Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-04-21

many OF a similar nature. From this
point down to the Oakland ferry the
scene was appalling. On either side
was ruin-nothing but ruin.
To the south in hundreds Of blocks
handy building remained whole
The new postofice and the United
States mint were not badly damaged.
The latter escaped almost unscathed
on account Of it's isolated environment
and the peculiarly fireproof construc.
ton, but the force of rending power
Of the earthquake can be seen in the
cracked walls of the postoffice, and in
front of it, on Seventh and Mission
streets, the ground had sunk for sew.
eral feet.
Army Building Is Quilted.
Across an alley from the postoffice
stood the Grant building, one Of the
headquarters Of the army. This was
Quilted. Opposite the Grant building,
on Market street, the ruins of the Hi
bernian Savings bank loomed up, Its
former beautiful frontage transformed
into hideous aspect. This was the
great bank Of the middle and poorer
classes, and its loss will cause possibly
greater sorrow south of Market street
than perhaps the loss of any one insti-
tuition. From this point down to the
ferry the same story could be told Of
each successive block.
The great Flood, Croker, Phelan,
and other buildings are included in the
list Of destroyed property. The Palace
hotel still stands, huge monument to
the awful disaster, it's blackened walls
and empty interior bearing little re.
semblance to the huge hostelry of q
few days ago.
The handsome, gigantic ST. Francis
hotel, on Powell street, fronting on
Union square, is ruined shell. This
was one Of the high steel structures
that had defied the terrible tremble OF
Wednesday, but this morning it is an.
other sad tribute to the completeness
Of the devastation that has visited San
Francisco.
Other skyscrapers Destroyed.
Among the other high skyscrapers
north of Market street that fell prey
to the flames were the fourteen story
Merchants Exchange and the Mills
building, occupying almost an entire
block.
Chinatown yesterday was a furnace,
and the denizens of that quarter ear.
lier in the day had their simple pos
sessions bundled for departure. On
the farther western side the flames cut
wide path to Van Ness avenue, but
here, owing to the width of that thor
oughfare and to the additional fact
that there was a weak water supply in
the mains, they were checked for a
time.
PalatiaI Residences Destroyed.
When the fire began it's advance up.
on Mob hill, the choicest residence
section of the city, was doomed, per-
haps never again to become what It
has been. 1t was on Mob hill that many
of California's richest men, those who
had made their fortunes in mining and
In developing the city which is now a
mass Of ruins, made their residence.
Many of these men are now dead, and
it is likely that some of the palatial
homes destroyed today never will be
rebuilt.
At the southwest corner of Califor-
MIA and Powell streets, just on the
brink of the hill, was the residence of
the late Leland Stanford. At the
death of Mrs. Stanford, about year
ago in Honolulu, the mansion became
the property of Leland Stanford uni
versity. 1t contained many art treas.
ures of great value.
On the southeast corner of the same
block stood the home of the late Mark
Hopkins, who amassed many millions
along with Stanford, G. P. Huntington
and Charles Croker in the construc-
ton OF the Central Pacific railroad
from Ogden to Sacramento. The Hop
kins home was presented to the Uni
versity of California by his heirs, and
it was known as the Hopkins art In
stitute.
Across California street from the
Stanford and Hopkins homes was sit.
uated the Fairmount hotel, which has
been under construction for more than
two years, and which was almost ready
for occupancy. 1t was a handsome
white stone structure, seven stories
high, and occupied an entire block.
The land was owned by the late Sen
ator Fair, who was associated with
John w. Mackay, James Flood, and
James O'Brien, all of whom amassed
great fortunes in Nevada mines early
in the '70s.
Million Dollar Home Gone.
One block west of the Paramount
was located the Flood home, a huge
brown stone mansion, said to have
cost more than s1,OO0,OOO. The Hunt
ington hoXe, which is the least pre-
tentious othe residences of the big
Four" oci pies the block on Califor-