The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-04-19
EARTHQUAKE AND FIRE DESTROY SAN FRANCISCO
 2,5OOLVES LOST; PROPERTY DAMAGE S2OO, ,OO0 ,OOO
{ cs..lsuea from rsse one,

V W
 centinued from Pase One.)
 The postofice Is a fine. grey stone structure and has been completed little nor than two vars. It covers half d block on Mission street, between Sixth and Seventh streets. Tn ground on which the, building stands was oi a swampyi charactr and some olmcu,.y was obtained in obtaining sohd foundation. ...
 wrecked. is mile and half from the water front It was an imposing structure with dome of 150 feet high. The building covers about three acres and cost more than $7,o0o,0Oo.
 REPORTS TO STAY FLAMES
 ARE WITHOUT SUCCESS
 All efforts to prevent the fire from reaching the Palace and Grand Hotels were unsuccessful, and both were com pletely destroyed together with all their contents. @
 All of San Francisco's best play houses, including the Majestic, Col,im- bia, 0rpheum ,-nd Grand Opera House are. mass of ruins. The earthquake demolished them for all practical pur- poses and the fire completed the work of demolition. The handsome Rialto and Casserty buildings were burned to the ground as was everything in that district.
 The scene at the Mechanics Pavilion during the early hours of the morning and up until noon, when all the in- jured and dead, were removed because of the threatening destruction of the building. by, fire. was one of indesorip- able sadness. / Sisters, brothers, wives and, sweethearts searched eagerly Tor some missing dear one. Thousands or persons hurnedIy went through the building inspecting the cots on wnicn the sufferers lay, in the hope that they would locate some loved one that was missing.
 The dead were placed in one port.on of the building and the remainder was devoted to hospital purposes. After the fire forced the nurses and pa tierts to desert the building. the eager crowd followed them to the Presidio and the Chfldrens Hospital, where they re- newed their search for missing reia- tives.
 Up to late hour this afternoon more than $50 persons--who were seriously injured by the earthduake or by ire had been treated at the various hospi- tals throughout the city.
  TELEGRAPH OPERATORS
 STICK TO THEIR POSTS.
 New York, April 1S.-That the world received news throughout the day or the San Francisco disaster Is due In part to the courage of the telegraph operators there who stuck to their posts and continued to send news and other messages in spite of the great personal danger.
 Thegoperators and officials of the Pos- taH Telegraph Company remained in the office of the company at the cor ner of Market and Montgomery Streets opposite the Palace Hotel until they were ordered out of the building be- cause of the danger from the dynamite explosions in the immediate vicinity. The men proceeded to Oakland across the bay and took possession of the off, fee. there tonight. ~
 Tonight the company is operating seven wires from Oakland All mes sages from the city must be taken across the bay in boats
 The Associated Press has establish ed a boat service for it's news.
 w. c. Swain, an electrical engineer in the services of the Postal Company, returned several times this afternoon to the main building in San Francisco and got in communication east His last message was timed 5:27 p. m. He said he was surrounded by severe ex- piosions of Illuminating and sewer gas.
 The Postal building was not destroy ed up to o'clock tonight. It was surrounded by fire on three sides The Postal Company received commercial mssages until D. m. in thier San Francisco office. No attempt could be made to deliver these messages be- caus tn city was undr martial law and messengers could not pass through the streets.
 The destruction of the telephone building in San Francisco has broken telephone communication with the city.