The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-04-20
A Roaring Furnace.
an entire block.

- 1N0oA AAAS ALoSS' ~
Chinatown. at noon to-day. vas II fur
mace and tho denizens Of that quarter
earlier in the day had their simple pos
| sessions bundled for departure. On tho
farther western side the flames cut a
wide@patli to Van Ness Avarac, but hero.
owing to}the width of that thoroughfnre
and TO the additional fact that there was
a weak water supply in the mains, it was
hoped TO check the ruin ut this line.
There Is stu much con infusion concerning
the loss of life. This forenoon there were
twcnty-seven corpscs lying III Ports
mouth Square gathered from various sec
tons.
1t is said that elsewhere bodies are IT,
ing the streets there being no means
available to remove them. In his travel
down Market Street the Associated Prnss
representative saw three bodies lying III
tic debris, some rude covering having
been thrown over them.
st 20 o'clock the flames were sweep
ing up Russian Hill famed by a. brisk
wnt.
Stay Progress.
The most lamentablc feature of the
con1agration Is the utter absence nf
means TO stay its progress. There is no.
a sound water main east OF Van Ness
Avenue, and west Of that street tho
supply has been made scapty hv nurne-
rous breaks in the continuity of the
pines, due y, the earthquake
~ Yet. at Van Ness Avenue. the fremen
F.! though practically exhausted from over
| twenty-four hours work and lack OF
food determined to make desperate
| stand Should the fro cross Van Ness
,, Avenue and the wind continue It's earlier
! dircctio ntownId the west, tho tlestr,lct ton
nj IN piunf, ,,.t1J 4.
! plctc West of Van Ness and north of
4 McAlister, constitutes the finest part of
[ the metropolis. Here are located all of
| the finer homes of tho well TODD aud
! Weather classes, and If 1t should fall
before the ronflagra ton there would bo
little lett of the city except few scat
| tered suburbs. I Is IN these latter places.
| md especially The ones nearer the Ocean
| Rench thtn the hIllt of tthc homeless arc
| seeking sAfoty. although the rush to the
ferries was in The nature Of panic
Residences Blown w.
| ] T. Nit was decided ut noon 70
/ BLOW IN alGthe residences on the east side
LOT MN Ness Avenue between Golden
i Gate Avenue and Pacific Avenue, a dis
tanccEof ono milo. Van Ness Avenue is
one OF the most fashionable streets OF tho
city. and it is Very wide. It is hopcd to
| check the flames n that point.
The Paramount Hotel. on Mob Hill Is
in flames. Tho structure will probably
not be seriously damaged. MS It IS as
I nearly nrepro.f rs possible to make It.
The hotel and land arc valued at 5000, ON.
Mayor schmitz has appealed to all Cali
| fornia cities for food and bedding. Ra.
tons for 10000 are being sent from
Seattle and Vancouver.
Tents and medicinal supplies arc com.
Ing from the military posts at Mon.
! terey.
The Southern Pacific Hospital. at -Four,
teenth and Mission streets has been
| dynamited, tho patients having been re.
'-'n''eb - 's'acns nf safety. The Linda
| Vista and tho Pleasanton. two large fam.
| lily hotels Oh Jones street in the better
| part of the city, have been blown up Ia
! stay the progress of tn econhag,ation.
| The three morning newspapers of San
| Francisco. the Call, tho Chronicle and
! III" Examiner, will combine in an issue
tomorrow morning from the plant of the
! oakland Tribune. President Hartman
OF tho Southern Pacific Company, has
| wired orders 10 place the conlpany,s
freight dcpots at the disposal OF the San
J Francisco municipal officers.