Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1906-04-26

richest San franciscan, owns build
ing seventeen stories high, commonly
known as the Call building. On three
of the corner sites, where Third street
lntersects Market, Is located the great
Spreckels building, the home OF the
Call; the De Young building, the home
Of the Chronicle, and the Hearst build
ing, occupied by the Examiner, the
three great Pacific coast newspapers
having contributed handsomely to the
building development of San Francisco
In recent years The city now has Its
share Of tall buildings, one being eight
cen stories In height The major part
of them are eight, ten and twelve sto-
ries, the eight storied being most nu-
merous.
The Call and Examiner buildings
were almost totally destroyed in the
earthquake and many other skyscrap-
er5 were severely shaken, cracked and
damaged.
Ore of the chief buildings which col
lapsed was the new postoffice. This
was a substantial structure of granite,
costing to exceed $5,000000. While
rot striking from an architectural
standpoint, the postofiice was Impress
i've from its massiveness.
The Postal building was badly dam
aged, and the operating room was n
wreck. Power OF every kind was de
stroyed, and there were no lights, ell
ther gas or electric. Neither the Pal
ace hotel nor the st. Francis was de-
stroyed as far as the framework goes,
but the inside plastering and decora-
tions were greatly damaged.
The business section of the city from
Market street TO Mission street and
from the bay back was almost COM
pletely wrecked.
The most conspicuous building In
San Francisco. the city hall, is almost
totally ruined. 1t cost from $G,0O0,OOO
to $7,000000, took twenty-five years In
construction and was surmounted by
a dome 332 feet high. 1t was thought
TO be very solldly constructed, being
built substantially of brick. with the
walls covered by cement The interior
of the dome was decorated with ex-
pensive marbles taken from the Pa
clhc coast mountains.
Another very fine building, which
cost over $5.000000. is the splendid ho-
tel erected by Mrs. Herman Oelrichs
on fashionable Mob hill. Mrs. Oelrichs,
who is n daughter of the late Senator
Fair, has shown fine taste In the ar
chltectural plans OF Fairmont, the ap-
propriate name of the new hotel. Seen
from the bay this structure, with its
classic outlines, makes the beholder
think of Greek temple. White and
graceful, 1t looms above the busy mar
ket places, the great wholesale district,
the crowded business section and pic
turesque Chinatown, which, by the
way. Is fast disappearing owing TO the
encroachments of commerce and the
dwirAlling Of the Chinese population.
Other In posing edilces, many OF
which have been more or less severely
Injured, arC the Hotel st. Francis, the
Palace hotel, the Hall of Justice, the
Mutual Bank building. the Pacific Mu-
tual Life building and the Callaghan
building. The greatest property dam
age resulted In the manufacturing dis
trict and the greatest loss Of life In
the tenement house district.
The chief street of the city Is Mar
ket. running diagonally for many miles.
The destruction OF many of the depart
ment stores and other business blocks
Oh Market and Mission streets was al
most complete. Fire added 10 the hor-