The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-04-23
The Future of San Francisco.

The Future of San Francisco.
Out Of the chaos at San Francisco
order is rapidly coming-much more
rapidly than might have been expected |
from the character and extent of the |
destruction. News Of persons is still |
scarce because nearly all wires were |
knocked down, and whatever means OF
communication with the outside world
there were left were confscated to the !
official and larger interests of start
ing relief work.
It begins to be understood that many
buildings which were at first declared
to be destroyed were not, in fact, seri-
ously damaged. This gives guide to
the rebuilding of San Francisco. The
kind of buildings which withstood the
terrible wrenching Of the shock should
naturally be the kind to replace the
structures which went down in ruin.
Another thing strongly suggested IS
the need of large and frequent open
spaces in city like San Francisco.
These are necessary not only as
means Of escape for the people, should
another earthquake come, but also to
prevent or retard the spread OF lire.
Internationally the great Golden Gate
park has been the means of saving
thousands of people who would other
wise have persisted miserably IN the
muddle of ruined buildings and barri-
Z caded streets.
The city of San Francisco will be
rebuilt. This much is strongly indl-
Gated already from the tone of the
dispatches The capitalists of the coast
are not daunted by the catastrophe
which has overtaken them. Like Chi
cago and Baltimore, San Francisco may
rise from it's ashes better and cleaner
for it's experience. The city has had
for several years past an association OF
merchants which had already accom-
plished wonders for the city. It had
reformed many laws and customs and
!: done things for the city which tlmld
politicians would never have done thru
legislation.
In addition, this association had
: planned a great San Francisco. 1t had
employed Burnham, the celebrated
landscape architect, and he had made
a report upon scheme for beautifyine
, the city. This involved the destruction
. of many buildings in order to bring
L wide mall from the Golden Gate park
5 into the heart of the city and the de
L struction of other buildings to provide
breathing places in the downtown dis
> trict. The destruction of the city b,
L fire does not destroy the plan. It make
il more practicable. 1t makes it easle
., to carry it out in full instead of o.
compromise lines. The outlay Of none.
. would be immense and the city woul
y be under heavy load of debt for som
. time to bring forth the new city. Ba!
Il timore is in the same situation, but Ba
! timore has not hesitated to issue bond
% for millions to accomplish the purpos
- of Strengthening and widening its leac
, ing thorofares, laying out new parks
~ renewing it's sewerage system and IN
~ proving it's docks. The additional bus
~ ness which will come to Baltimore q
~ ~ the result of providing facilities fe
~ ~ doing business will gradually wipe o,
% the debt. The same will happen
San Francisco. The harbor Of tf
=, Golden Gate is too important to
90 abandoned. It will not be abandone
40 American enterprise will renew tt
~ city and adapt it not only to the cha
~ acter of the ground upon which it
r. built, but the new builders will tai
III advantage of the opportunity to bui
70 city in which the amenities of Ii
~ will have a better chance for develo
.a4 ment.