Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1906-04-28

San Francisco-At 3.15 o'colck
Wednesday afternoon (6.l5 eastern
time) there was another shock OF
earthquake lasting nearly a minute
One woman was killed, and the
shock caused considerable alarm
throughout the city.
Mrs. Annie Whitaker, 20, was at
work in the kitchen of her home on
Shotwell street, in the Mission district,
when tho shoclS came.
The chimney, which had been left
tottering by the heavy quake last
Wednesday, crashed through the roof
and fractured her skull. Her body
was taken to the morgue at Ports
mouth square, and buried an hour
later at Laurel Hill cemetery.
A number of walls of burned build
ings which were standing were thrown
down and frail buildings were con.
siderably shaken up, but the damage
done was slight.
The shock was also felt in Oakland
and Berkeley, but in these places it
was very slight and of brief duration.
The quake caused excitement or
short duration among many persons
who have been wrought to u high
state of excitement by the awful hap
penings of the last week, but quiet as
surances were soon restored.
This was a day of optimistic reports
from all sides. Conditions improv-
ing" was the happy expression from
those who have charge of caring for
their less fortunate fellow townsmen
during the last few days.
In fact, now that the most important
duty will hereafter be performed by
the U. S. army, that of distributing
the food supplies, which have been
| given lavishly, the citizens Of San
| Francisco have turned their attention
| to details of the reconstruction of
their business.
There was resumption of business
to an astonishing extent, considering
conditions throughout the residential
quarter. Retail stores were instructed
to reopen and the municipal govern
ment has established a scale of prices
for the most important commodities
which is even below that existing
under normal conditions. Warning
was given to retailers that any effort
on their part to charge exorbitant
prices would result in summary action
by the authorities.
Street cars are promised for Thurs
day morning, and electric lights will
be turned on in the cvoni~G. THO work.
! OF N,unaing ana repairing chimneys is
proceeding rapidly, but it will be
some time before it is safe to allow
| fires.
The preparation of the morning and
the evening meals, for San Francisco
as rule does not partake of more
than that number at present, is a
picturesque sight In front of every
house there is a small, improvised
furnace or cook stove.
In some cases servants remain faith
full to their employers, and to them
the cooking is intrusted, but it is no
unusual thing to see the wives OF men
who a few days ago were the posses
sors of fortunes stirring pOrridge or
deftly manipulating bacon and eggs.
San Francisco now goes to bed at
nghtfall While the extremely rigid
rule concerning lights in houses has
been modified still the general situa-
ton is considered by the average cit
izen to be so unsafe at night that he
retires without going abroad, and in
many cases without showing a light
| in his house
Many reports have been made dur.
ing the last few days of shots fired
into houses that showed a light, and
few are disposed to take chances.
Mayor SchmitZ today took a firm
stand against citizens protective com.
mittees organized in many sections of
the city by men who undertake to
regulate the affairs of their neighbor.
hood.
Many complaints have been made
against these committees. Responsi
bic citizens have been stopped at
night and made to explain why they
were abroad after dark, and even shots
have been fired at persons who had
o right to go anywhere they pleased
at any hour. 1t was one of these
so-called vigilance committees that is
to be held responsible for the death
Of Mai. Tilden, who was shot while
performing relief work. The mayor
today gave instructions that the mem.
bers Of these committees were to be
disarmed wherever found by the city
police, and if any resistance was of.
fered, were to be treated as looters,
which means that they are to be shot
The water supply is still a serious
problem. 1t was decided today that
still further restrictions should be put
on the use of the water now available.
Hereafter until the water system has
been repaired there is to be but one
water faucet for each block through.
out the city.