New-York tribune., 1906-04-21
LIMIT OF DISASTER.
Continued from hrst page

chilling eew Of the morning Fresh meat dis
nppeared on Wednesday morning, and canned
foods ana hresasguffs are the only rictuals.
Not alone are the parks the places of refuge.
Every vacant ,ot in the safe zones has been
pre-e,npted. and even the cemeteries are crowd
ed A young woman well known in society
when asked to-day where she had spent the
njcht. replied ION grave"
TROOPS BRING ORDER TO CAMPS.
Through the entire western part of the penin-
snlar county of San Francisco refugee camps
are located The municipal safety committee
las had plans for concentrating these unfortu-
nate people in several great camps. but unless
they are forcibly herded together like cattle
this scheme seems impossible of accomplish
menr.
Major McKeever. L s. A, has been appoint
ed commsndant of the camps, and with his staff
of assistants was to-day trying TO bring some
sort of system and order out Of the chaotic Sit
nation. His first thought is 10 supply food and
water. and then TO arrange sanitary measures
These throngs Of people are crowded eioow 10
elbow in the open lots and fields without con-
reniences that are naturally demanded and
are rhrea tened with an epidemic Of disease IN
less some wise precautions are speedily OBJ
served.
In buildings close 10 the camps the police are
storing available foodstuffs and bed clothing
for convenient delivery. That there Will be
3ust and equal distribution of the supplies Is
evident from the temper Of the city administra-
tion No distinctions are drawn.
The grave question is how soon will an ade-
'ouate SUPPLY Of food arrive from outside points
70 avert famine. There is little food in San
Francisco outside OF what little each person
possesses. and the supply cannot last more than
q few DAYS. San Francisco is geographically an
ISOLATED city. Its nearest large neighbor on the
south is Los Angeles, FIVE hundred miles away
To the north is Portland. nearly eight hundred
miles distant and its nearest sister in the great
east IS Salt Lake City one thousand miles
away These cities and all the smaller nearer
towns are making sacrifices for the destitute
here but il is TO the big cities Of the nation that
San Francisco looks with anxious eyes for re-
lief
MANY MESSAGES UNDELIyERED.
The delivery Of telegraphic messages from
outside points TO people in San Francisco is an
tmpossibility. The messenger service of both
the big telegraph companies no longer exists.
Even had the companies an army of messen-
gers. they would be of little value The people
are scattered far and wide. and journey from
the ferry building to the western addition or TO
the refugee camps consumes many hours. Most
of the automobiles have been impressed into the
service Of the police military authorities, and
these have only one circuitous route from one
telegraph station at the waterfront to munich
pal headquarters and the unswept western sec
tions This is by way of the northerly water
front line. Nearly every other street has been
made inpassable by the fall Of portions OF
buildings.
The only wire running out Of San Francisco
that Of the Postal-was accidentally cut this
morning by workman on the cable wharf, and
for hours the city was again cut of.
Owing 10 the short supplies Of provisions,
Mr.. Calvin. general manager of the Southern
Pacific Railroad. has arranged TO take all desti-
tute people possible on ferries TO Oakland and
send them out on local trains TO points in Cali
fornia without charge. He also is sending
steamers 70 take of the people on the whsrves
between the ferry building and Port Mason and
carry them TO Oakland without fare.
The Southern Pacific is running its through
trains and suburban trains on schedule time.
The WellFargo Express Company's horses and
wagons were saved and these will be used in
distributing relief supplies.