The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1906-04-24

in the minds of men down there that
the "temblor" was not wholly responsible
for one tenth of the fires that devas,
tated the place; that the scum OF the
city; those who hated the rich and
lived only for their undoing, used the
moment of the panic and absorption in
cident to the shock, to set hundreds OF
fires in all localities There was no time
nor inclination, then, to attribute the
swift rising and widely separated fires
to any other cause than the one most
likely to be charged with II, namely.
the earthquake, but, now. after sea-
of careful reasoning there is growing
certainty that all the flames ar
ising south of Market street, were de-
hbemtely set by evil men with
evil intent. and that the fires got away
from them and ran the uttemost limits
OF the great town, was the very acme
OF all they hoped for
Except for some i'inges on the wes-
tern and southeastern limits OF the
city, there is no San Francisco, From
North Beach. around the waterfront,
as far south as the Marine Hospital,
and then back again to the beach on
diagonal line, the hills, and valleys
between. are swept clean, except for the
steel skeletons OF the sky.scrapers that
are standing but to accentuate the
scope and horror OF the wreck. The Call
building, the new Chronicle the Crock
er, the old Flood and dozen more of
the loftiest OF the unfinished buildings,
are all standing, Squarely in plumb, but
with all inner and outer work stripped
from them. Telegraph Hill, Russian
Hill and the benches that flank them.
rising gradually from Market street.
and including that magnificent street,
are utterly devested of everything in
the way OF home. business house,
church, theatre hall, or hostlery, and
there is nothing 10 guide one over the
old familiar routes OF the city except
an occasional oasis OF clear earth upon
which may be noted curb. a crossing
car-track, or something which defines
street.
what people are still there are
swarning in the parks and open spaces
about the city, living out in raw
day and night, few, perhaps. and most
ly women and children and the sick,
having the added comforts Of tents and
other improvised shelters. Martial law
reigns supreme, and the prime mercy
OF the whole situation j. the rieidity
and resourcefulness Of that law a. ap.
piled to San Francisco, in this, her
most dreadful hour Had not General
Funston, his officers and men been on
the ground quickly, and had not the
Unity OF authority been invoked at
every turn, the earthquake and the fire
would have been the least OF the evils |
that would have befallen the city and
her people. The army backed by all
the municipal powers that Mayor Sch
midi could array on the moment, is re-
spodsibe for the wonderful outcome
from a veritable he'll on earth.
"The omnipre.ence of quick and GER
tain death has had superb effect in
and Furnishing overt acts dur.
Ing this high crisis, and it make, a
man sick to the soul to think what
might have happened under less strong
government: for San Francisco like all
great cosmopolitan cities, had an un-
lerground world literally alive with
swarming scoundrels who would have
made incarnate use Of the Opportuni-
ties at hand, and say, again, and still
again, that the safe and grateful IS
sue of this immense reverse in old
Frisco, is due, first and last, to the
work done there by Funston and his
regiments.
"WiIl the city be built again? Will
young man, you cannot know the
spirit and pluck of those people very
well, to ask such question. Build?
OF course they'll build! And as never
before Already the brains and wealth |
and staunch manhood Of the city is en-
gagged in the preliminary work of
planning and rebuilding on scales of
breadth and direction and cost that will
make the old city look cheap to the
memory of the man most proud of it
in the old days. Why, there are mil
lions and millions of money yet in the
scorched and twisted vaults that lie
buried in the debris there, and the old
Argonaut spirit still survives, undaunt-
ed and resourceful as ever it was.
"No. / lost nothing Of any great
value. am a poor man, with enough