Rocky Ford enterprise., 1906-04-27
Larps buildings Destroyed.

Large Buildings Destroyed.
San rrnncisco.-Mosto Of the old land.
marks. made famous by association
with the early history Of California A.
well ax the new monuments TO the
commercial prosperity OF the Caiifor'
nia metropolis, have been wiped out
OF existence by the dreadful coniinsra'
tioi One Of the first TO fall prey TO
the flames after the destruction OF the
business district was the Palace ho
tel. known the world over to travellers.
II was built In the '70s by James Rails
ton ut n cost OF 3C.000.000 and was
owned by the Sharon estate. Many oi
San Francisco's wealthy rcsidcnts
made their home Mt the Palace and per
sonal property losses In art treasures
and other effects have been great.
The Hopkins Art Institute. located
on mob HIM. owned by the Uni.
vcrsity Of California and built by
priceless contents.
Close by were the Stanford mansion.
the Huntington. the Flood and the two
Crockcr mansions All were swept
away. These were the handsomcst pri'
waite residences In San Francisco and
were built by the men whose names
they bear In the early days Of the ciiy's
greatness and who played such impor.
,ant roles In the development Of the
Pacific coast.
The great new Flood building. built
by James Flood Mt n cost OF &t.0OO.OOO
and occupied about year ago: ths
new Merchants Exchange building on
California street. erected nj cost OF
s.. 500 900: the Crockcr building ut
Montgomery and Market streets. u mil
iion.tioilar structure: the Mills build.
Ing ut Bush and Montgomery. costing
the same: the new Shrcve buildin. nj
Post street and Grant avenue. costing
$1,000 900. and occupied April.lst BY the
largest jcwciry store on the coast. are
some OF the new structures destroyed
By the flames. The Shrcvc Jcwclry
Company carried stock worth $1,000
600.
On Market street the Pheian build
Ing. one Of the earliest attempts Mt 9
prctcntious form OF architecture In the
business district. and covering tho
most valuable piece OF real estate In
San Francisco. Is gone. The great
group of buildings standing on piece
iof ground bounded by Larkin. Meal
lister and Grove streets. erected by the
city OF San Francisco Mt n cost OF 3I..
100000 md known as the city and
county buildings. are now n mass OF
smoking. smoldering ruins. With the
buildings were probably destroyed the
city and county records.
The beautiful st. Francis hotel. fac.
Ing Union square. erected Mt cost Of
lSl, $780, 900, and the Fairmount hotel ut
California and Powell streets. the most
conspicuous location In the city. are
in ruins from the flames. The Fair.
mount was built by Mrs. Herman Del.
richs mt cost OF $4,000. 900 and named
In honor Of her father. the late Senator
James ]. Fair.
The magnificent group OF buildings
at Van Ness avenue and Hayes street
of the st. 1gnatius College and Cathe-
dral, probably worth 32.OO0,000, and st.
Dominick's church on Steiner street
near California. and the Emanuel syn
agogue, a handsome structure OF the
Oriental type on Sutter street, were
wiped out.
The Hall of Justice, facing Ports
mouth square and Just east OF China.
town, was early prey OF the flames.
Sweeping up the hillside the unre-
strained element leaped from block to
block through Chinatiwn, the combus-
tible material Of the fiimsy structures
feeding the flames like powder.
Up and on and over the hills to the
westward the confagration gained
headway when It reached the resi-.
dence section. From Golden Gate ave-
nue. northward to Pacific street the
buildings were dynamited to stay the
progress Of the flames. but without