The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1906-06-19

of property. The result was a total
destruction Of nearly 400 city blocks
including almost the entire business
part of the city ana all the main bust
ness district and the rending homeless
Of nearly eight times as many people
as lnhablt the entire city of Raleigh,
for example. On Friday at the final
again available ana this being turned
on the houses on the opposite side If
the street and the roofs Of these houses
being occupied by an army Of men
with wet blankets to put out the fall
ing cinderS aided very materially in
checking the fire. As it was, only III
one OF two places did the fire cross
and then was controlled before it de-
stroyed more than one or two blocks
deep and only in one place more than
three blocks wide
That the death rate was SO lo1,.
considering the circumstances was
due to two things: CD At no time of
the day could the earthquake have
occurred more fortunately than at )
O'Clock in the morning At that hour.
more than probably any other hour of
the tWenty-four, We're the streets more
nearly deserted. In a large city Of this
type the streets are full Of people near
ly all night The midnight shifts in
the large concerns had been made. the
large newspaper forces had gone home
practically and the l0aferS and the ever
night t-naWks, such either
with or without reason, had at last. TO
large extent, left the streets. The
general and every day decent citizen
was, Of course, in his residence out
side the heart Of the city ana in nine
cases out Of ten his house was built
of wood, for San Francisco is striking
ly a wooden city, except III the large
business blocks Had the shake oc-
Cured when the down town streets
We're teeming with 4 Writhing. rush
ing mass Of humanity as they always
We're during business hours and until
past midnight, With ali that crashing
of brick and stone upon the sidewalks,
and the panic which would have un-
avoidably taken place i'll the crowded
department stores, tall buildings or
theatres especially. many thousands
more would have been killed CO II
was daylight. The people awakened
by the tremble. had, in nearly all
way ahead Of the fire, Those fleeing
toward the bay had abundant oppor-
tunitN in the vast amount Of
tugs, launches and general shipping,
to escape across the bay. Those flee
ing inland OF towards the ocean side
Of the peninsular had the hills the
parks, the beach and the vast area Of
And they fled, Streams of
human beings filed outward along
every street. From our hill
looking down the cross streets, they
could be seen all day Wednesday. all
Cay Thursday and some less numerous
on Friday, trudging outward toward
the suburban hills and the large parks
and cemeteries of this part of tha
town. All had bundles; some were
dragging them. some We're dragging
or pulling trunks along the sidewalks.
Every available play wagon, baby car
rlage, WheelbarroW was in use. The
middle Of the streets We're full Of eX-
mobiles everything ayaila ble but thesa
were going in both directions It was
/ harvest for the greedy express man. |
know of one who made 5000 in
one day. Some men have told me they |
paid at the rate of $500 block for |
4 wagon to get their valuables out of |
he way. Some drivers must have made
hundreds of dollars a day for they |
charged eNhorbitant prices their ex- /
use being that they needed their |
wagons to save their own property and |
. help their families outward Others |
owing to their Humanity worked help |
ng others all day and nearly killed |
heir horses ano declined TO take ray |
1t such 4 time. Those who charged Il
30 heavily We're mostly Italian truck
men or Jews. Automobiles did great
,erNice There are many thousands i'm
lse here and they were run night and
lay. Many Of them. however, were
pressed into service by the soldiers and
regardless Of where
hey We're going or the excuse Of the
owner or chauffeur. Notwithstanding
he many conyeyances. a large percent
l2a Of the people saved practically
lothing. Practically nothing Of th4
nature Of furniture or of any size was
;aved by anybody for nothing could
oe gotten to take it away. Many es-
,aped with little more than the clothes
hey wore and some with scarcely that.
The people made for the hills and
PARKS and vacant lots ana during The
sirst night and many during the sec
md night stayed there totally un-
protected MANY built fires They
Would not go in the houses fearing