The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-04-21
WIND CHECKS THE RUIN.
Fire Sent Back to Make q Last Stand on
Telegraph Hill.

hcttbThph htIt.
OAKLAND, Cal. April 2o.-The San Fran
cisco fire seems to be checked; not quite
all the city went after all. A shift of the
wind to the normal westerly trades has
saved the better residence district, which
we gave up last night for lost.
1t seems almost like a sarcasm Of the
fate which has overwhelmed the town that
many of the rich and prosperous have
their homes and their goods spared to
them; while the poor have lost everything
except the little bundles they have carried
city Of refuge.
When the fires had passed the last stand
of the soldiers at Van Ness avenue and
had leaped across the sixteen blocks Of fine
residences which they had blown up with
explosives from the Preside stores it had
a lot of frame houses to work on, inter-
spersed only with a few brick and stone
dwellings. And the wind was blowing from
the east.
That east wind has combined with the
earthquake to help this calamity, At this
season of the year the trade wind is usually
blowing straight from the ocean. Had
this wind prevailed the fire must have been
kept in the business district, which was lost
from the first. But in this time, when all
the forces Of nature seemed to be working
wrong, the trades stopped and an east wind
sprang up. Only now and then a gust Of
the trades seemed to prevail over it and
whirl the fire over areas which the first
rush had missed,
There was an east wind blowing last
night when the soldiers, after dynamiting
the fringe Of Van Ness avenue, saw their
work go for nothing, and prepared to herd
the people out Of the residence district
and into the Preside. The fire was running
along a broad front, and spurs Of it had
reached Octavia street, three blocks be-
yond, when up came a strong western
trade wind. There was a little water in
the district. Every man took new heart
and worked to help the wind.
This Ia a curious fire. Remember always
that nine-tenths OF the wood involved is
redwood, which burns with a ~smouldering
fire. There have been no great bursts Of
fire; no terrible whirls OF fame; only a
steady, persistent advance. So the work
ers saw this sullen fame turn backward
end beat itself out on the ruins over which
il had passed. This seems to nave saved,
too. the extreme end Of the Mission.
FIRE SWEEPS TELEGRAPH HILL.
The turn OF the fire, however, completed
the destruction OF the poorer quarters,
over which a fatality seemed to hang,
for it had passed by the greater part Of
Telegraph Hill, that sudden eminence
which forms one corner OF the city and
over which run the small dwellings of the
Italians. 1t had. however, extended up
the valley region which lies between Tele-
graph and Russian hills. The turning
west wind blew this tongue Of fire back
upon the slopes of Telegraph Hill, and that
burned all day to-day.
With plenty of water and with a fresh
fire force, this region could hardly be saved
ASH is, there was nothing to do but get the
Italians out of their houses and let it burn
They say that the troops had the greatest
difficulty in handling the people at this
place, for the fire was mainly between
them and most Of the open spaces which
were the salvation of the people. So me
were piled into Washington Square, a small
park al the foot OF the hill, but most of
them were formed into a long, struggling
procession and marched under guard along
the water front to Fort Mason, the open
military reservation, and one OF the three
places OF refuge. Then the hill was left
to its fate.
II seems as though the worst were over,
The trade wind, by all the laws Of this
climate, should hold steady, now that 1t
has arisen. In the course which the fire has
taken there is little left to burn. In a day
or two more it should have gone down and
cooled of. And still, although the night
brought a San Francisco fog, the heavens
refuse rain. A little sprinkle now would
cool the air, lay the ruins and slake parched
tongues-for many are sufi ering fro
actual thirst. They want water, as much
MS Heaven will send, but every drop Is
precious. We hear to-day how a little
let of water spurted up through a broken
main in the hill district, and how rich and
noor knelt in the street to lick up the nude y
pools.
FIRST ORDER FOR BUILDING MATERNAL.
Already with the turn Of the wind has
come a turn Of courage. Actually, with the
fire not yet fully checked, the people and
the authorities are beginning to set things
In order, to straighten out the situation and
even to get ready to rebuild. One man
came into the Western Union Offices to-day
and tried to get them to rush through an
order for structural material. He said