The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1906-04-21
DARKEST HOUR
HAS PASSED
Fire Line in San Francisco
Has Been Reached.
PART OF CITY IS SAFE
Loss Of Life is But Guess Work
and Property DESTROYED
May Reach $5OOOOOOOO.

SA y FRANClSCO, April -. NehtI"l
Funston's report to The war depart
ment at Washington says.
The hre has been checked, and
there has been no renewal OF 1t west
OF Octavis street or south of Market
street but 1t is not under control at
the water front, aud ii is creeping TO
ward our telegraph headquarters at the
ferry house. through which this mes
sage is sent"
san FranciscO'S darkest hour seems
to have passed. aud the fire which has
been raging since Wednesday morning
Immediately after the earthquake, has
IN great measure burned itself out
The fire fighters are still using dyna-
mite, and one-quarter of the city VIII
probably be saved.
The stand made ut Van Ness avenue.
Nineteenth aud Mission streets was
generally successful. and the district
from Post To Union street aud from
Octavla street to the Ocean sh0rewuy
is still intact and will probably re
main so.
1t Is now reported That the lire has
broken ont IN The wharfS north Of
Market street, and it Is feared that
unless soon checked it may reach the
Oakland ferry building where the
Western Union has established the only
wire out of the city. The fire is prac-
tically under control in the western
addition, and the property west OF
Octavia street stands good chance OF
being saved. but the fre is spreading
toward the north beach, around the
east side of Telegraph hill.
From three story lodging house at
Fifth and Nlinna streets. which col
lapsed Wednesday morning, more than
seventy-hye bodies We're taken out
There are fifty other dead bodies in
sight in the ruins. This building was
one OF the first to take ire on Firth
street. AT least 100 persons were kill
ed in the Cosmopolitan
Many persons dropped dead of heat
and suffocation
More than $50 persons are reported
dead in the Brunswick hotel.
A report to General Funston from
the commander OF the troops guarding
the United States mint states that
fourteen members Of Il gang thai tried
TO steal the 39,0O0000 stored in that
structure We're killed by the soldiers
The desperadOes attempted to over
power the guards by concentrated as
sault and were shot down.
Clashes as to authority between the
police aAd the military are frequent
A national guardsman pan his bayonet
through the body of a policeman in a
tight over jurisdiction.
Extra guards have been placed
around the ruins of the subtreasury
the banks and the safe deposit vaults
in the financial district In anticipation
of raids by thieves.
Policeman Flood on entering his
home after long tour of duty EN-
countered stranger, who attacked
him. Flood shot him dead. Special
Policeman Snyder also reported that
he had killed II man, but offered nc
details.
Eleven postal clerks, all alive. were
taken from the debris of the pOstofiice
last night All at first We're thought
TO he dead, but it was found that. al
thouuh thaN ,vara huriaI fn tho atnu.
building, every one was alive. They
had been for three days without fooC
or water. All the mail in the post
Office was saved
Governor Pardee has wired Presi
dent Roosevelt asking him TO send tn,
Pacific squadron to San Francisco ii
order that the marines may help tn,
unfortunate sufferers and also that the
supplies of the squadron may be lset
for the relief of the needy.
Thousands Of people who have los
their homes and all their belongings
are gathered at concentration camps a
the Preside, Golden Gate park anI
other places on the outskirts of tn
city and are receiving food and wa
ter About 100000 are homeless. anC
every effort is being made to supply
them with tents and shelter tempo
rarity.
The New York opera stars, after tw,
days in the ruined city. are startin.
for their homes They place thei
losses at more than S1500O0. Nine
Sembrlch alone had $4,000 in eos
tunes destroyed
Relief is being rushed to the strick
OH city from all directions. Almos
every city and town in the country /
contributing.
President Roosevelt at u meeting o
the cabinet decided to send Mr. Me-
calf. secretary of commerce and /,
bor. TO the scene Of the disaster See
rotary Taft has sent $1,500,0O0 wort
OF rations to feed the refugees.
A correspondent here estimates tn
fatalities In California, which can j
but guesswork as yet at from 800
1900. He says some insurance me
say the financial loss may aggregat
$j00,0O0,000, but this is believed to
large.
Four thousand infantry soldiers III
der General Funston's command nov
guard the ruins Of the city
The fire In the Mission district Ia
been practically extlnguished. and tn
spread OF the flames toward the west