The Hawaiian gazette., 1906-05-08

down Van Ness avenue to Market
street and entered the burned dis
trict about six blocks from Market
street
"As far as 1 could see to the south
and east were smoldering ruins. To
the south there were very few walls
standing, but to the west, towards the
ferry building, there were number of
the better buildings still standing. In
fact, all of the steel skeleton buildings
were pretty well preserved although
completely gutted by fire. / walked to
the end of Market street to Valencia
and there again saw them fighting the
fire. Hundreds of families We're gath
cred on vacant lot at the end of
Market
The Palace Hotel was completely
burned, but the brick walls still stand.
The Hall of Records the Mint and
the Postoffice were saved. The City
Hall is n wreck. Mission street for
its entire length and Market street
from the hills to the bay are strewn
with bricks, stone and twisted steel.
In some places the streets have sunk
six or eight feet and the tracks are
bent and twisted all out of shape.
Oakland is tremendously busy
city. Many of the San Francisco firms
that have been burned out are open
Ing offices here. Every vacant store
ard office has been rented
Nothing was saved from the Office
of Alexander and Baldwin except what
was in the safe. l am inclined to
a hrio x,ia nf f,,t
| believe San Francisco will be rebuilt
into one of the handsomest cities in
the country and l 2 believe Oakland
will double in population within year.
All of the San Francisco firms have
been totally burned out and they will
open up for business here in Oak
land.
MANY of the buildings We're dam
aged The Market street school which
was nearly finished Is a total wreck.
The Homestead and the West Berkeley
banks are considerably damaged"
LED THE vIGILANTEs.
When evidence was shown that
ghouls were at work in the ruins DR..
Donald Gedge organized a vigilance
committee and formed his men into
squads for the protection of lives and
property. DIR. Gedge writes his bro
ther, Norman l.. Gedge of this city, of
the experience of himself and wife dur
ing the early part of the trouble, but
says nothing of the committee IS work.
The letter is interesting and is as fol-
lows:
1924 Steiner ST., April 81, 1906.
We got your message and Daisy sent
you reply. / did not see it as / had
organized vigilance committee and
was it's chief, and was constantly on
duty night and day for ten days. 1t is
only now that / am getting to see
through the fog and appreciate what
all this really means. To look back at
San Francisco's marvellous prosperity,
her great future and to see her utter
ruin accomplished in only few hours
is beyond human ability to appreciate
at the present time. Tuesday night af-
ter a jolly evening at the theater, we
retired full of hope and' plans for the
following days, only to be awakened
at 5:l2 a. m. Wednesday by the most
dreadful calamity of recent times.
was awake practically, and felt the
first rumble and shaking of the house.
| gave it no attention, fully believing
that it was one of our ordinary shakes.
Soon, however, the violence of the
shake awakened Daisy and by that
time nothing was quiet in the house,
and the creaking and rasping was not
pleasant. This stopped second, and
then the tremendous shaking caused
the house to rock like ship at sea.
We started from our beds with the
floor heaving and rocking so that you
could not walk, and everything in the
house was crashing about and breaking
with a hideous noise. We got down.
stairs and finally To the back yard,
when we saw nothing but wrecked
chimneys aud heard the horrible rum
bling of the frightful catastrophe that
had overwhelmed the city. A number
Of small shocks occurred right away,
aud we could see the columns Of smoke
from the ruined gas works and then all
was quiet. Going back 20 the house
We saw the utter wreck Of all onr
choice things, but ms yet could not
realize what IL all WAS, During that
day We had succession of shocks, and
the fire was already burning south of
Market street, All of the houses aT,
more or less damaged In onT neighhor
hood, but at Green aud Van Ness ave
nuo every house was wrecked Hnd tho
street rent aud mined, went down
town aud on all siies was ruin and 40
yasialion. Every brick and stone
strurinre Was damaged, and rpreekel'' 4
rod Stone mRnsisn ou Van Meas aysnui
VAS haaly shaken and The stones loore
rpeoeling ca nay onleel ! got nay hoFss
ani securing samp papers, Ieiufufi
nrirr dfoaWinH NJ nfri Tho neKi dal
and lh0 DAY follaslng, tho eonnagga
lina ihft bad naN followed On lbr hlsI
ngrat dlsafisf had hefnuae une0sirall