The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1906-05-03

0AurAOus faAace Hotel, That Cost
$4,000, OOO-Clin House, That Slid In
to the Sea, Was Favorite Resort of
Thousands-Massive MilTs Building
and Biggest Church Gone.
According to the most authentic re-
ports from San Francisco the earth
quake and following fire destroyed the
finest buildings as we'll as the poorest
in the city, says the New York Times.
The flames went marching up the hill
from the downtown sections, where
huddled the Chinese by the thousands,
to Van Ness avenue, the Fifth avenue
Of San Francisco, destroying some of
the most palatial homes Here are
brief descriptions of some of the best
known buildings In the city that were
destroyed:
Palace and Grand Notes.-The Pal
ace hotel, at Market and New Mont
gomery streets, covered two and
half acres OF land. 1t was seven sto-
ries high. The building cost 100000
and was projected by the late w. G.
Ralston. The Palace was the most ia
| nous hotel in the city. 1t was the rem
devious Of many notable men about
town, particularly the gourmands of
San Francisco. ..-.
The building was huge pile Of
stone and brick, in the center OF which
was court 81 by IA feet. 1t had
bitumen drive for carriages fifty feet
in diameter. The floor Of the prom
enade was paved with marble. The
west end of the court was encircled by
series Of Doric pillars Of classic de-
sign. The pillars We're surmounted by
| a coping on which We're tropical plants
and flowers. Tables and settees were
usually scattered about the court,
where men might have an afternoon
chat and smoke. g. ,-..
The court was covered by glass
| roof, and a goodly number of the $50
| rooms looked out into this opening,
which furnished them with subdued
light. The Palace hotel was connected
by a bridge across New Montgomery
street with the Grand hotel, which was
under the same management and
which was also destroyed.
The Palace hotel was provided with
reading and smoking rooms, social,
women's and mems parlors, telegraph
offices, billiard rooms, five elevators, a
restaurant and a grill room, which was
! considered one of the most elegant din
ing apartments for men in the world.
The outer and inner partitions were of
brick from top to bottom. Four arte-
sian wells furnished the hotel with wa
ter. From the top of the hotel fine
birdseye view Of the city could be OBJ
tanned. The extent of the corridors
amounted to some two and half
miles. The style of the building was
peculiarly San Franciscan, bay win
dows Astounding.
The Cliff House. This stood on Point
LobOs, at the south head of the Golden
Gate, on the extreme western coast Of
the peninsula upon which San Fran
cisco was built. 1t slid into the sea. 1t
was favorite resort in the summer.
attracting thousands from the thickly
settled eastern section of San Fran
and look out over the ocean and watch
sea lions playing around the rocks a
few hundred yards distant. Out to the
south he could see long line of sea-
beach upon which the breakers rolled.
On clear day Farallone islands; twen-
ty-six miles distant, can be seen from
the spot where stood the Cliff House.
Nho 81, eli into fhn
sea was designed after French cha
teau Of the seventeenth century. Run
ming around it was an inclosed bal
cony. There were parlors, dining
rooms and halls where photographs of
local objects of interest and curiOs
were sold. u ...s.-...-. III. IL:
The Cliff House has suffered several
disasters. 1t was first built in 1863 1t
was partly wrecked in July, 1886, when
the schooner Parallel drifted inshore
with $4,000 pounds of dynamite on
board, which exploded. Having been
rebuilt, it was burned to the ground on
Christmas night Of 1894. Cliff House
was seven miles from the Palace hotel,
and several car lines led to it. Its
keepers boasted that Presidents Grant,
Hayes and Harrison had stood on Its
balconies.
Mills Building. was one Of the
finest buildings In the city, being ten
stories high and made of California
marble, light pressed brick and terra
GOTTA It cost $1,000, 900 and was put
up in 1891-92 by D. o. Mills at the
northeast corner of Montgomery and
Bush streets. The three entrances from
Bush, Pine and Montgomery streets
led into great open court in the cen
ter. The entrance from Montgomery
street was through a magnificent mar
BILE arch that extended to the top Of the
second story. The halls were tiled and
WainscOted with marble. A complete
law library was supplied for the use Of
the tenants. The United States wealth
:er bureau had its headquarters on the
top door, with the signal station on the
roof. This was another building which
the San Franciscan was always proud
to point out to the visitor Built of