The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1906-10-04
BY Gibson Gardner.

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 3.-It
was fire, not earthquake that in
| jured San Francisco. This is the
theme that is dim ed into the new
arrival from the time he crosses
the ferry until he crosses it again.
And it Is well that the statemen.
should be reiterated There is no
question that a mistaken impress
sion exists in the east as to the re-
/ laative seriousness Of the shake
| and the fire. The actra al damage
done by the shake was lot a mark
on the havoc wrought by the flames
Cheap buildings were toppled over,
and in some of the good buildings
the plastering was cracked or
knocked from the walls. In the
residence districts the chimneys
were thrown over. and in some
cases, like the city hall, the de-
fects of dishonest construction
were quickly brought to light.
But that was al. Good build
ings-the modern steel ffice struc-
tures-came through the quake
pra ctically unframed, Then came
the fire and ate them up. But the
best of them survived even the fire.
This is true of such buildings as
the Call, the Chronicle. the Flood,
the Spreckles. the st. Francis and
score of others.
These buildings are being re-
paired by replacing or patching the
stone facings about the windows
and doors, and renewing the in
teriors. Many Of them are in
shape to be partly occupied. The
Chronicle, for example. is doing
business in its own building.
The St Francis hotel has grill
in the basement of it's former
home, though guests are accom-
modated in a temporary one-story
wooden structure erected in the
public square across the street. The
revenue, by the way for all bust
ness done in these quarters goes
to the city in lieu of rent.
In tn esurviving residence dis
tricts there are hardly any signs of
the earthquake.
The death of the fire chief is
now believed to be responsible for
tn magnitude of the fire. 1t seems
that he had looked ahead to the
possibility of some such conditions
as were produced by the shake,
and had himself located an emer-
gency water supply consisting of a
couple Of old streams which had
been diverted into an unused
sewer.
The chief knew-but, strangely
enough, he alone knew-the loca-
ton of these underground streams;
and when the broken mains had
emptied the water from the small
reservoir above the city, there was
no water with which to fight the
flames.
The map of San Francisco has
been entirely made over ty the fire.
Even when rebuilt the city will not
be the same. A new retail business
district has already sprung up, and
it Is quite certain that the shops
never will return to the former
sites. Van Ness avenue, which was
show residence street, being wide
and lined with beautiful homes, is
now lined with one and two-story
store fronts. 1t was at this street,
it will be remembered that the
fire was checked. One side was
swept by the flames and dynamite;
on the other the houses were most
ly left. The latter now have a
| grOtesque appearance with thir
| cheap store fronts run out to the
sidewalk. while across the way are
a continuous array of plate glass
show windows, with fresh staring
signs and innumerable flags flap
ping in the stiff wind
Real estate values along this new
| shopping street have taken sud
den bound. At first the owners
agreed that they should all rent at
not more than S. month per front
foot. But the demand began to
have its effect and the price crept
up to So. Then it jumped to $40,
and to 500, and since it has gone
as high as $50 a month for front
foot.
So there are some people in San