The daily morning journal and courier., 1906-04-19

that part Of the city which was re- claimed from San Francisco bay. Much of the devasted district was at one time low, marshy ground, covered by water at high tide. As the city grew it be- came necessary to fill in many acres of this low ground in order to reach deep water. 4 The Merchants exchange building, a fourteen story steel struc~ ture was situated on the edge of this reclaimed ground. It had just been completed and the executive offices of the Southern Pacific company occupied the greater part of the building.
 The damage by the earthquake to the residence portion of the city, the finest part of which is on Mob Hill and Pa ciic Heights, seems to have been slightest.
 The magnificent Fairmont hotel, not yet completed, on the bring of Mob Hill, overlooking the bay, was not ser iously damaged The construction of the hotel was started by Mrs Herman Oelrichs of New York, as a monument to her father, United States Senator James Fair, but she recently sold 1t for S3,000,000.
 The Palace hotel was a seven story building of about 300 feet square. Ii was buiIty thirty years ago by the late Senator Sharon. At the time 1t was erected, the Palace hotel was the best equipped hotel in the west.
 The offices of three morning papers the Chronicle, Call and Examiner. are situated within 100 feet of each other. The Chronicle building, at Market and Kearney street, is a ten story steel frame building, and Is one of the first buildings of it's character put up in San Francisco. The Spreckles building in which was the business office of the Call. Is sixteen stories high It stands at Third and Market streets. The edi- torial, composing and press rooms of the Call are in a small three story building back of the Sprecklss building
 Just across the street from the Spreckles building is the home of the Examiner, seven stories high, with a frontage of 100 feet in Market street.
 The postoffice is fine greystone structure and has been completed less than two years. It covers half block on Mission street, between Sixth and Seventh streets. The ground on which the building stands was of swampy character, and some difficulty was ex- perienced in obtaining a sold founda tion.
 The city hall, which was partly wrecked, is a mile and a half from the water front It was an imposing structure with a dome 15O feet high The building covers about three acres and costs more than $7,0O0,O00
 The court house at Red City, ant other buildings collapsed. Menlo Park Burlingame and other fashionable sub urban towns suffered Santa Rosa, tC the north; Napa, Vallejo and all towns around the bay were damaged. These reports, alarming as they were, created l little interest in San Francisco where 1 they people were in frantic state. To ! days experience has been a testimonia 1 to the modern steel building. A score | of these structures were in course o 1 construction and not one suffered iron ! the earthquake shock. The completed modern buildings were also proof iron ! harm from the seismic movements. Tht buildings that collapsed were all flimsy wooden and old brick structures. Tht damage by earthquake does not begir to compare with the loss by fire. Int heart of the business quarter of Sar Francisco has been destroyed by fire
 Al area of thickly covered ground ot eight square miles has been burned over and there is no telling when the fire will be under control.
 Mayor Schmitz was about early ant took measures for the relief and pro. lection of the city. General Funston ] was quickly communicated with ant by g o'clock 1000 federal soldiers were | guarding the streets and assisting tht firemen in dynamiting buildings. General Funston realized that sterr measures were necessary and gave or. ders that looters were to be shot al sight Four men were summarily exc, cuted before o'clock this afternoon. Al @ meeting of fifty citizens called by tht | mayor it was announced that 1 400 tent. would be pitched in Golden Gate parE and that arrangements had been made to feed the destitute in the pubic squares
 A finance committee with James D Phelan at the head, was appointed ant Mayor Schmitz was instructed to issut drafts for all funds needed on this com mittee.
 ! A general meeting of the citizens committee has been called for to-mor- | row morning.
 It is probable that, even with the spirit and willingness shown by the people of San Francisco, outside aid will be necessary. A message iron ) President Roosevelt was received this morning and had a cheering effect