Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1906-04-18
EARTHQUAKE in San Francisco

rors Incident to the Convulsion-
Winter Works Blowing Up
Buildings 10 Prevent Spread of
Fire.
San Francisco, April lS.-An earth
quake this morning wrecked the Hobart
building in which is located the offices
of the Postal Telegraph Company aud
the Northern Pacific Railway Company.
The earthquake was a disastrous one.
Many people are reported killed, houses
wrecked and fired. There is no water.
At $3.50 a. m. frequent shocks were
felt after the first severe quake. AT that
time the postal employees had to flee from
the building. Great loss of life is feared.
That portion of San Francisco in
which the Postal Telegraph building is
located is the principal business section
OF the city.
The great Call (newspaper) building,
sky scraper, is stones throw away,
and so is the high Chronicle building.
The district is the line between the
wholesale business section and includes
practically the largest blocks of the city.
The Page Ferry railway bridge is less
than half mile away. The beautiful
public fountain on Market street, given
to the city by the actress Lotta, is close
neighbor of The Postal building. But
two or three blocks away is Union
SQUARE in which is located the great
Dewey monument commemorative the
battle OF Manila The limits of China
town are bu. a half mile away. Big
Frisco buildings and streets were practi
cally deserted Of people "a early as six
O'Clock in the morning. Business does
not begin until about nine O'clock, and
it was after eight O'Clock before thu
streets became at all business looking.
The mint aud new postoilice and the
magnificent City Hall are nearly dozen
blocks distant from the postal building.
At $50 O'Clock the earthquakes were
still being felt
San Francisco, April l8.-Through a
br al in the coast range the San Fran
cisco river flows through to the Great
bay inside the Golden Gate San Fran
cisco lies at the rivers mouth. The city
was reclaimed from desert of hills and
wei sand Big hotels stand today where
fishing was good in the sos. Most Of
the houses 10 the residence district are
wood AID insurance men look askance
when asked TO guarantee the residents
against fire less. But business men rely
on q splendid FIRE department. and built
some OF the finest Office buildings in the
world. As whole, the city is not es-
pecialIy well built. A large proportion
of the inhabitants are foreigners.
San Francisco has So, 600, 600 city
hall one hotel with 400 rooms, thea
tres open throughout the year ; public
library of 100, 900 volumes; public
bath accomdating 1000 and popula-
lion of 500, 900.
The postal office was damaged, but
not seriously. None of the occupant:
were killed, but many were injured and
killed in the city. The water mains
burst, and the fire department was bel ?
less. Now blowing mp buildings.
San Francisco, April is An early
estimate places the loss of life at over
|, 100.
At 7O'clock the work Of rescue WAS
under way, but in an unorganlzed man
ner, owing to the panic. DE d were
being carried from the buildings III
scores.
The Postal Telegraph Company IL
advised that an area covered by the
earthquake is about fifty blocks in which
the buildings have been almost totally
destroyed. The greatest damage w9'
done east aud south of Market street,
to the bay The city hall, costing 81,
900, 900, IS in ruins This section is de
voted largely to manufacturing enter
prises. The principal banking instiIu
lions are located in a quarter Of the
city which has not been seriously affect
ed. According to advices received, the
loss of lite is now moi yet known, al
though it IL believed that it will be
quite large.
Fire started in the ruined section and
is spreading. Water mains supplying
that district have been destroyed, aud
buildings in the adjoining sections are
now being dynamIled to prevent the
spread of the flames.
The Western Union Telegraph Com
pany ia 10 receipt of the 'ollowing mes
sage from Sacramento: "We had a
heavy earthquake at 5:l5 a. m. All the
clocks stopped at that hour. There are
three miles of railroad bed sunk out OF
sight between Suisnan aud Benetia, and
all telegraph wires were taken with it.
At Plessanton several railroad cars were
turned over on the main line, block
ing the tracks. AT Tracy all OF the
chimneys were torn down"
Another Western Union dispatch
from Sacramento reads: Sacramento
had trouble. A big fire is raging in
Berkeley, a suburb Of Oakland, aud II
is thought the town is on fire. ,"
Denver, Col, April ls.-Infornation
has been received that the fire at San
Francisco is reaching beyond the big
Pacific Hotel.
New Orleans, April ia Southern
Pacific Railway wire message says at IL
o'clock number of fires have started 10
San Francisco aud as the waterwOrks
cannot be operated, there was danger Of
the entire city being burned, as the wind
is blowing severely. Dead aud injured
we're being removed as fast as possible,
but the psnic is so great that but little
head,xaY il being made. Il is impOssi-