The Washington times., 1906-04-19
RESIDENCE SECTION NOW ABLAZE

and at this hour it looks as IL the limit
of human resistance has been reached.
The flames have burned over ten
square miles of the heart of the city
and DESTROYED more than 100 city blocks.
besides the small fires that rage in diff
ferent parts of the town. At a. m.
the fire Is still burning iercely in every
direction. checked on two sides by the
water OF the bay. and held back from
the other two and from resident dis
tricts by the gale That has famed it
self nearly all night.
Today. san Francisco is without street
car service There was no light last
night except the glare Of the iiames-
for the gas plants have blown UP or
shut on for purposes of safety.
Quarter of Population Homeless.
Nearly a quarter of the population Of
the city either has fed TO the hills and
other supposed points of greater safety
or are homeless today.
Martial law has been proclaimed; !;
nearly A,GOO soldiers arc patro!ling the
streets with orders to shoot ali vandals.
While the center of the earthquake
was I'm san Francisco. the destruction
and death cover the coast for miles. and
tho scenes in San Francisco are being
duplicated on a smaller scale in half a
dozen nearer cities.
Santa Rosa is a total wreck and there
are lt.OG0 homeless in that city. The loss
OF life probably will reach into the hun
dreds.
Leland Stanford University. given TO
the people by Mrs. Stanford in memory
OF her s0n. was destroyed by the seismic
shock. One report from PaIo Alto SAYS
that only one Of the magnificent build
inES remain standing. while another re-
port says hat conditions are not quite
as bad.
Boundaries of the Burned District.
The area burned over is bounded by
Vallejo. Howard East. and Sansome
Streets. which embraces practically the
entire wholesale district OF the city, the
fine retail district, and office buildings
district along Sansome and California
streets, and the great commercial and
banking district along California street.
where mos, Of the banks and brokerage
houses OF the city are located.
Block after block OF banking houses
are now masses of red-hot ruin, and il
VIII be months before the money that
was housed IN their vaults can be re-
moved. The second district that was
swept clean by the fire is that bounded
hy Second, Market, Eighth, and Fulton
streets-that Is, from the Union Sta
uon on the water front at the foot OF
Market street back to Eighth.
This district contained the finest office
buildings. hotels, retail stores, theaters.
ana shops Of the city.
Landmarks of the City Gone.
The landmarks OF the city-its show
piaccs-the SpreCkels building, the Call
building. the great Phelan block, the
Examiner building, and the immense
Palace hotel. said TO be one of the
largest in thc world practically are in
ruins. The Majestic, the Grand, the
Columbia and the Orpheum theaters are
piles OF smoking ruins.
Chinatown IS now a remiuiscence. The
Chinese theaters and joss houses are in
ruins and rOOkery after rOOkery has
collapsed, covering alive hundreds Of
the celestials. Panic prevails among
the thousands of Chinese and they FIJI
the streets. dragging whatever they can
save from the wrecks
Tho japanese quarter has been burned
our and from the part not destroyed
the people have fed in terror.