CanÌƒon City record. [volume] (CanÌƒon City, Colo.) 1883-192?, 1906-05-03

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floor or two burned out and the great
superstructures dropped down to the
street level to be consumed later by
the fire, the force and fury of which
seemed irresistible.
For two days and as many nights
the progress of the fire was unchecked
but by the use of explosives the city
authorities gradually retarded the
onward sweep of the flames and by
| 2 o'clock Friday morning were mas
ters of the situation, although by that
| time the devastated district extended
| from the water front to Van Ness ave-
nue..
My Office and contents, said Mr..
Simpson, were buried, but, he con-
tinued, l was lucky enough to have it
insured and will receive some reim-
bursement for my loss.
There were a few buildings left
standing in the burned district, par
graph and Russian hills, which were
protected by their isolated condition
The fire revealed the fact that
many. of the merchants of San Fran
cisco carried no insurance on their
goods, or only nominal amount
which is unaccountable in view of the
uncertain protection afforded to prop
erty of that character in a great city
Relief was so systematically well
organized that there was little. If any
hunger or suffering after the first
twenty-four hours had passed. The
distribution of food and clothing was
made under the direction of the
United States military authorities
and was both generous and impartial
The first night after the disaster
we slept in Jefferson park, and, al
though the park contains only four
ordinary sized city blocks, 10000
people slept on its grassy lawns that
night and were glad of the privilege
OF doing so.
How many people were killed in
San Francisco by the earthquake will
never be definitely known as many
were buried under the fallen build
ings, or were cremated in the holo-
caust which swept over many square
miles of the most densely populated
section of the city, but four or FIVE
thousands would be a conservative es-
innate.
In cheap lodging house on How
ard street two hundred and fifty per
sons lost their lives; not one of the
inmates escaping fate they were
powerless to prevent
The proclaiming of martial law in
San Francisco resulted in great an
noyance and hardship TO the people
but was probably necessary in view
of the exigencies of the occasion
The United States troops were all
right owing to the thoroughness
of their discipline. but the state
rather than OF protection TO the
city. Many of them we're from
the country towns and We're fright
ened by their surroundings, rendering
them of no service as guardsmen.
In one instance that came to our
personal knowledge a militiaman shot
and killed a woman for building
fire in stove in her own home. and
in another woman was shot by a
guardsman for stealing some article
of trifing value from one of the ref
ugees in Golden Gate Park.
Several times at night we heard the
challenge of the militiamen as pedes-
trians passed along the street where
we were staying and minute or two
later would hear the report of a rifle
as bullet was fired at some belated
and unfortunate citizen
Mrs. Simpson and Mrs Routt stood
in line for two hours and a half at
Jefferson lark the morning after the
earthquake in order TO get up to the
commssary tent where food was be-
ing given out by the military authori-
/ ties
The banks were all destroyed or
closed up, and. except what people
had in their purses or trousers pock-
cts when the earthquake came, no
body had any money and all had TO
rely upon the authorities for some
thing TO eat.
All lines of distinction were ohliter-
ated in the effort to obtain food and
| II was social democracy pure and
simple that appealed to the military
that morning for something to ap-
pease their hunger
The Dewey monument in Union
Square withstood the earthquake
shock. so did many of the steel sky
scrapers on Market, Montgomery
Kearney and other streets. although
most OF them subsequently fell vic
Tins to the flames.
For a day or two after the calamity
people in the east who had friends in
San Francisco could not understand
why they did not hear from them; ap-
parently forgetting that the wires
were all down and there was no
means OF getting a telegraphic mes
sage out of the city. and, II there had
been. few OF us had the money to pay
for sending them. The only way that