The Springfield herald., 1906-04-27
Large Buildings Destroyed.

San Francisco.-Most of the old land
marks, made famous by association
with the early history of California as
well as the new monuments TO the
commercial prosperity of the Califor-
mia metropolis, have been wiped out
of existence by the dreadful conilagra-
tiol One of the first to fall prey TO
the flames after the destruction OF the
business district was the Palace no
tel, known the world over TO travellers.
1t was built in the '10s by James Rais-
ton at n cost of s6,000,0O0 and was
owned by the Sharon estate. Many or
San Franciscos wealthy residents
made their home at the Palace and per-
sonal property losses in art treasures
and other effects have been great.
The Hopkins Art Institute. located
on mob hill" owned by the Uni
versity of California and built by
Mark Hopkins, was destroyed, with its
priceless contents.
Close by were the Stanford mansion,
the Huntington the Flood and the two
Crocker mansions. All were swept
away These were the handsomest pri-
vate residences in San Francisco and
were built by the men whose names
they bear in the early days of the city's
greatness and who played such impor-
tant roles in the development of the
Pacific coast.
The great new Flood building, built
by James Flood at a cost of Si,OOO,OO0
and occupied about year ago. the
new Merchants Exchange building on
California street. erected at a cost OF
81, 100000; the Crocker building at
Montgomery and Market streets, mil
JzII st,.,,r hn IL
ing at Bush and Montgomery, costing
the same; the new Shreve building at
Post street and Grant avenue, costing
$1,000, 900, and occupied April-1st by the
largest Jewelry store on the coast, are
some of the new structures destroyed
by the flames. The Shreve Jewelry
COMPANY carried q stock worth 81 OOO,-
600.
On Market street the Phelan build
ing. one of the earliest attempts at
pretentious form of architecture in the
business district, and covering the
most valuable piece of real estate in
San Francisco, is gone. The great
group of buildings standing on piece
OF ground bounded by Larliin. Meal
lister and Grove streets, erected by the
city of San Francisco at cost of 81
100000 and known as the city and
county buildings, are now a mass of
smoking, smoldering ruins. With the
buildings were probably destroyed the
city and county records.
The beautiful St. Francis hotel, fac
ing Union square. erected at cost OF
81, 500, 900, and the Fairmount hotel at
California and Powell streets, the most
conspicuous location in the city, are
in ruins from the flames. The Fair
mount was built by Mrs. Herman Del
richs at cost of S3,000.000 and named
in honor of her father, the late Senator
James j. Fair.
The magnificent group of buildings
at Van Ness avenue and Hayes street
of the ST. Ignatius College and Cathe-
dral. probably worth 100000, and st.
Dominick's church on Steiner street
near California, and the Emanuel syn
agogue, a handsome structure OF the
Oriental type on Sutter street, We're
wiped out.
The Hall of Justice, facing Ports
mouth square and just east OF emma
town, was early prey of the names.
Sweeping up the hillside the unre-
strained element leaped from block to
block through Chinatiwn, the combus-
tible material of the flimsy structures
feeding the flames like powder.
Up and on and over the hills to the
westward the confiagration gained
headway when it reached the resi-
dence section. From Golden Gate ave
nue. northward to Pacific street the
buildings were dynamited 10 stay the
progress of the flames. but without