Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-18
BUILDING DISTRICT WRECKED.
Fires Raging and No Water for Fire
men.


SAN FRANCISCO, April 1s-The busi-
ness section of the city from Market street
to Mission street and from the bay back
has been almost completely wrecked. The
Call and Examiner buildings are destroyed.
| Many buildings along Market and Mission
streets. including the department stores,
collapsed. Hundreds of people in the cheap
tenement district are reported killed. Fires
are raging, and owing to scarcity of water
are practically beyond control. Business is
practically suspended. The offices of the
Postal Telegraph Company in the Hobart
building are wrecked. is the Associated
Press building, at 302 Montgomery street.
The residence portion Is but slightly dam
aged, although nearly every house has been
more or less injured.
The Valencia Hotel between 18th and
18th streets on Valencia street a five
story frame building, toppled over into the
street. burying seventy-fve people in the
debris. only the top story remaining in
tact A house on 14th street near Va
lencia was wrecked killing two people
Fire Houses Damaged.
Many OF the fire houses are damaged
go badly that 1t is impossible to get the
fire apparatus out. A lodging house on
7th street between Howard and Mission,
known as the Kingsley. entirely collapsed.
1t is on fire and seventyfve to eighty
people are believed to be buried in the
flaming ruins. At 22d and Mission the dry
goods store of Lipman is on fire, threaten
Ing the destruction of the entire block
At 18th and Valencia street there ia a
crevice in the street six feet wide and
entire sidewalks are torn up The street
tracks a
the southern section of the city and traffic
is aat a standstfll
AT the Southern Pacific Hospital water ia
being carried into the building from out
side sources for the use of the patIents
Many people suffering from injuries are
seen on the streets making their wav to
the different hospitals The Episcopal
Church on 18th street is badly damaged and
at the Studebaker carriage factory on 10th
ana Market streets, the top story cayed
IN badly, Wrecking the entire building
Beyond Control of Firemen.
Fire which has been raging IN tho ,,fo,n-
ity OF 4th and Stevenson Streets has botteu
beyond the control OF the fremen and the
flames have leaped to the Winchester room
Ing house on the west side of Sd street
Unless the flames can be checked hero
the Palace Hotel, one block distant will
be endangered.
me water supply is entirely inadeoua ia
| and powder is being used to check tho
| flames
me rooms In the Palace Hotel were va
Uat 49,. Early IN the morning and guests are
ny" returning TO gather up their afYac,s
| All sorts of vehicles are being used to
! carry out of the danger zone eyerytbins,
/ OF value. - 'iiiis
The loss Of life seems 10 have been con.
| fined to the poorer districts and p,an,fan-
| turing territory. az
| For the benefit of eastern peonIe who
nave irlehds visiting In San Francisco, 1t
| Is saie TO say that they have not been
| injured.
| Buildings Blown Up to Stop Fires.
| AS the hours go by the excitement yrou,.
| more intense. Every few minutes explo-
sions are heard as buildings are blown IN
i TO stop the progress of the flames. The
| fires are spreading and If the wind comes
! Cp San Francisco will experience the great
est conhagration of modern times On lower
1 Market street. the main thoroughfare Of
the city, many blocks OF substantial build
| ings have been destroyed. A big fire ia
| raging on the corner of Sansome and Pine
| streets. one block from the Associated
| Press office. The widest rumors as TO
| loss of life are coming to the newspapers
| but 1t Is impossible to confirm them No
reports have been received outside of San
/ Francisco, but the damage about tho bay
| must be enormous. Oakland is said to
| have suffered severely.
The fire in the vicinity of the Palace and
| Grand Hotels is rapidly approaching these
| buildings and from present indications
| they will fall prey to the flames within
| half an hour. The Examiner and Call
buildings are also in imminent danger.
Entire Block Threatened.
| A fire which broke out In the Mack
| Wholesale Drug Company, 10 and Is FIRE.
| mont street, threatens 10 destroy the entire
| block.
dre.
| On California and Pine streets the fire has
| reached to Sankome street
From Pine and Dupont streets fires can