The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1906-05-06

books. This was total loss. tn,
structure housing the volumes being
shattered by earthquake and swept By
fire. Two of our six branches were
also destroyed. These We're the Phelar
branch Of 1000 books contained in the
$4,000 building at Fourth and Clara
streets. presented TO the city by for
mer Mayor James D. Phelan. and thc
North Beach branch of 5000 books at
Powell and Broadway Two delivery
stations each containing 500 books
We're also destroyed.
Saved from the wreck and consti-
tuting the nucleus of a new library. we
have the $500 books of the Mission
branch, at 1854 Mission street; the 1900
books OF the McCreery branch. on Six
teenth street, near Noe: the 5000 books
of the Richmond branch, at 254 Fifth
avenue, and the 800 books of the Fill
more branch. at 2435 Sacramento
street, where we are now making our
temporary headquarters. We also saw
ed about 5000 books from delivery sta
lions. There We're between. %, 900 and
10000 books out in the hands of borrow
ers. Many of these We're saved and are
now being brought in. Some people
who saved only trunk found place
in it for their library book before
leaving their homes to the flames. In
all, we have saved about 40 600 books
out of "a total of 100000
ONE BRANCH SAVED.
''The main library contained valua-
Bile works that cannot be replaced. For
instance, we had a complete set of
newspaper files beginning way back
in 1916 when the first newspaper in
California was published in Monterey.
We had priceless pamphlets dealing
with the history of the State, also the
most complete collection of United
States documents ever brought togeth-
ed on the Pacific Coast. Then there
We're numerous volumes of various
kinds that cannot be replaced, making
our loss of character that cannot be
estimated in money. We had a total
insurance of $4,000. but that amount
would not even replace our bound
volumes of periodicals.
Now for the brighter side of the
picture. When our branch collections
are brought together we will have a
good working library of reference
books and also fine collection of
standard literature. We have $750,000
that Andrew Carnegie gave us, which
sum is still intact and is. I believe,
now available. We have the block of
land, bounded by Van Ness avenue.
Hayes, Franklin and Fell streets. which
was bought with bond issue money,
and we have 100000 of bond money
available for a new library building.
Our great disaster will result in hur
rying the work of construction, and
doubtless the building of the new home
for San Franchises books will begin |
in the near future. Meanwhile the |
various branches Of the library that |
the fire are open for the. re- |
turn and donation of books. Next |
week the trustees will meet to devise
/ method of circulation
But one of all the big libraries in |
san Francisco is intact, and luckily |
that one is of great value. The Ban
croft library, containing an immense
lumber of historical works, was stored
1t Twenty-sixth and Valencia streets.
md is unchanged. This collection was
purchased by the University of Cali
ornia and doubtless will be taken to
Berkeley for the use of the students
is soon as possible.