The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1906-05-06

| eager throug who mounted to the res
| erVoir on the west side or walked from
one street 10 another watching III,
glare. listening 10 reports or readius
the extra published i'm Oakland am,
eagerly purchased Down town III,
flames crossed Kearuey street shortly
before midnight and stretched toward,
California. Southwark the eye looked
across an unlimited vista of buildings
charred and Ieveled for the most part
TO the ground, while here ana there
larger edifices showed scarlet with
; flame. The exodus Presidioward and t.
the suburbs continued through the
night. Chinatown caught. and like rats
from a sewer the Mongolians came up
the hill, their yellow faces blanched
| with fear, their savings suspended
from long poles, little children astride
shoulders. women trudging along heavy
laden. some of them barely able TO
move in their dimunitive feet. Morn
! ing dawned unnOtiCed in the light of
the flames. which had steadily ascend
! ed against the light west wind and had
reached greedy fingers into the Hayes
| valley district, threatening to ring in
! the Mob Hill residences that had so
| far seemed immune. Horses We're eX-
! hausted and means of transit We're
| scanty indeed Italians. who had lost
| their grocery stores. yesterday rapidly
recouped their fortunes in a night by
conveying people and chattels for any
| price they cared to ask enormous sums
| being offered by panic-stricken people
who in this district We're generally
wealthy. At four in the morning the
/ fire had encroched so rapidly that a
change of scene seemed desirable and
~
veyance. The only one to be secured
was a small wagon driven by an Italian
who wanted $40 to take us to Mission
and Sixteenth street. Nothing larger
was available. and our charoteer was
being besieged by other bidders we
packed in the girls and what few bum
dies the wagon would hold and leaving
our home to the mercy of the fire and
the dispensation of Providence. we two
men started on the tramp. which was
to lead US eventually to the home of
Mrs. COard's father. beyond Twin
Peaks in the farthest corner of the Mis-
sion. The long tramp revealed similar
sights on every street. Campers every
where, in streets. on steps, anywhere
r quick escape could be effected. I'M
promptu fireplaces in the streets. many
of them torn and twisted and all en-
numbered with falling debris. The sun
still rose a crimson circle behind the
fire clouds as unencumbered with bun
die we overlook many refugees on their
way to friends or somewhere. anywhere,
out of the danger. The comparative
equanimity of the crowd was always
marvellous. A grim popularity seemed
to preVail-a splendid determination to
make the best of it that speaks Won
ders for the new San Francisco. Those
dressed in silk, and they We're many.
shared uncomplainingly the discOmforts
of those in cotton. The populance had
organized itself by acclaim into mu-
tual aid society. Mysteries were few
footing as vet uncOmmenced, and
when started soon to be stamped out
by the grim halt" of a bullet. Every
square, park, unoccupied lot or sand
hill seemed black with people camped
out as best they could. some With a |
sheet Or comforter for shelter, some
With none at all. soldiers We're in |
charge of property, and the famous |
relief lines so soon to be a prominent |
feature of the great earthquake and |
fire We're already found around |
the relief depots where food was be !
ing distributed
Towards the Mission the fire had |
swung around in an effort to complete |
it's circle, and al Sixteenth and Mission |
the flames We're within two blocks when |
we arrived and waited vainly for our
wives to appear. After some hours of
anxiety we found them safe and sound |
with our scanty belongings, having
bribed with the last of their cash a man
to take them farther from the danger
zone. Many there We're who sought
days for their loved ones, some seek |
them yet and some seek Vainly. The |
death loss seems very low in the face
of the suddeness of the disaster and
the extent of it's sway. Today only 271
deaths are registered, though other es- |
Inmates place the total loss at 1000. BY
Friday morning fire relinquished reluc-
tant grasp on the city, but not before a |
strenuous effort to completely destroy II
it. At Twentieth and Mission vigorous
blowing up and battering down of
houses foiled the flames while the width
of Dolores street saved the western |
end of the southern district. The fire
had ragged up Van Ness avenue and
only unstinted use of dynamite, the
supply of which throughout the fire
was frequently temporarily exhausted
when most needed, saved the western
half of the northern side of Market.
The west wind that had been prayed
FOR as a safeguard. caught the flames
that came up Van Ness, and the NobI
Hill residences were in a trap. Soon
hey We're Quilted and the residences of
he bonanza kings of California were
matters of memory. The Hopkins Art
institute, the palatial Fairmount, the
luxurious flats and apartment houses
all things of the past. Meantime a
hundred thousand We're encamped
hungry on the Preside
lopes and in Golden Gate Park The
and sick had been transferred
rom refuge to refuge as the fire swept
n its victorious career. and all energies
'ere bent on relief. Prompt support
anne from the nation at large.
Congress with two millions heads q
st of eight millions subscribed. The
ich of san Francisco, who found them
elves still wealthy. gave freely of what