The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-04-24
DRENCH|NG RAIN
 IN SAN FRANCISCO Storm Sweeps Devastated Ter itory Adding to Misery CONTINUES THROUGH DAY Rain Five Days Ago Would Have Been a Blessing to the City In
 Distinguishing the
 Flames.

San Francisco. April 23.-A drenchlng rain fell upon San Francisco last night. From midnight until o'clock it poured and drizzled at intervals while high wind added melancholy accompaniment whistling and signing about the ruins of the buildings in the burned district. Five days ago when the fire catastrophe was in its infancy, this downpour would have been regarded as Il mercy and Godsend. This morning it could be regarded in no other light than as an additional calamity I. meant indescrbable suffering to the tens of thousands of people camped on the hills and in the parks and open places of the city Few of these were provided with water proof covering. For the most part their only protection from the wet was thin covering of sheeting tackled upon improvsed tent poles.
 Through this water poured as a sieve, wetting the bedding, and soaking the ground upon which they lay When 1t Is understod that thousands upon thou sands of delicately nurtured women and infants in arms, and old and feeble peo- pie were in this plight, nothing need be added to describe the misery of their condition. The downpour has aggravated the already unsanltary condition of the camps and will doubtless add great mum bers of pneumonia cases to those already cfowding the regular and temporary hos pitals of the city. What could be done was done by the guards in charge of the camps to relieve the distress. Whenever covering could be had for the women and the children it was taken advantage of.
 Housed In Churches.
 They were housed in the chilly and cheerless churches, garage and barns and those who had been fortunate enough to save their homes were called upon to take care of these umfortunates. With few ex- captions the people responded early to the new call made upon them. and where tEey did not the butt ends of rifles quick ly forced a way through the inhospitable doors. While the storm has added to the difficulties of the general committee and especially to those having in charge the care of the sick, the sanitation of the city and the housing of the homeless 1t las been spur even lo greater eioItS 10 bring order out of the chaos prevail ing Regular shelter tents were provided. as well as cots, standing ont the ground. It is realized that these provisions are imperative, as much so as the providing of food. After several hours of clear weather there was another precipitation at a. m. and again at 3 o'clock the fall was resumed, and continued at in- tervals throughout the day. Of individual instances of suffering. the number Is le- zion. but one will tell the story of them all.
 Walks Two Miles.
 About O. clock when the rain had been falling heavily for an hour. middle-aged man, white faced in his distress and fatigue, appeared at the headquarters of the general committee. He had walked two miles from his camping place in the park to make an appeal for his suffering wife and little ones, As he told of their distress the tears swelled up in his eyes and coursed down his cheeks They were he said, without covering. other than n shooting over head and were lying on the ground and their bodies protected only by quilt and blanket, which of his household bedding were all he had man aged to save These had quickly been soaked and while unwilling to complain on his own account he had been unable to listen to the walls Of his little ones and had tramped all the way from his