Omaha daily bee., 1906-06-17
LIFE IN THE STRICKEN CITY
Busy Scenes in the Wrecked Section Of
San Francisco.
REBUILDING ALONG The OLD LINES
Plans for a City beautiful Discarded
by the Necessities of the Pres
ent-Insurance Money
Held Back.

by the Necessities of the Pres
ent-Insurance Money
Held Back.
There is something doing in San Francisco
all the time. Constructive work and plan
ming is going on day and night. The former
| is not going forward as rapidly as citizens
desire, owing to the delay in settling the
| insurance. San Francisco newspapers and
| correspondents unsparingly Clnounce the
| dilatory tactics of fire insurance companies
| in lodging payment Of their obligations.
Feeling runs high in this important matter,
/ so high in fact that the state insurance
commissioner threatens to annul the char
| tiers granted certain companies to do bust
ness in California.
There are a dozen or more "class A.
buildings which came out of the earthquake
and fire with only darpaged or Quilted in
terlors. The companies refuse to allow
the owners to make repairs under threats
| that If they do so they will jeopardize
their insurance.
i 1t is known that they stopped the Wells
Fargo Express people from going ahead
with their fine structure at Second and
Mission streets. They have also stopped
the st. Francis hotel and owners of the
new Shreve building, at Grant avenue and
Post street, from restoring their structures.
Here we have three 'class A. buildings.
Then there are buildings like the Kohl,
Mills, Claus Spreckels Fairmount hotel,
Mutual Savings bank and others. Ali of
these structures ought to be crowded with
workmen reftting them. and such would
be the case were 1t not for the dilatory
tactics Of the companies.
Built on Old Lines.
The Burnham plans for "a greater and
| magnificent city beautiful" have vanished
in thin air. San Francisco will be rebuilt
on practically the old lines, so far as the
great retail and wholesale streets are con-
cerned. The retail and wholesale districts
were the logical outgrowth Of the city be-
fore the fire and will maintain their prestige
in that respect in the Greater San Fran
CISCO" OF course there win be some
changes, but In the main the leading retail
and wholesale streets will remain intact.
The banks have gone back to their old
location, very significant move, when the
future growth and relocation OF business
in the new city is taken into consideration
The class A" buildings will in their re.
Mobilization supplement the influence OF
the banks. They viii be rallying points for
business growth and the sooner they art
rented the better 1t will be for the city'I
welfare. The visitor Ave years hence will
find Market street will be the city's prin.
cipal thoroughfare, the great artery of iti
business and social life. He will hnd the
Palace hotel, with it's world-famous court
restored, but instead Of a seven It will b,
a ten-story building, with the advantage
taken In its construction of every con
trivance for architectural effect and 10
the comfort OF its patrons which has beef
devised during the thirty-two years sine
the old hotel was built The st. Franci
will not be changed. There will be a new
Occidental on the historic site of the oil
and new Russ house. each built with tn
intention of keeping alive the old tradition
that are part OF the story OF the develop
ment OF California and of the building o
San Francisco.
The banking center will be where II origi
nally grew. with the imposing bank build
ings, which gave an air of dignity an
soldity to that part OF the city. restored
There will be the same newspaper center
with the well known buildins The solidl
built Mint building, which withstoOd o
admirably both earthquake shock and fire
will OF course be at the old site OF FIT
street, and the postoffice building, at Ia
corner OF Seventh and Mission streets
There will, OF course, be many changes, bu
, all Of them for the better, without maxim
radical changes in the lines and characte,
istics Of the city. Where thousands {
modern shacks and low brick building
built a third OF a century ago, stood befoI
the FIRE, modern structures will stand, an
streets will in some places have bee
, added.
: Chinatown on old Site.
Chinatown is likely TO rise again in II
. old site, the property owners promisin
= great and glorious things In the matter
!. buildings.
: 1t is proposed 10 sink artesian wells alor
a the lines OF the streets for a reserve supp
OF water in case OF future accidents
nlslns. An abundant supply of good wat
is available at 900 feet and it is estimate
s that the cost Of the wells would not exce'
!. 5000 each.
Some builders will probably try the e,
y pertinent of erecting all-metal structure
with asbestos or cork Innings. The arch
- tects say that the expansion and col
i traction OF the metal will constitute
IT difficulty.
One block on Van Ness avenue will
II covered soon with forty three-story n
tt buildings each building containing six NAT
lie There will be a central court iO0x250 feet,
which there will be access from the sire
,e for delivery wagons, and under the cou
y will be a big reserve tank OF sea wat
=, from the Pacific ocean, in case of fire al
a failure OF the ordinary supply. The IA
will cost $4,000
The public employment bureau has close
=, there being work for all who want It,"
o. The earthquake drove the city's IL
On opium and cocaine tends out Of town. T,
" powerful reasons impelled their flight. o
was that they could not get a supply