The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1906-09-08
The GO|d6n Gat6.
Effects OF the Earthquake in
The Wonderful 6itu.
Capt. Teal Tells OF San FransisCo's
Steel Sku SCrdperS and Its
Bio Burnt District"

Ileave here tonight for Portland,
Oregon. I have seen all the
sights Of this wonderful city. The
burnt district cannot be imagined,
however elaborate the word paint
ing attempting to convey the idea.
The steel framed sky scraper,
though, is quite success, even in
an earthquake country. / noticed
one of the large hotels, Is stories,
more than 300 feet high, I am
told, with 1900 rooms, and employ
ing more than 700 people to con-
duct it. All of the wood was burnt
cut, but the walls still stand as
perpendicular as when they were
put up. The burnt district COM
prises 40 blocks, 1 suppose, judy
ing from their size about 1850
acres of ground, and it is the bust
ness part of the city. It was
largely on land made by the city,
"Sand dunes" as they call them,
leveled and piling driven into
them. A creek or a dry. bed of a
small river was also filled, here the
filling was probably more than 100
feet, and this ground sunk from
two to three feet in places. I no.
ticed the Sub Treasury building.
The walls were perfectly true and
intact, and yet the side walks all
around have dropped two feet or
more. The postoffice is the same
way. Of the fifty-one banks in
the place, all were badly damaged
or ruined except one. In fact, oil
heavy brick or granite structures
with the exception of asylum for
old and infirm catholics, one Cath
olic church, a hospital for children,
one Episcopal church, one asylum
or convent of some kind. These
were the only brick or stone
structures that did not suffer some,
either in. broken window panes,
cracks in the plaster, or some sort
of ornamental work that had fallen
down. The whole resident part of
the city is frame buildings, usu-
ally three stories high, sometimes
two and basement. / noticed on
the broad street at which they
stopped the FIRE by dynamiting the
buildings ON the opposite side,
they have lacked up. the whole
line, and built under them depart
ment and retail stores. It does
not impair the looks at all. / am
told of the rs schools, A we're des-
troyed, and small temporary frame
buildings have been constructed to
take their places in a measure.
The permit only permits one story
high, and they must be removed
within sixty days after notice. This
applies to buildings for stores as
well, and quite a number are
availing themselves of this privll-
eye, yet it will be six months be-
fore they get to building good
brick houses. They now have
cleaned the streets, but next, the
property owners will have to re-
move the debris on their lots be-
fore they can build. Money is
plentiful, but labor is scarce, not
withstanding mason gets $S fol-
eight hours, a plumber s. and a
mechanic S.. There are fully 3d.
600 people camping in tents yet.
They are well fixed, though, good
floors and most of them carpeted.
You see it does not rain here fol
two mouths yet.
] saw one man that has a furni.
ture store on the side walk in front
of his former business house. ]
went down on the wharfs. II
looked funny to see an endless ex-
panse of water, and yet smooth
enough to be operated on by a
steamboat about like the old Laura
Lee, but with very large wheels
and powerful machinery. / saw a
class of side wheel ferry boats ply
ing the harbor in every direction.
They we're magnifcently built,
and as large and with more cabin,
it possible, than the Jesse K. Bell.
They make 18 to 20 knots an hour,
and never turn, being sharp at
both enda You only reverse your