Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1906-04-26
TURNS TO FUTURE
Hope Rises in San Fran
cisco When Fire
Is Out
Survivors Take COur-
age, Though Loss Is
S4OO,OOO,OOO.
Heartstrings of Continent
Touched by the City's
DeSOlatiOn.
Tide of Gold Flows Westward
to Relieve Suffering of
Stricken.

day. The homeless people found shell
ter-such as it was-in parks and
across the bay. and all remaining in the
city were fed. San Francisco's heroic
fire fighters at last triumphed, and the
flames which devastated three-fourthS
of the city were finally under complete
control
The long and heroic struggle to sub
due the flames reached its successful
conclusion Saturday morning near the
ferry house. where thousands were
trapped on the wharves, to which they
had been driven by the relentless adj
vance of the fire. Here the final stand
was made by firemen. sailors and citi-
Zens. aided by fire tugs and few en-
gines- Victory rewarded their efforts,
and the entrapped people were saved.
Sunday, for the first time in nearly
200 years the church bells did not cali
the people to worship. Most Of the
churches had been converted into rub
bish heaps by earthquake and fire. The
few still standing were filled with
homeless. sick, and injured. But there
were religious seryices-services i'll the
parks and open spaces where the home
less were camping in tents and under
trees-services of thankfulness that so
many were saved where so many were
in peril and of gratitude for the gener
osity of Il nation which responded so
nobly and so promptly to avert a fam
inc.
$4,000 Homeless Chant Hymn.
In the midst of San Franchises ruin
and desolation Sunday 10000 homeless
people in Golden Gate Park united their
voices in this hymn:
Other refuge / have none; hangs my help
less soul on Thee.
Leave oh leave me not alone; still sup
port and comfort me.
All my trust on Thee is stayed, all my
help from Thee | bring
Cover my defenseless head with the shad
.ow of thy wing.
City Vast Ash Heap.
No better description can be given to
the once beautiful city than that of
vast ash heap. DeSolation and ruin
greet the eye from every direction.
viewing the scene from the center of
the business district. Golden Gate
Park and the Preside are great camps
in which over 100000 men, women and
children are patiently waiting until
they can say they have homes of their
own. They are living under martial
rule with an accomplishing resigna-
ton. enduring hardships which they
never dreamed of, yet without muir
muir.
All day the sight is presented of
thousands standing in line before the
food supply depots, waiting for their
daily allotment of rations. The man
who counted his wealth by thousands
is not above standing elbow to elbow
with the man who was in the humblest
circumstances four days before the dis
aster. The woman who rode in an au-
tomobile and commanded an army of
servants receives her bread after the
poor washerwoman has been supplied,
and shows no sign of pridt
Hope Rises Anew.
When the reign of terror was over
in the stricken city, reason returned to
its throne Public confidence in the flu
ture of San Francisco-the belief that
the worst had happened and that the |
day had passed for grieving-was made |
manifest Saturday by Il return flow of |
refugees who fed from the city Will
it was rocking on its foundations and |
whitening beneath the flames.
The return movement of the refugees |
is one of many signs telling of the new |
order of things that had been estab- |
lished. Martial law was the stern force |
that crushed the lawless element and |
afforded protection to the law-abiding |
citizens who we're helpless in their ex-
tremity. The combined strength of the |
federal troops, the State militia the |
police, and the students from the Uni |
versity of California achieved the first |
step toward the restoration of order.
In the reckoning up of the extent of |
the disaster conservative minds hest |
tated. The nearest approach to the ag-
gregate destruction of life and property |
is estimated as follows: Number OF |
lives lost, $500; property destroyed, |
S400000.0OO. The boundaries of the |
fire-swept district include at least three
fourths of the city's area.
2 Downtown wholesale and retail dis |
tricts are complete ruins, few buildings |
in these districts standing The greater |
part Of the residence section also is |
ruined and the fire swept through sec |
tons where homes of wealthier class |
resided
Temporary business houses have |
been opened at Oakland across the |
bay. and every preparation possible is |
being made for reopening business
houses in San Francisco itself. As fast |
as ruins can be cleared away temporary |
structures will replace destroyed bust
ness houses.
Will Rebuild at Once.
Tt was announced Saturday that i'm
mediate steps for rebuilding the city
were being taken. and with the fire I'M
der control order was restored and the |
work of cleaning up the ruins COM |
menced. Estimates of the loss of prop
erty range from $500, 100000 to $780,
100000. either of which may be correct |
when it is considered that assessed val
ues in the city exceed S400, 100000. and
that three-fourths of the city is in
ruins. Estimates of the loss by earth
quake shocks are less than 10 per cent.
Old papers for sale at this office.