Durango semi-weekly herald., 1906-05-10
Frisco Letter

Birds Landing. lust out of San Fran.
cisco, regarding the recent earth
quake forrer there. Mr. Bird was
born In California, his family having
enjoyed the magic progress OF pros
perity which had so long blessed the
Pacific people. He has never been
further east than Nevada, and In
parts of his letter praislng Colorado
for being first to reach Frisco with
relief, ne says, you people of the
east"
Following is an extract from the
letter:
Dear Friend Wilmer:--This being
the first breathing spell have had
Tor the last few days. take time to
write to you and let you know that |
am still alive and well in spite of the
terrible experiences that old Califor-
MIA has recently passed through. /
have in fact been engaged In relief
work. | have been gathering up food
supplies and money for San Fran
cisco's homeless, There are a few of
them there, too, can tell you. IL
has been estimated from authentic
sources that there are fully 800, 900
homeless now In the city of San
Francisco, or rather what is left of It.
But despite this apparently appalling
number they are being taken care of
In every way. They lack none of the
things that are necessary to their
welfare. | tell you, Wilmer the peo-
pie OF shis country are the noblest
and the most liberal In the world.
When one thinks of the grand
work they have accomplished already
during the past five days In the re-
lief of stricken San Francisco, Il
makes one proud to call himself IN
American citizen.
From all parts of the United States
have come trainload after trainload
of supplies OF every kind for the
stricken city. In fact, food is now
so plentiful that the committees of
relief in the city fear that they will
be unable to distribute all the sup
plies for consumption before much OF
1t is lost. They are now asking the
people of this country to husband
their resources until later, when 1t
may be needed
Wilmer you can hardly imagine
the present appearance of that great
and magnificent city. the pride of ev-
cry Californian's heart, that had the
pleasure of showing you last fall. |
have Viewed the ruins and the de-
structiOn wrought by the earthquake
and the fire that followed Is truly ap-
palling. One must see to realize.
For miles and miles there Is nothing
left but blackened waste of crumb-
ling ruins dotted here and there by
some huge skeleton skyscraper
whose walls still stand to mark the
spot where once stood a modern bus
mess structure. There is not bus
mess building that Is not in ruins
not single one. Half the residence
section is also gone. Market street,
the main thoroughfare. Is nothing
but ruins on both sides. from the fer
ry to It's end, four miles out in the
Mission. South OF Market street the
fire extended to the Potrero, dis
tance OF about a mile and half, and
on the north side to the bay, sweep
ing everything to Van Ness avenue.
1t was on this avenue that so many
of the swell homes of San Francisco's
rich were located. This is all ruins
OF past grandeur. In fact, there
Is over 1000 acres burned over.
Chicago's great fire in 1871 does
not compare with this one. The loss
will reach far above half billion.
You remember those two great ho-
tells / called your attention to when
you were here? l refer to the Fair
mount and the St. Francis. They
were two of the finest hotels any
where in the world. Both are ruins,
as is also the big Palace.
The 20-story Call building has the
appearance OF a gigantic flue, as the
inside is completely gutted, only the
walls standing. You will recall this
as the place where we dined one day
up among the clouds.
The Examiner building was blown
up in vain effort to save the Call.
On the south side of Market street
the only big building OF any import
ance that stands is the United States
mint. 1t Is intact, and the 5000 ,000,-
900 in its vaults Is safe. The new
postoffice building that you admired
so much is also gutted, but not en-
tirely ruined. But the loss that
regret the most and know that you
will also. is that Of the Hopkins Art
Institute. where 80 many and costly
works of art were placed. This is
truly loss in every respect. as these
are things that money can never re-
place. The Academy of Sciences is
complete ruin, with all its valuable
collections. This was the gift to the
city of James Lick, long since dead
| The Merchants Exchange building
went mp like a torch. The big city
hall is a complete wreck from the
earthquake shock. So also is the
Hall of Justice.
The water front and wharves is en-
tIrely gone, with the exception of the
State Ferry building, which may be
condemned.
Yet in all this there is one consola
! ton, and that Is the fact that Golden