The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1906-04-24

People Dazed as Doom Fell ON the City
Property Damage Estimated at
0,OoO.O00-Hosts Camp in the Parks
and Unoccupied Districts, and Many
Flee the City-Chinatown wiped OUT.
Palaces ofthe Bonanza Kings Reduced
to Ruins-PeopIe Living in nfakeshift
Notwithstanding Burial of Dead.
Oakland, Cal. = The San Francisco
fire has become a colossal calamity.
The metropolis of the Pacific Coast is
gone. It is heap of ashes There
remains little of the city except outly-
ing suburbs, few blocks on the water
front and narrow district Of middle
class residences lying along Golden Gate
Park. No American city was ever so
nearly destroyed as this, and, outside
Of the earthquake, the fire is the great
est in American history. Beside it the
Chicago, Boston and Baltimore fires
are almost unimportant.
The city had a population Of more
than 100000 people. Not more than
one-fourth can have escaped to Oak
land or the peninsula, and at least
100000 people are homeless in the
parks or the Preside military reserva-
ton
Hunger, thirst and the terror of pes
thence have been added to the fire hor-
ror. The municipal authorities, aided
by Federal troops, are doing every
thing in their power to relieve distress,
but were at first unable to provide
even sufficient food. Water was al
most unobtainable in the stricken city
and scores of thousands suffered for
it.
There are all told about $4,000 ref
lgees in Oakland, all that can be safely
accommodated. There are more than
100000 camping out in San Francisco,
moving from square to square, and
subslsting on whatever food can be
obtained through the kind services of
the Army and Navy, the Department
. of ~ Alth and the police.
Tie men who estimate the losses put
the money Manage at $300,U00000. No
more ridiculous estimate ever has been
made. They take offhand the assessed
valuation of San Francisco, divide it
BY three-fourths and then give the cold
figures. The loss will go beyond 81
OO0-00O,OOO utterly ruin more than 49,
600 families and destroy the honest
earnings of years of hard work
The statisticians who figure out the
loss of $300,000,000 SO nimbly do not
take into consideration that the thou
sands of modest storekeepers have
lost everything on earth, including
their stock and their trade They fail
to count in that more than 10000
householders are homeless, having lost
everything from furniture to clothing,
and lost their employment also. Then
J the great poor district west of the
sandhills, given almost over to com
plete destruction, has not been taken
properly into consideration. Every lit
tie store there is gone. Every board
ing house is in ruins. Only smoke and
ashes show the sites of what were
busy factories. Several thousand work
1ngmen had their own cosy homes.
They have lost everything that they
possessed. What is true of this sec
ton is also true OF the great business
district and of Mob Hill, where mill
ionaires have the finest homes on the
Pacific Slope. When these personal
losses are taken into account the total
sum is appalling and the suffering
which must follow is sure to appeal
within a very short lime to the Great
heart o. the United States.
Probably 100000 refugees are strug-
Cling to get out of the city. The streets
are swarming with people, some crying
and weeping and calling for missing
loved ones. Crowding all sidewalks
are hundreds upon hundreds of house
holders attempting to drag some of
their effects to places of safety. In
some instances men with ropes are
dragging trunks tandem style, others
having sewing machines strapped TO
the trunks. Again, women are rush
ing for the hills carrying on their arms
only the family cat or bird cage.
y The flames spread everywhere on
the second day of the fire, borne by
an ever changing wind. The section.
of the city west OF Van Ness avenue,
which contains the homes of the
wealthy, was fired at O'Clock D. m.
The district was soon surrounded by
1Snanles Mayor Schmitz and Chief of
Police Oman decided that the only
Robber Gets 100000 Bonds.