The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1906-05-23

about three miles, but the widest sweeI
was six miles. The circumference OF
the burned area is placed approximate
ly at twenty-six miles, comprising the
| entire business district and a large sec
ton Of the residence district, all OF
which was densely populated. Only
residences are left. The Ehole thing
past and present, is too great to be
graSped. Even the survivors cannot
realize now what they have been
through.
Vigorous measures are being taken
by the Board of Health and the Board
of Public Works to improve the SAM
tary conditions throughout the city,
Eight temporary structures, $50 feet in
length by twenty eight feet wide and
thirteen feet high, have been erected
at Golden Gate Park, and in these
sheds thousands found reasonably COM
Portable. quarters. The buildings have
been divided into compartments large
enough to house a family. Those with
out tent shelter received first consider
alton in the selection Of occupants for
these temporary buildings. An inter
esting item from the Golden Gate Park
district is the report of the birth of
eighteen babies.
In the refugee camps of the city
there is a semi-military government of
force. Workers are Summarily con-
scripted and vehicles and supplies are
Communicated. A number of ships
that tried to leave the harbor, laden
with provisions, were seized and forced
to disembark their cargoes, which were
needed for the refugee camps.
Many thousands of people have left
the city to seek employment and shell
ter elsewhere. Their going is encour-
aged. because it relieves the demand
for food and supplies. Free transpor-
tation is given all who depart, but they
are warned that they must not return
in the near future.
The pathos of the desolation is i'm
measurable. All class lines have been
wiped away. People who a few days
ago held themselves aloof now gladly
share shelter and food with Chinese
and creatures Of the underworld. A
great sorrow remains upon thousands
Of members of separated families, hun
dreds Of parents vainly seeking their
children in the great confusion of the
refugee camps.
What with tents, barracks, the ex-
odus to the rest of California and the
plan of concentration in the standing
houses of the Western Addition, there
will be shelter for every one Every
house in the Western Addition, the res
idence part, which "a not burned, has
been forced to accommodate refugees
to its full capacity. Those residents of
the Western Addition who took in
burned out friends or chance acquaint-
noes on the first day had a chance to
pick their company. Those who were
selfish about it must take whomever
the Red Cross sends. even Chinese and
new arrivals from Hungary. The Red
Cross people are enjoying the grim
joke Of this.
The great I.Id rich are on a level
with the poor in the struggle for bare
existence, and over them all is the per
feet, unbroken discipline Of the SOL
diery. They came into the city and
took charge on an hours notice, they
saved the city from itself in the first
three days of hell, and but for them the
city. even with enough provisions to
feed them in the stores and ware,
houses, must have gone hungry for
lack of distributive organization.
The troops ruled like iron. They shot
marauders and the men caught insult
ing or assaulting women. In the dis
turbed condition of things some Of this
work is inevitable, and the soldiers
were even more severe with it than
with looting. There is a story from
Golden Gate Park about a man caught
in the act. The soldiers forced him to
dig his own grave, stood him up before
it and shot him dead.
After dark not q street lamp burns,
The soldiers are everywhere in the
darkness, halting you if you try to
move, shooting you if you disobey
and in the shadows are the looters
and criminals lodging the soldiers
risking their lives for a chance at de-
serted houses or piles of household
goods.
Two dapper men with were
caught at a corner by a sergeant and
put to work. He showed great joy as
he said:
II give you time to get off those kit
gloves, and then hustle, mind you
hustle" They hustled. The soldiers
take delight in picking off the best