The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1906-10-07
lHy fln u. nennett.l

old days meant that the time Of recoy.
cry would equal the age Of the city up
10 the hour N ita destruction. In this
ago. the very evidences Of destruction
are turned Into agencies Of repair and
improvement. Fire has rarely failed 10
bring about bctter conditions In city,
aud San Francisco Ii no exception TO the
rule, II II not The Improvement Of the
city that win make men marvel, how.
ever. ~ much as the rapidity with which
Tho work viii be accomplished.
The earthquake Of April 18th caused
few million dollars damage c--possibly
Ai0,O00.000 would cover thnt loss. The
fire., which had full play after the quake
had broken the water mains, burned over
5it squares, or $500 acres, or four
square miles, the total loss being cati.
mated AZ s5oo,o00,ooo, On this prop.
erty there waas insurance amounting to
abou. aslAt000000. OF this insurance
about sl50000.o00 had been pnid In cash.
70 policy holders up to September 10,
rugitivss Have Returned.
The fire AZ everybody knows, destroy.
cd the business district Of San Francisco
but left the shipping and residence dis
tricta intact. Commerce continued with.
out interruption except such incidental
disturbances as the location of new stor.
age places and the accumulation Of
freight Thousands OF people left the
city Immediately after the disaster. but
such competent authorities as Mr.. chas,
&. Fee, passenger traffic manager Of the
Southern Pacific, estimate that as per
cent 81 thcsc refugees have returned.
Their homes being intact they find tha
San Fmncisco Ia the place for them, AZ.
tor all, and they are turning In to re.
build the city. either with their capital
or their labor.
When the fre died down on April 81,
the people OF San Francisco were con.
fronicd with mighty problems, scme Of
them demanding instant solution, As
this article deals with the San Francis.
90 OF the future and not Of the past,
II Il not necessary 10 60 into details re-
gardine the remarkable ability shown
by the committee Of fifty In providing
for tho wants OF the hungry and shelter.
less. That IA a story by Itself, and a
most interesting and inspiring one. An
other pressing problem, however, was
that Of clearing the streets in order that
communication might be restored. Thlr-
ty.six miles Of streets were piled high
with debris. Within five months this
enormous mnss OF material has been re.
moved, trolley wires have been strung,
street car traffic m.established. and q
system Of debris removal inaugurated
which disposes Of 100 carloads a day.
II more labor were TO be had. the work
would go much faster
Staggered the Imagination.
Admission day was celebrated this
year on Monday, September 10. ! saw
the city on that day for the FIRST time.
since the disaster The scene was ap.
palling. With the exception OF work
er here and there, the destroyed district
was destitute Of laboring men, Ruins,
ruins In every direction rs far as the
eye could see; millions Of tons Of bricks
and mortor piled up In half.destroyed
Easements; strong breeze blowing dust
and ashes everywhere; writhing steel
beams and crimbling granite marking
the sites Of once imposing buildings, and
the very thought Of bringing order out
of chaos sufficient to staggcr the Inn
agination.
On the next day very different pic.
ture was presented. In every basement
was gang Of workmen. They strug.
gled with girders, piled brick, sifted
good material from refuse, handled pick
and shovel, mixed mortor, and loaded
wagons with deiiisss Thousands Of
busy hands were to be seen down every
street. Thousands OF teams went about
on the simultaneous task Of removal
and reconstruction, From half.fnished
steel buildings were seen donkey engines
In full blast, drawing up loads Of steel,
stone and brick, On sites already clear
ed carpenters and masons were at work
by the thousands, rushing up temporary
frame buildings. Over 8,000frame build
ings have been erected since the fire,
almost entirely for business purposes,
To one familiar with the crowds that
made Market street and the ferries fam.
ous, there does not appear to be any
diminution Of population. The car sys-
tenn Is wholly inadequate, although her
culean efforts have been made to estab-
lish communication. The ferries are as
crowded "a ever Theaters are filed
to suffocation. The st, Francis Hotel
put up a, temporary structure in Union
Square and is turning away q hundred
guests daily Other hotels are filled
and turning people away, Tt requires
only visit to San Francisco to disprove
the report that the city has lost half
It's population
Seized Van Ness Avenue.
Anomalous conditions resulted from
the haste Of merchants to get into busi-
ness Van Ness avenue was seized up
on partly because 1t was wide, paved
thoroughfare, and partly because IL