The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1906-05-16
WRECKS
San FRANCISCO
Terrible Loss Of Life===Buildings Collapse=Water Mains
Choked===Fires Break Out===Wide=
spread Disaster.
Survivors Fled For Their Lives Save Those Who HerocaNH cared f'
the Wounded and Dead---The City in an lnde-
scribabIe State of Panic.

I lapsed. the roof sliding into the court
yard, and the smaller towers tumbling
down. The great dome was moved,
| but did not fall. .
The new P~ostofice, n Of the finest
in the United States, was badly shat
tered.
i The Valencia Hotel, a four-story
| wooden building, sank into the base
ment, a pile Of spllntered timbers, IN
| der which were pinned many dead and
dying occupants of the house. The
basement was full of water, and some
Of the helpless victims were drowned.
Scarcely had the earth ceased to
shake when fires started simultaneous
ly in many places. The Fire Depart
ment promptly responded to the first
calls for aid, but 1t was found that
the water mains had been rendered
useless by the underground movement.
Famed by a light breeze, the flames
quickly spread, and soon many blocks
were seen to be doomed. Then dyna-
mite was resorted to, and the sound OF
| frequent explosions added to the ter
ror Of the people. These efforts to
stay the progress of the fire, however,
proved futile.
The south side of Market street,
from Ninth street to the bay, was soon
ablaze, the fire covering a belt two
blocks wide. On this, the main thor
o~ughfare, were many Of the finest edi-
fees in the city, including the Grant,
PARROT, Flood, Call, Examiner and
Monadnock buildings, and the Palace
and Grand hotels.
At the same time commercial estab-
lishments and banks north Of Market
street were burning. The burning dis
trict in this section of the city extend
ed from Sansome street to the water
front, and from Market street to Broad
way.
Fires also started in the Mission,
and the entire city seemed to be III
flames.
The big wholesale grocery establish
ment of Weelman, Peck & Co. was on
fire from cellar to roof, and the heat
was so oppressive that passengers from
the ferryboats were obliged to keep
close to the waters edge in order to
get past the burning structure.
1t was impossible to reach the centre
of the city from the bay without skirt
ing the shore for a long distance so as
to get entirely around the burning dis
trict.
About 8 o'clock the Southern Pacific
officials refused to allow any more pas
sengers from trans-bay points to land,
and sent back those already on the
boats.
There was little dynamite available
in the city. The Southern Pacific soon
brought some in. At 8 o'clock Mayor
Schmitz sent a tug to Pinola for sew
eral cases of explosives. He sent also
a telegram to Mayor Mott, Of Oakland.
At 1890 he received this reply to his
Oakland message:
Three engines and lose companies
leave here Immediately Will forward
dynamite as soon as obtainable."
The town of San Rafael, despite its
own needs, sent fire fighting apparatus
here.
Mayor Schmitz gave orders to use
dynamite wherever necessary, and the
firemen and United States soldiers,
who assisted them, blew down build
ing after building. Their efforts, how
ever, were useless, so far as checking
the Roadway Of the flames was con-
cerned.
The shortage Of water was due to
the breaking Of the mains Of the Spring
Valley Water Company at San Mateo.
The water needed sc badly in the city
ran in q food V San Mateo.
The fire swept down the streets SO
rapidly that it was practically impos-
sible to save anything in it's way. 1t
reached the Grand Opera House, on
Mission street, and in a moment had
burned through the roof. The Metro
politan Opera Company, from New
York, had just opened its season there,
and all the expensive scenery and Co.'S
tunes were soon reduced to ashes.
From the opera house the fire leaped
from building to building, dwelling
them almost to the ground in quick
su 2CcSsion.
The Call editorial and mechanical
departments, in the handsome build
ing at Third and Market streets, We're
totally destroyed in a few minutes, and
lAC LQulCo lcopCu dSiOSo olCNSllSOll
street toward the fine ffteen-story
stone and iron building Of Claus
Spreckels, which, with its lofty dome,
was the most notable structure in San
Francisco. Two small wooden build
ings furnished fuel to ignite the splen-
did pile.
Thousands of people watched the
hungry tongues of fame licking the
stone walls. At first no impression
was made, but suddenly there was a
cracking of glass and an entrance
IA effected. The inner furnishings of
the fourth floor were the first to 60.
Then, as if by magic, smoke issued
from the top Of the dome.
This was followed by a most spec
tacular illumination. After q while,
however, the light grew less intense,
IL