
ing a glimpse of the woman whose
charitable acts yesterday ana to-day
were so spontaneous. The police threw
a guard around the house. 1t had been
slightly damaged by fire. Miss Gould
and her brother Frank occupied the
house Friday night although they had
permitted it to be turned into hos
pital and morgue during the hre' 10
dav three men were slightly hurt while
working about the walls They We're
taken to the Gould home and waited
there until the arrival of an ambulance.