The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-04-21
line, and he wanted to be ahead of the

'So ~
diate needs. A force Of men worked all
day with the broken water mains. They
hope to have water running tomorrow
in the faucets Of the western district. No
attempt will be made to use any Of it on the
fire; it is too late for that; it is needed to
save life and not property. The soldiers
have taken charge Of the famine situa-
ton, clearing out the supplies of all the
ing them among the people actually in
need. The cooking in the public squares
continues, and they are setting up bakeries
in the Preside for the provision Of a public
food supply-if the flour holds out. The
stored supplies Of -four were wiped out in
the warehouse district, 1t is understood
that there has been an attempt to get in
cargoes Of -four from the stores at the mill
city of Stockton.
1t is impossible to say anything really
definite about the situation as regards
famine. The remaining inhabitants are
scattered over a great area; and one district
is cut off from the other by the fires, 80 that
in some places the soldiers must be working
without orders, simply on their own sense.
Thank God for these soldiers! They have
been the steadfast hope OF the people and
they have policed like heroes and ruled
like fathers.
In the central part Of the city they have
checked the outrageous famine prices to
starving people. When this morning
broke, lines formed before the stores whose
supplies had not been Communicated. In
one OF these, the first man was charged
rs cents for a loaf Of bread, The corporal
in charge at that point brought his gun
down with a slam.
Bread is 10 cents a loaf in this shop
he said.
1t went, The soldier fixed the schedule
Of prices a little higher than in ordinary
times, and to make up for that he forced
the storekeeper to give free food to several
hungry people in line who had no money
to pay. In several other places the soldiers
used the same brand of horse sense. Yet
we do hear of cases where bread went at a
dollar a loaf. There are no cases reported
Of actual starvation, although many come
into Oakland hungry, ready to grab food
and choke it down like animals.
The soldiers are taking the cue from Gen.
Funston. 1t Is said that he has not slept.
He is the real ruler of San Francisco now
and Is doing the best job he can, Yester-
day all the military tents available were set
up in the Preside and the troops we're
turned out Of the barracks to bivouac on the
ground. In these shelter tents they are
placing first, the sick; second the more deli
cate of the women, and third, the nursing
mothers.
DEAD BDERE BURIRp.
In the afternoon Gen. Funston ordered all
the lead buried at once in a temporary Gem
etery in the Presidio grounds. The recov-
cred bodies have been carted about the city
ahead of the flames. Many lay in the city
morgue until the fire reached that; then it
was Portsmouth Square until it grew too
hot: afterward they were taken to the Pre-
sidio. There was another stream Of bodies
which had lain in Mechanics Pavilion at
first, and had then been laid out in Columbia
Square, in the heart Of a district devastated
first by the earthquake and then by fire.
The condition Of the bodies was becoming
a great danger. Yet the troops had no
men to spare to dig graves, and the young
and ablebodied men are mainly fighting
on the, fire line or utterly exhausted. 1t
was Funston who ordered that the old men
and the weaklings should take this work
in hand. They did it willingly enough.
but had they refused the troops on guard
would have forced them. 1t was ruled
that every man physically capable Of ham
ding a spade or a pick should dig for an
hour. When the first shallow graves were
ready the men. under the direction of
the troops, lowered the bodies, several in
a grave, and a strange burial began. The
women gathered about crying. Many of
them knelt while a Catholic priest read the
burial service and pronounced the absolu-
ton. All the afternoon this went on.
We cannot learn here how many bodies
we're disposed of, Representatives Of the
city authorities took the names OF as many
of the dead as could be identified and the
descriptions OF the others. Many, Of course,
will never be identified. A story comes
over Of one young girl who had followed
for two days the body OF her father, her
only relative. 1t bad been taken from a
house on Mission street to an undertaken
shop Just after the quake. The fire drove
her out with her charge, and 1t was placed
in Mechanics Pavilion. That went, and the
body rested for a day at tho Preside, wait
ing burial. With many others, she wept
on the border Of the buried area, while the
women cared for her. The dead bodies are
being disposed OF, and ons horror has prob
ably been escaped.
WORK OF LooTING GROWS.
There has been another side to the work
Of the troops. The footing grows and
with the irritation Of burning nerves the
men become more impatient Of looters and
,.-lSooLara Thapa hax,a baan pniatakaa