The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-04-24


the firemen are bending their greatest
efforts. Dynamite was used for back
firing purposes, with only fair sue
cess. Tonight many blocks may be
blown up.
Chief OF Police Oman tonight said
$50 would fully cover the number Of
dead. About fifty bodies have thus far
been found. There was considerable
shooters of looters today, but the of
Tenders escaped with wounds.
San Francisco, April 19.-Thous-
ands upon thousands OF people are
fleeing from the fire today. They are
focking to the parks, to the military
reservation and to the suburbs. Res
idents Of the hill sides. in the central
portion of the city seemingly were
safe from the roaring furnace that was
consuming the business section. They
watched the towering mounds of
flames and speculated as to the eX-
tent Of the territory that was doomed.
Suddenly there was whispered alarm
upaand down the long line Of watchers,
and they hurried away to drag cloth
ing, cooking utensils and scant pro-
visions drought the streets. From
Grant avenue the procession moved
westward. Men and women dragged
trunks, packed huge bundles Of blan-
kets, boxes of prOvisims-everything
Wagons could not be hired except by
paying the most extortionate rates.
PEOPLE DISPLAY GREAT CALM
NESS
But there was no panic. The people
ARE calm but stunned. They seem not
to realize the extent of the calamity.
They hear that the city is destroyed in
so far as business plants are concern
ed; they tell each other in the most
natural tone that their residences were
destroyed by the flames, but there is
no hysteria, no outcrys no criticism.
Mayor Schmitz and Chief of Police
Oman have been forced from place to
place by the flames.
Daybreak found them directing the
municipal council, which is a commit
tee of safety, from the Paramount
Hotel, the beautiful structure that
stood on the top of the Mob Hill. But
that caught fire and they retreated to
the Gushing, Larkin and Suffer streets,
then to the north end police station in
Sacramento street. Here the council,
composed of the financial leaders Of
the city met this morning and decided
to resort to the most heroic measures
vet undertaken since the city has been
in the path of the devastation. This
decision was to lombard the entire
section of the city lying along the east
side of Van Ness avenue from the
Golden Gate avenue to Pacific avenue,
sixteen blocks in all, containing the
homes of many milIionaires, and
apartment houses.
HEROIC MEASURES TAKEN.
The military was notified of this
action, and barrels of gun powder, the
only remaining explosive in the CITY,
were taken from the preside, Fort
| Mcdowell AlcatraZ, and other nearby
posts. Hundreds of police, regiments
Of soldiers and scores of volunteers
Were sent into the doomed districts to
warn the people to flee. These hero
ically responded to the demand Of
law, and went brayely on their way,
trudging painfully over the pavements
with the little they could get together.
Every available wagon was taken by
| the military to carry the powder.
General Funston is cooperating
with Mayor Schmitz, whose orders to
all officers are to shoot to Kill without
warming all malefactors When men
have been needed to carry out the plan
| Of rescue, they heve been pressed into
service. In a few instances 1t was
necessary to resort to cooked revolver
and drawn sword, after which there
was no hesitation. The preside res
ervation, the vast Richmond district
of thousands of acres, Golden Gate
park, and the surrounding hills re-
semble n vast picnic ground. Tents
and improvised coverings have been
erected everywhere, fire places built in
the streets, beds and mattresses thrown
| down all over the section. The people
| thus situated are philosophical.
FOOD SUPPLY NAY RUN OUT.
There is only n danger, and that
is the food supply will u out Every
grocery in San Francisco has beer
taken by the authorities, and each fam
fly is being sold only n article at Il
time. In many places the police and
! military prevent over-charging- Gen
! Funston announced this morning that
rations would oon reach the city
and then the people will be supplied
. by the presidio. Bakeries have already
been built within the reservation, ano
the bread supply has not given com.
pletely out
! The government has also begun to
aid in the progress of the people OF
the city of Oakland, Berkeley, and Al
ameda. Tug boats and steamers are
being pressed into service for this
! purpose, and there is a vast army on
the way to the ferries
THE DAMAGE HAS BEEN ENOR-
; NOUS.
From the water front the city car
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