The Colorado statesman., 1906-04-21
Large Buildings DESTROYED.

San Francisco, April 19-Old land
marks, made famous by association
with the early history of California as
well as the new monuments to the
commercial prosperity of the Califor-
mia metropolis, have been wiped out
of existence by the dreadful coniiagra-
tiol One of the first to fall a prey to
the flames after the destruction of the
business district was the Palace ho-
tel, known the world over to travellers.
1t was built in the '70s by James Rails
ton at a cost of $6,00O,OOO and was
owned by the Sharon estate Many of
San Franciscos wealthy residents
made their home at the Palace and per-
sonal property losses in art treasures
and other effects have been great.
The Hopkins Art Institute, located
on "Nobb HILL" owned by the Uni
versity of California and built by
Mark Hopkins, was destroyed. with its
priceless contents.
Close by were the Stanford mansion,
the Huntington, the Flood and the two
Crocker mansions. All were swept
away These were the handsomest pri-
vate residences in San Francisco and
were built by the men whose names
they bear in the early days OF the city's
greatness and who played such impor-
tant roles in the development of the
Pacific coast.
The great new Flood building, built
| by James Flood at cost of S4,O00,0O0
and occupied about year ago; the
new Merchants Exchange building on
California street, erected at a cost of
S2,500,000; the Crocker building at
Montgomery and Market streets, mil
lion-dollar structure; the Mills build
ing at Bush and Montgomery, costing
the same; the new Shreve building at
Post street and Grant avenue, costing
So, 900 900, and occupied April-1st by the
| largest lewelry store on the coast, are
some of the new structures destroyed
by the flames. The Shreve Jewelry
Company carried a stock worth $4,000
600.
On Market street the Phelan build
ing one of the earliest attempts at Il
pretentious form of architecture in the
business district, and covering the
most valuable piece of real estate in
San Francisco, is gone. The great
group of buildings standing on piece
of ground bounded by Larkin, Meal
lister and Grove streets, erected by the
city of San Francisco at a cost of ST.
600 900 and known as the city and
county buildings, are now a 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 at cost OF
S4,500,000, and the Fairmount hotel at
California and Powell streets, the most
conspicuous location in the city, are
| ~. Nba tNai
mount was built by Mrs. Herman Del
richs at cost of sS,00O,000 and named
in honor of her father, the late Senator
James j. Fair.
The magnificent group of buildings
at Van Ness avenue and Hayes street
of the St Ignatius College and Cathe'
dral, probably worth S2,000,000, 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 flimsy structures
feeding the flames like powder.
Up and on and over the hills to the
westward the conhagration 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
avail. The heat was so intense that the
ruins of buildings were ignited by
spontaneous combustion.
Out on Van Ness avenue, the fash
ionable drive across the city from
the north to south, the devastation Is
complete on the east side, but the fate
of the Spreckels, the Hobart and Other
great mansions on the west side Is no'
known at this hour.
The branch United States mint or
Fifth street, near Market, was not de
stroyed, but was damaged to a consld
: eraLle extent. Its escape is due TO the
fact that it occupied a large square
separated from surrounding buildings
by wide paved space. Two blocks
west of the mint stood the splendle
new postoffice building, finished abou
six months ago and erected at a cos
of $2,000,000, for actual construction
1t was one of the most beautiful Dulld
ings in the United States. said 10 nave
been equalled in architectural excel
} lence only by the new Congressional IL
brary at Washington. 1t was destroyed
Down in the older business sectioi
were many old landmarks, but they eN
ist no longer. The Occidental hotel OF
Montgomery street, for years the mead
quarters for army officers visiting Sai
Francisco; the old Lick house. puli
by the philanthropist, James LICK th'
old Russ house, also on Montgomer:
street; the Nevada National Banl
block, the Haywards building at Cali
fornia and Montgomery, moderi
structure of ten stories; then to tn
eastward the splendid example OF I'M
severe Gothic style, the California Ma