Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-04-21
COMMUNITY
2R DEATH.
( ONCE a METROPOLIS, NOW AN
UTTER WREck--THIs is SAN
FRANCISCO
FLAMES COMPLETE RUIN
Fire Leaps From Block to Block, De-
vouring Everything In Its Path
The Whole City is Doomed to Abso-
lutte Observation-Disclosures Fails to
Check the Fire.

San Francisco, April 19.-Day dawn
ed on scene Of death and destruc-
ton. During the night the flames con-
umed many of the city's finest struc-
dres and leaped in dozen directions
. the residence portions. They had
made their way over into the north
each section, when, springing anew
the south, they reached out along
ne shipping section down the bay
lore over the hills and across toward
I bird and Townsend streets. Ware
Fouses and manufactures fell in their
'ath.
This completed the destruction Of
he entire district known as South Of
Market street.
How far they are reaching to the
south across the channel cannot be
told. as this part of the city is shut
off from communication with the re.
mainder.7
Down Town District Wrecked.
Down town everything is in ruins.
Not business house, theatre, fac
tory or a commission house is stand
Ing. All the newspaper plants have.
been rendered useless
Most sanguine Lose Hope.
AT 10 o'clock there seems to be prac-
ucally no hope of saving any Of the
CITY. Those who were the most san
guine OF the ultimate success of the,
firemen controlling the flames have
now given up hope and are fleeing
! from the flames in despair. Many peo-
pie are being burned alive and impris-
oned In doomed buildings where the
rescu5rs cannot reach them. as, 50
Grace church, at the corner of Cali.
burning The entire district from Chan
front to Octavia and Golden Gate av-
enue is a mass of flames.
Dynamite is Useless.
The St Francis was one Of the last
Of the big buildings to take fire.
The workers have destroyed block
after block Of residences with dyna-
mite in the hope of hemming in the
flames, but after each such effort, the
blaze would leap across>a seemingly
impossible gulf.
100000 Homeless.
Of11cers with drawn revolvers are
forcing the citizens to work. People
are leaving their homes and fleeing to
Golden Gate park and the Presidio.
All night long a constant stream Of
humanity walked the streets to the
west. A hundred thousand people
4 slept out of doors last night and by
tonight the number of homeless will
, reach 100000.
1t is impossible to estimate accu-
rately the number of people killed or
the property loss.
People Are Calm.
A noticeable feature of the past two
days is the calmness of most of the
people. Perhaps they are dazed, but
in any event they show little emotion.
Many Offers Of Aid.
Mayor Schmitz is overwhelmed with
kilograms from all over the country
proffering sympathy and aid. The fol-
lowing appeal for aid has been sent by
Schmitz to Governor Pardee:
"Send all supplies and tents possible
to Golden Gate park Have the baker
les in the small towns bake all the
bread they can. We want bedding,
(. food and tents"
Homeless People Desert City.
Homeless people are f1ocking with
blankets and such baggage as they
can carry in their arms to refuge
across the bay All traffic towards this
city has been stopped by the military
authorities and every means of travel
has been made available to the dis
sressed, homeless people.
The Oakland hospitals are filled with
Injured and dying people and others
es..,s u... ,.os, =. !