Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1906-04-19
FIVEHUNDRED MET DEATH
Hundreds We're Injured, Either Burned,
Crushed or Struck by Falling
Pieces From the Buildings.
DESTRUCTION SEEN EVERYWHERE
Many Fine Structures Con-
sumed by Flames.
FIRE SPREAD IN ALL DIRECTIONS

Associated Press Dispatches by Special Wires
San Francisco, Cal, April l9.-Day
dawned on a scene Of death and destruc-
tion. During the night the flames had
consumed many of the city's finest struc-
tures and skipped in a dozen directions
10 the residence portions. They had
made their way over into the North Beach
section. and, springing anew to the south,
reached out along the shipping section
down the bayshore, over hills and across
toward Third and Townsend streets.
Warehouses, dwellings and manufactur-
ing concerns fell in their path. This
completed the destruction Of the entire
district known as the "south of Market
street How far the flames are reaching
70 the south across the channel cannot
be told, as this part Of the city>is shut off.
After darkness, thousands of the home
less we're making their way, with their
blankets and scant provisions, to Golden
Gate Park and the beach TO find shelter
Those in the homes on the hills just north
Of the Hayes Valley wrecked section piled
their belongings in the streets, and ex-
press wagons and automobiles were haul
ing the things away to the sparsely settled
regions.
DovntQTn. everything is ruin. Not a
business house stands Theatres are
culmbled into heaps. Factories and
commission houses lie smouldering on
their former sites. All the newspaper
plants have been rendered useless.
II is estimated that the loss in San
Francisco will reach from S15OOO0,OO0 TO
S2OOOOOOOO. These figures are in the
rough, and nothing can be told until par
tial accounting is taken. On every side
there was death and suffering. Hun
dreds we're injured either burned. crushed
or struck by falling pieces from the build
ings The number of dead is not known,
but it is estimated that at least 500 met
their death in the horror.
At 9 o'clock yesterday morning, under
q special message from President Roose-
welt, the city was placed under martial
law Hundreds Of troops patrolled the
streets and drove the crowds back, while
hundreds more were set at work assisting
the Fire and Police Departments. The
strictest orders were issued, and in true
military spirit the soldiers obeyed Dur
ing the afternoon, three thieves met their
death by rifle bullets while at work in the
ruins The curious we're driven back at
the breasts Of the horses that the cavalry
men rode, and all the crowds were forced
from the level district to the hilly section
10 the north.
The water supply was entirely cut of
and maybe It was Just as we'll for the
lines Of the Fire Department would have
been absolutely useless at any stage
Assistant Chief Dougherty supervised the
work Of his men, and early in the morning
it was seen that the only possible chanc
to save the city lay in an effort to checl
the flames by the use Of dynamite. Dur
ing the day, blast could be heard in an,
section at intervals of only few minute
and buildings not destroyed by fire wer
blown to atoms. The work was con
tinued with desperation that will liv
as one Of the features Of the terrible dis
aster.
Passengers on trains from other cite
IN California bring details Of destructio
and death from nearly all OF them.