Los Angeles herald., 1906-04-20

able to do business is, according to a
reputable business man who reached
the ferry late tonight, the Market
Street bank. occupying the floor of the
Grant building at Seventh and Market
lStreets. D." -
Although the upper part of this build
ing and every building near this was
wiped out, the space occupied by the
| bank was practically undamaged. A
sign posted in the window stated that
the bank would be open for business
as soon as it was considered safe.
he greatest suffering among the
thousands of homeless people today was
from thirst. Although the earthquake
shock had broken water mains in
probably hundreds of places, strange
to say no water, or very little at least,
appeared on the surface of the ground.
Sky Presents Lurid Picture
At 11;SO tonight the flames were
slowly but steadily moving on the Sec
tions of the city still untouched.
The sky in all directions presented
a lurid picture. The strongest fire to-
night seemed to be in the western end
of the city. while the volume of flame
in the Mission district would indicate
that the confiagration was less severe
than during the day..
Dynamite Roars Constantly
The steady booming of the artillery
and the roar of the dynamite above the
howl and cracking of the flames con-
tinues with monotonous and dazing
regularity.
Such noises have been bombarding
the ears of the panic stricken populace
since the earthquake of forty-eight
hours ago.
They have ceased to heed the sound
and rush pell nell, drowning their
senses in a bedlam of their own, crea-
ton. There seemed to be an irresistible
power behind the flames that even the
desperately heroic measures being
taken at Van Ness avenue could not
stay.
Only Means of Escape
Extending along the water front, 1t is
the only means Of access to the ferries.
1t is the one highway along which the
rich and poor, old and young, with
their bedding and worldly possessions
tied up in every sort of odd package are
making their way.
Tht scene beggars description and
the pen of Hugo or Tolstoi would be
unequal to give anv adequate idea of it.
The Loss Is Untold
And, oh! The loss of it! Awful
desolation and waste of what men in
this world set great store by!
The loss is untold and the effects will
be far-reaching. The insurance COM
panies are threatened with a loss prob
the top of the proud Nub Hill,
Chicago.
Viewing the smoldering ruins from
the top of the only proud Mob Hill,
with it's mansions, its gardens and it's
statues, one gets a faint realization of
how terrible a monster Nero must have
been to be able to fiddle lille Rome
burned.
Fire Is Still Raging
And the fire Is still raging. At 6
o'clock it is burning with unrestraintd
fury. And the entire western addition
is threatened. One final stand is being
made at Van Ness avenue and OFar-
rell street. The old guard at Waterloo,
begrimed with powder and driven back
at a.hundred points, made no more noble
effort at the dusk of that terrible day
than the remainder of the San. Fran
cisco fire department as it drew up to
receive the onslaught of the wall Of
fire.
Engineer Makes Reply
The reply of the dazzled engineer
standing at the corner Of Van Ness and
O'Farrel street beside a blackened en-
gine may not have been as terse, ex-
pressive and pointed as Hugo's captain
of the guards at Waterloo, but the
pathos of it could have been no greater.
In answer to the writer's queries as
to what he proposed to do he said
I'VE are waiting for it to come. When