The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1906-04-20
FLEEING FOR SAFETY.
Flocking by Thousands to Ferries and
Suburbs.


San Francisco, April 19.-Thousands
upon thousands of people are fleeing
from the fire. They are flocking to
the ferries, to the parks, to the mill
tary reservation and to the suburbs.
The residents of the hill sides in the
central portion of the city, seemingly
were safe from the roaring furnace
that was consuming the business Sec
tlon. They watched the towering
mounds of flames and speculated as to
the extent of the territory that was
doomed. Suddenly there was a whis-
pered alarm up and down the long line
OF watchers and they hurried away to
drag clothing, cooking utensils and
scant provisions through the streets.
From Grant avenue the provession
moved westward. Men and women
dragged trunks, packed huge bundles
or blankets, boxes Of provisions, every
thing. Wagons could not be hired. ex-
cept by paying the most extortionate
rates.
The people are calm, stunned. They
seem not to realize the extent of the
calamity. They hear that the city is de-
stroyed in so far as business plants are
concerned; they tell each other in the
most natural tone that their residences
were wiped out by flames, but there is
no hysteria, no criticism.
Mayor Schmitz and Chief of Police
Dinan have been forced from place to
place by onrushing flames. Daybreak
found them directing the municipal
council, which is organized as a COM
mittee of safety, from the Fairmont
hotel, a beautiful structure that stood
on the apex of Mob hill. But that
caught fire and they retreated to the
Gushing, at Larkin and Sutter streets,
then to the north end police station in
Sacramento street. Here the council,
composed of financial leaders of the
city, met this morning and decided to
resort to the most heroic measures vet
undertaken.
Heroic Measures Adopted.
This decision was to lombard the
entire section lying along the east side
of Van Ness avenue from Golden Gate
avenue to Pacific avenue, 16 blocks in
all, containing the homes of million
aires, and apartment houses. The mil
ltary was notified and barrels of gun
powder, the only remaining explosive
in the city, were taken from the Pre-
sidio, Fort Mcdowell, Alcatraz and
other nearby places. Hundreds of DO
lice, regiments of soldiers and scores
OF volunteers were sent into the doom
ed districts to warn the people to fee.
These heroically responded to the de-
mand of authority and trudged painful
y over the pavements with the little
they could get together. Every avail
able wagon was taken by the military
to carry powder.
General Funston is cooperating with
Mayor Schmitz, whose orders are to
Kill without warning all malfactors.
When men have been needed to carry
out plans of rescue, they have been
into service. In only few in
stances was it necessary to resort to |
cooked revolver or drawn sword.
Living in Open Air.
The Preside reservation, the vast |
Richmond district of thousands of
lcres, Golden Gate park and the sur
'ounding hills, resemble one vast pic
Tic ground. Tents and improvised COW
'rings have been erected everywhere,
replaces built in places, and beds and
mattresses thrown down all over the
ection. The people thus situated are
There is only one great
LANCER, and that is that the food sup
ly will run out. Every grocery in San
francisco has been seized by the au-
horities and each family is being sold
My one article at time. The police
nd military prohibit overcharging.
Seneral Funston announced this morn