The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1906-05-23
ORDER ESTABLISHED AND BUSINESS RESUMED
Refugees Housed and Fed--Doctors Report Excel
lent Conditions--Supplies of Food Abundant-=
Dangerous Walls Down - Clearing
Principal Streets of Debris.

San Francisco, Cal.-The new San
Francisco that will rise from the ashes
of the old is now in its first stages Of
rebuilding.
After days Of confusion and almost
superhuman effort on the part of citi-
zens of CALIFORNIA; metropolis, COM
plete order has been established and at
tention has been turned to the future.
Hope is %supplanting despair. Talk OF
a new city is replacing sorrow for the
old. Architectural plans for skyscrap-
ers are even being drawn-and all this
before the embers of the greatest con-
~iagration the world has yet witnessed
have ceased their smoking.
: One by one the problems of starva-
ton. thirst, sanitation, burial of the
dead and resumption of business are
being solved. With typical American
spirit the people are fast reviving from
the effects Of the terrible shock of
earthquake and flame. Food and drink
is being dealt out with systematic care
to the multitude gathered in the relief
camps. Temporary shelters have been
built. Organized hospitals are alleviat-
ing the suffering of the injured and
sick and the dead are being buried,
hurriedly, perhaps, but wisely.
The peril of a famine has been avert
ed. Relief trains and steamers from
various Western cities have reached
the scene of d%esolation, their precious
freight has been distributed, and al!
the hungry have been fed.
Work is being pushed in the burned
district. Soldiers are busy blowing
down walls and big squads of. men are
clearing up the debris. Bankers met
and planned to resume business. There
is plenty of money in the Mint, and it
will net be long before things are hum
ming.
The millions to be paid by the insur-
ance companies, the measures taken by
the financial institutions, the prompt
and reassuring words that have
reached the business men Of San Fran
cisco from Eastern financial centres
all these things have dispelled the feel
ing of uncertainty.
s-SE aECulkSClS dlct tLl1NluS hClC al
big cities in the Union, and there will
be employment for all of them. Orders
are already placed for prodigious guam
titles of building materials. The lead
ing business men are working in union,
and they are much worried over the
report that Pittsburg and other steel
centres may be unable to supply struc-
tural steel. This important problem
has not yet been solved, but it is be-
lieved that the outcome will be that
orders for tens Of thousands Of steel
will 60 to England and Germany.
Street cars have resumed running in
some quarters of the city. The city
government is again taking hold.
Banks will reopen as rapidly as pos
sible, and business houses are prepar-
ing to resume. :
Legal business has been resumed.
All Of the Superior Judges opened their
twelve departments in the Jewish Syn
agogue, California and Webster
streets. Criminal cases have prece-
dence. All trials that were progress
ing at the time of the catastrophe were
recommended.
Throughout the great business quar-
ter, where the devastation by fire was
the most complete, dangerous walls
have been RACED, buildings that were
not disintegrated by fire have been
inspected with q view Of re-occupancy.
and ground has been cleared for the
Immediate construction of buildings in
which to resume business at the ear
Hest possible time.
A huge army Of men was put to work
clearing the main thoroughfares of
wreckage, and Market street has been
cleaned from end to end, and fair
progress has been made in the streets
running to right and left of this main
artery o. travel. There has been no
scarcity Of workmen since Mayor
Schmitz announced that all men would
be paid for every hour Of work, and
that in addition they would receive
food and shelter indefinitely. With
gangs of men pressed into service the
soldiers are getting the debris out of
the streets. The discovery and crema,
ton of bodies goes on. Still there are
conflicting stories about the loss of
life. The truth about this will not be
definitely known for some time
Two-thirds of the city is burned,
The fire swept pretty clean. although
it missed a block here and there. The
burned district ran back from the ferry