The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1906-04-26

ana residences, comprising the prtncl
pal part of the business section, have
been destroyed. The city hall, a
structure costing 100000, was first
wrecked by the earthquake and then
destroyed by fire. The Palace hotel
value estimated at $3,0O0,000, also
burned. The beautiful Claus Spreckles
building, at Third and Market streets
was Quilted. The Rialto building and
dozens of other costly structures, were
also destroyed. The Hall of Justice Is
threatened and will undoubtedly 60
The Examiner and the Call buildings
are gone and the Croker building
across the street from the Palace no
tel, is destroyed.
Brave Men Lose Their Lives.
The earthquake caused the partial
wreck of the California hotel on Bush
and Kearney streets, and the falling
chimney and cornice of the hotel
crashed through the fire house ed
joining, severely injuring Fire CHIEF
Sullivan SO that he was unable to di
rect the work of fire-fghting. He is
now in a hospital in precarious con
dition.
Despite this disheartening accident
the fire department, assisted by part
of the Oakland department and many
volunteers, did heroic service, many
brave men losing their lives while
performing works of succor. The
earthquake, however, had broken
most of the water mains. Whatever
water was obtained to fight the flames
on the harbor front and in the factory
districts was pumped from the bay.
Fire Completes Destruction.
This compelled dynamiting, as the
only method Of saving any OF the city.
All efforts to prevent the fire from
reaching the Palace and Grand hotels
were unsuccessful, and both were COM
pletely destroyed, together with all
their contents.
All of San Francisco's best play
houses, including the Majestic, Colum-
bia, Orpheum and Grand opera house
are a mass of ruins. The earthquake
demolished them for all practical pur.
poses and the fire completed the work
of destruction. The handsome Rialtc
and Casserly buildings were burned to
the ground, as was everything in that
district.
Wind Spreads Fire.
The flames were kept confined to the
south of Market street in the business
section until about o'clock in the
afternoon, when the wind carried
sheets of flame into the richest part
! of the city.
Nearly every big factory building
has been wiped out Of existence and a
complete enumeration of them would
look like copy of the city directory.
The scene at the Mechanics Pavilion
during the early hours of the morning
and up to noon, when all the injured
and dead were removed because of the
threatened destruction of the building
by fire, was of indescribable sadness.
Search for Loved Ones.
Sisters, brothers, wives and sweet
hearts searched eagerly for some miss
ing dear one. Thousands of persons
hurriedly went through the building,
inspecting the cots on which the suf-
ferers lay, in the hope that they would
find some loved one that was missing.
The dead were placed In one portion
of the building, and the rest of it was
used as a hospital After the fire
forced the nurses from the building,
the eager crowds followed them to the
Preside and the Children's hospital
and renewed the search for missing
relatives.
Fire Damage the Greatest.
Up to a late hour yesterday after
noon more than $50 persons, seriously
injured by the earthquake and the fire
had been treated at the various hos
pitals
Yesterdays. experience has been a
testimonial to the modern steel build
ing. A score of these structures were
in course of erection and not one suf-
fered The completed modern build
ingS were also immune.
The buildings that collapsed were all
f1imsy wooden and old-fashioned brick
structures. The damage by earthquake
does not begin to compare with the
loss by fire. The heart of the business
section of San Francisco has been
burned.
A thickly built-up area of eight
square miles has been burned over and
there is no telling when the fire will
be under control.
Looters SummariIy Shot.
Mayor Schmitz took prompt meas
ures for the relief and protection OF
the city. Gen. Funston was commune
Gated with at once. and by o'clock
1000 federal soldiers were guarding
the streets and assisting the firemen
In dynamiting buildings.