Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-04-24
Incidents of the Great Fire Mar
rated by Reporters of San
Francisco Sheets.
MILKMEN WERE ALL HEROES.
Refused Big Prices For MIX 30 That
IL Could Go 10 the Children and
Babies Of the Poor.
lsnecial to the "News.nl

what he sees, and his instincts are 10
see with trained eyes. and TO get into
the midst of whatever Is being done.
This accounts for the fact that a party
of San Francisco news gatherers, with
out food for So hours, and without
Offices to report to, and nothing to
write. and nowhere 10 write IT, wan
dered around San Francisco streets
making pictures mentally that II ever
finally written up will probably be
the classics of that great and fatal
Wednesday morning. The tales told
by this bunch now as they talk over
conditions In Oakland and back across
the bay seeking liver news than mere
"reminiscences are thrilling in the ex
treme, and give much greater COM
prehension OF the spirit Of that terrible
day than do most stories. extracted
with the same care from the other in
habitants of the city,
The bunch started down Market
Wednesday noon, and were stopped by
sentry. who told them that street
must be absolutely kept free from peo-
pie. They said they were reporters
however and an Associated Press man
hurrying by at the time, In another
the guard let them pass. Picking their
way over the debris they suddenly
heard line of blasphemy that was un-
usual even to reporters. coupled with
orders to fly for their lives.
They dug out, and block and half
down the street, after they had been
covered with flying debris, and had
heard the terrific explosion as the great
brick building they had been passing,
fell In heap to the ground. they met
the swearing fireman, who had laid the
charge of dynamite. and with them
was Abe Ruef, the great political boss
of San Francisco, whom the enemies of
Mayor Schmitz have always declared
was the real mayor. Reuf was stand
ing bareheaded, with red eyes ana dis
heveled hair. but recognizing the men
Of the press he came up to Congratu-
late them and call them pack of fools.
MILKMEN WE'RE HEROES.
Among the heroes of the hour must
be rated the milkmen They were Of
fered great prices for their product out
in the parks, but with few exceptions
they refused golden measures for their
milk. and before they would sell at
any price, the purchaser had to show
that in the family were children to be
fed. or nursing babes to be kept from
starving. Milk to the adult was not
sold at any price and many instances
were noted where mllkmen refused the
most handsome prices In order that
their product might get TO the children
and babies.
SHOOTING THE DOGS.
From now on the big task In San
Francisco Is TO be the sanitary one,
and on every side the popping of rifles
and reyolvers may be heard as a hap
less dog or cat is put out OF existence
The soldiers and police have orders to
shoot all stray animals to keep them
from carrying disease about while the
attention of the authorities Is given
more to the sanitary question than any
other, since the first cry for food was
satisfied.
DIED ON THE STREET.
the feeble in San Francisco. The panic
OF cattle in the mountains, and OF wild
horses on the range Is not unlike the
panic of herded people. when fright
conquers reason. In one long row OF
people sat resignedly on the porches
and refused TO move. sSoldiers rushed
In to tell them the houses must be
blown up at once, TO try to stop the
flames, and then they could not go, and
this house must not be dynamited be-
cause the head of the household was
very sick with typhoid inside. The sol
diers literally forced the people out
and then rushed inside TO get the old
man. They brought him out on matt
ress and he died IN the street where
they laid him down till a conveyance
could be secured. A few minutes later
the house was cracking like match
box, and In half an hour II was only
a ruin while the fire WAS stampedine
all before it two blocks further on.
HISTORICAL EFFORTS TO SAVE
One Examiner writer rushed into the
street clutching n safety razor and held
10 II for an hour of hard work in the
streets. He realized he had II only
when some Of his companions showed
him It In his hand, He tells of women
well dressed, and from the best houses
rushing down the streets, dragging AT
ter them bundles Of belongings fastened
with ropes Every cross street anC
square was piled Wednesday morning
with these belongings. and their tiret
possessrs after dragging them FOL
miles perhaps, had to smile between
their tears as they watched the flames
lick them up, as they themselves re
treated farther away for safety.
Many a fireman wore himself out II
the fire lighting TIL he reeled as &
drunk and staggered from place e
place from sheer exhaustion. A wo
man stood by one fire engine near Var
Ness avenue with a bottle of milk anC
whiskey and kept passing 1t to the en-
glneer from time to time. The man
who saw It considered that she KEEP
him at work on the stlmulsnt long az
ter he naturally would have fallen owe
from sheer fatigue, and he declared sh,
should be given a place Of honor will
the Womens Christian Temperate,
people and the Red Cross as well.
THE CRAZE FOR WATER.
"One proclamation that wasn't pub
lshed, but which was In force sale
one Of the dlrtiest faced men that coulo
be imagined, was that a man caugh
washing his face or brushing his teetl
should be shot on the spot" He mean
that every drop Of water available
should be used for drinking and neces
sary cooking, and even then Their
wasn't enough to go round, so that h
would wash-well he simply wouldn't
and II he respected the demands Of tn
general welfare he couldn't.
A BOTTLE OF CHAMPAGNE.
This happened on the ferry goln,
over to Oakland. A man pulled a bot
tie Of champagne out off his pocket. an,
asked a waiter In the ferryboat restau
rant. TO bring him two glasses AM
some ice. Then he asked the man mex
TO him to join In a toast. "Yesterda,
| was worth s25 600" he declared, "ant
today all I have left Is this bottle o
champagne and the clothes on mi
back" He and his lmpromptu frient
drained the bottle. He was a nativ,
Californian
ISAAC RUSSELL.