Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-21
LICKING UP REMNANTS
DETAILS OF THE RAVAGING
WORK OF THE FLAMES.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
SAN FRANCISCO, Cal, April 21.--Thef1
hideous work nearly done the wild. flame.
that making ash heap of San Fran
cisco are licking up the remnants, and home
after home going into the cavernous nav
Hospitals are gone, the sick and injured
are dragged from place to place for refuge
or left to die. The finale for Frisco seems
almost in sight. The city awaits the time
when the flames VIII have consumed every
thing and have worn themselves out. O1
the 100000 population, 10000 last night
were homeless. All who can get away are
doing so till the time for rebuilding calls
them back.
That the losses will exceed $500, 600 OK
Is now more than probable, as the million
aires homes have gone into the ash heap
Mrs OelrichS' alone cost five millions. Sar
Francisco carries insurance of $3.50 600 OO(
to $3.50 600. hence the estimate Is con.
Servative.
All that can be seen of what was once
San Francisco is four buildings on Tele-
graph Hill. The Paramount Hotel was afire
last night, and reports have 1t that the
structure was gutted The fire, notwith.
standing the heroic efforts of the firemer
and the work of large shot that jar the
earth for miles, creft across Van Ness ave-
nue.. The fire crept up to the preside, and
large cannon were used to blow up build
ings.
A Panorama Of Flames
The wind changed last night and there
were seven different fire centers each start
ing from smoldring embers. Constant ex-
plosions were heard In lower Market street
where the fires originally broke out and
where two have already been killed by ex-
plosions.
1t is reported that between 1900 and 1900
Italians. Portuguese and other foreigners
are cut ffon Meiggs or F1sherman's S
W,haryeS
Among the refugees from San Francisco
to Berkeley was a woman with three bas-
ketS OF cats She was dressed In what had
been a handsome silk gown, but Is now in
tatters. She offered a diamond ring of at
least one and a half karats for food for
herself and pets She was penniless, but
said her husband was rated by Bradstreet' S
at $350,OO0.
This Is absolutely the greatest disaster
that ever overcame an American CITY and
one of the greatest fires of history. Beside
IL The Chicago, Boston and Baltimore fires
are almost unimportant. No American city
ever was completely destroyed as this, and
outside Of the earthquake the fire probably
is the greatest in American history.
A Wrecked City.
The city had a population of more than
100000 Not more than one-fourth of these
can have escaped to Oakland or the penin-
sula. For the distance of mile every resi-
dence on the east side Of Van Ness avenue
was swept away in a vain effort to stay
the progress Of the fire. After sucking dry,
even the fire engines have either been aban-
doned or moved to the outlying district in
the vain hope that the water mains broken
by the earthquake may be repaired in time
TO permit of a final stand being made
against the wi1irlwind march Of the flames.
No more dynamite! No more dynamite!"
fireman ran shrieking up ELLIS street past
the doomed Flood building, and he ran
tears sprang from his smoke smirched eyes.
mo more dynamite, oh, God" moaned the
crowd that stood in the glare of the ap-
preaching flames.
No more dynamite. and we are lost"
So with the dynamite exhausted and not
a dozen streams of water being thrown in
the entire fire zone the stunned fire fighters
and the stupid people sat still to watch the
remnant OF the city burn There was no
help. Water was gone. powder was gone,
hope even was a fiction The fair city by
the Golden Gate was doomed to be blotted
from the sight of man.