Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1906-04-19

SlIlChCu iuCtiopolle.
Los Angeles, Gala, April l9.-At
least two thousand lives have been lost
by the earthquake at San Francisco aud
the conHagration which followed. The
hospitals and improvised asylums with
difficulty are sble to care for the injured,
of whom hundreds have been treated.
The psnic-stricken people, who thus tar
have escaped injury, are preparing TO
leave the city in large numbers.
The flames ran along path in tri-
angular circuit. The start in the early
morning jockeyed as the day wsned,
left the business section devastated and
skipped in a dozen directions to the resi-
dence portion Of the city.
At night fall the FIRE had made it,
way over into North Beach sectirn, aud
south along the shipping section, down
by Bay Shore, over hills and across to-
ward Third and Townsend. Warehouses
and manufacturing concerns fell in its
path. This completed the entire dis.
trict known as south of Market street.
How far south the fans extended has
not been told, as that part of the city is
shut off from the city proper.
After darkness thousands of homeless
men, women, and children we're making
their way with blankets and scanty pro-
visions to Golden Gate Park for shelter.
Those 10 homes in Hayes Valley piled
their belongings in the streets and ex-
press wagons, and automobiles, hauling
the things to sparsely settled districts
Every body 10 San Francisco, who can,
is preparing to leave the city, believing
that the town will be totally destroyed.
Down town every thing is in ruins; MT
business house is standing. Theatres
have been crumbled into heaps. All
newspapers are useless; the Call and Ex-
amin,r buildings, including The Call
editorial rooms on Stevenson street, are
entirely destroyed.
At 10 o'clock last night the Occi-
dental Hotel was destroyed by the
flames which swept unchecked across
Montgomery street, aud attacked the
block bounded by Montgomery, Suffer,
Bush, and Kearney streets fhe Mer-
chants Exchange building was mass
of flames, from basement to tower | he
Union Trust building and Croker and
Woolworth Bank buildings were absze.
The Chronicle building was smoking and
other buildings in that block were
threatened. Shortly after 10 o'clock the
fire had eaten it way southwark from
Portsmouth Square to Kearney and
California streets.
The entire section fronting on the
West side OF Kearney street seemed
doomed. All buildings adjoining the
Hall of Justice were ablaze and fire.
men were striving to save the structure
by using dynamite. 1t is almost certain
that every building contained in the
section BOUNDED by Clay, Kearney,
Market and East streets will be con-
sumed.
The flames had eaten their way west
ward in the residence section as far as
Cough street. By dynamitiug block
after block, the fremen succeeded in
checking The devouring element.
The magnificent church and college
of st. Ignatius, on the northwest cor
ner OF Vanness avenue and Hayes
street, represents in its destruction
material loss of over 81, 900. 900. The
actual cost of the great building was
over 5000, 900, but during the years
which have elapsed since Its erection
the church has been enriched by paint
ings and frescoes which are priceless.
The scenes last night are beyond
description. The flames spread 10 all
four directions, Confusion reigned
everywhere. Women tainted and others
fought their way into adjacent apart
ment houses, to rescue something from
destruction. The scene made brave men
cry. Weeping tots 10 their mothers
arms, the police and soldiers fighting
to get women out of harms way, and
heroic dashes in ambnlances and patrol
wagons after the sick and injured made
scene long to be remembered. Will.
ing men were driven back while their
homes went down before them.
All San Francisco's playhouses, in
Guiding the Majestic, Columbia and
Grand Opera House, are a mass ot'ruins.
The earthquake demolished them for
all practical purposes and the FIRE will
complete the work of demolition. The
RiaItO and Casserly buildings we're
burned to the ground as WAS everything
in that district.
The Terminus Hotel, at the foot of
Market street, Tell AMI buried twenty
persons under The debris. These were
inciuerated and there is no possible way
of learning their identity.
The loss will reach $3.50, 900, 900 to
5000, O00,O
The statements we're made that ex-
pressmen were charging $S5 load to
haul goods. The announcement pro-
vOked great deal Of indignation aud
immediate orders were issued from May
or Schmit in which Chief of Police Din.
au heartily concurred., "rell your men, ;"
said the mayor, Ito seize the wagons Of
all such wOuld-be exlOrtionists, aud
make use OF them for the public good"
Los Angeles, Gala, April lad
vices received here state that all but two
of the university buildings at Stanford
are in ruins. Nearly three hundred
persons were killed 10 the collapse of
ST. Agnes Insane Asylum near Santa
Clara. One hundred and fifty bodi.s
have been recovered, and many more
are in the ruins. Eight Re i La i,ns
we're taken out of the Italian Hotel at