The Donaldsonville chief., 1906-11-10

San tTanCtSc0.-One OF Inc W0FId
great sights is San Francisco. Cities
have been ruined and ashes havt
covered them, but never before un
der modern conditions. A city ruined
by earthquake and fire in the OLE
days meant that the time of recovery
would equal the age of the city up tt
the hour OF it's destruction. In this
age the very evidences of destruction
are turned into agencies OF repair anG
Improvement Fire has rarely failed
TO bring about better conditions in {
city, and San Francisco is no excep
tion to the rule 1t is not the i'm
proyement of the city that will make
them marvel, however as much as
the rapidity with which the work
will be accomplished.
The earthquake of April Is caused q
few million dollars damage-possibly
$10,000,000 would cover that loss. The
fire, which had full play after the
quake had broken the water mains
burned over 514 squares, or 1850
acres, or four square miles, the total
loss being estimated at $500, 200, 900.
On this property there was insurance
amounting to about s315,00000O. OF
this insurance about $150.000000 had
been paid in cash to policyholders up
to September Is.
The fire, as everybody knows, de-
stroyed the business district of San
Francisco, but left the shipping and
residence districts intact. Commerce
continued without interruption, ex-
eept such incidental disturbances as
the location Of new storage places and
the accumulation of freight. Thou
sands of people left the city immedi-
ately after the disaster, but compe-
tent authorities estimate that 98 per
cent. of these refugees have returned.
Their homes being intact they find
that San Francisco is the place for
them, after all, and they are turning
to rebuild the city, either with their
capital or their labor.
Bringing Order from Chaos.
When the fire died down on April
21, the people of San Francisco were
confronted with mighty problems,
some of them demanding instant solu-
ton. AS this article deals with the
San Francisco Of the 4titure and not
of the past, it is not necessary to go
into details regarding the remarkable
ability shown by the committee of fif-
ty in providing for the wants of the
hungry and shelterless, writes Ira E.
Bennett, In the. New York Press That
IS story by itself, and a most inter
esting and inspiring one Another
pressing problem, howeveg, was that
of clearing the streets in order that
communication might be restored.
Thirty-six miles of streets were piled
high with debris. Within five months
this enormous mass of material has
been removed, trolley wires have been
strung, street car traffic reestablished
and system of debris removal inau-
gurated which disposes of LOG car
loads day. If more labor were to
be had the work would go much |
faster
Admission day was celebrated this
year on Monday, September 10. saw
the city cn that day for the first time
since the disaster. The scene was
appalling. With the exception of a
worker here and there, the destroyed
district was destitute of laboring men /
Ruins, ruins in every direction, as far I
as the eye could see; millions of tons /
of bricks and mortar piled up in half I
dastrnypF3 bacan,an4c. ID, efro,, or hrnazn
blowing dust and ashes everywhere; /
Writhing steel beams and crumbling
granite marking the sites of once i'm
posing buildings, and the very thought
of bringing order out of chaos suffi-
cient to stagger the imagination.
On the next day a far different pic
ture was presented. In every base
ment was gang of workmen They
struggled with girders, piled brick,
sifted good material from refuse, han
died pick and shovel, mixed mortar
and loaded wagons with debris Thou
sands Of busy hands were to be seen
down every street Thousands of
teams went about on the simultane-
GUS task of removal and reconstruc-
tion.
Little Loss Of Population.
To one familiar with the crowds
that made Market street and the fer
ries famous, there does not appear
to be any diminution Of population.
The car system is wholly inadequate,
although hereuiean efforts have been
made 70 establish communication.
The ferries are as crowded as ever.
are filled to suffoeation. The
ST. Francis hotel put up temporary
structure in Union square, and 1t is
turning away hundred guests daily.
Other hotels are filled and turning
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