The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-04-23
RESTORATION or ORDER.
Citizens OF the Burned City Making the
Best OF the situation.

say that although about ten blocks are
burning on the water front fringe of San
Francisco, and The dull smoke cloud is
still over the city and the bay. But ten
blocks is nothing. When these are gone
there will be nothing more to burn, except
perhaps the w~harves, and the fire tugs
and what remains Of the San Francisco
Fire Department can hold them.
Many fire engines are simply worn out.
They have beaten themselves to pieces in
four days Of continuous work. For when
the supply Of water from the mains was
gone they were distributed along the water
front and sucked up salt water from the
bay. At one time five or six of them worked
together to run a line of hose down the
valley which lies between Russian Hill and
Telegraph Hill. They hoped to make a
tand here to save North Beach.
All the hose they could find was coupled
to make two lines nearly a mile long.
Although the pressure was poor, they held
the fEe at this point until the west wine
which saved the Western Addition brought
the fire back over Russian Hill and 1anked
their position.
How these tlremen worked no one will
ever know. How many men they lost
no one will know until they s~traighten
the department out and count their dead.
Three engines, at least, were lost under fall
ing walls. One hears only Of the engines,
not Of the men that must have peer buried
with them. There was no time to make
reports on them.
SOME OF THE "vAMPs" WORKED
The veteran firemen of San Francisco
have been through their last fire and gone
out. On Portsmouth Square by the borders
of Chinatown was the house of the Exempt
Firemen, the -vamps" of the ffties and
sixties. Five or Elk of the old men lived
IN the building. When, on the morning Of
the shock, fire succeeded earthquake, they
got out the old hand apparatus, coupled
up TO a modern fire plug and tried to get
q stream.
But the mains were broken. They vent
back, got out the old ladder apparatus and
took Chinese women and children from
the buildings until the fire swept the dis
trict. The last stand in Chinatown was
made by these six old men in their red shirts
and helmets. The fire took their house and
all its relics.
SUNDAY SERVICES HELD.
1t was the first Sunday of the city of
desc lation. Last Sunday was Easter, al
ways a brilliant day in San Francisco =,
day clean, trim built men and big, beauti-
full, well groomed Californian women /!
To-day, baggard, dirty men and ~bedaggled
womenl Vas any one eve clean? l have
than three days.
Yet this Low Sunday, the first after
Easter, was one Of genuine religious devo-
ton. Golden Gate Park at IL O'Clock was
one great church of many denominations.
From early morning the church workers
had been going through the camp giving
notices of services: Presbyterian services
by the Children's Playground Father
Cottle will say mass at the band stand at
0 and H. Here was a Gospel service
going on about a parlor ~melodeon; there
an Episcopal minister in full vestments
was reading morning prayers.
Never we're congregations so dirty. st,
Mary's Cathedral, on Van Ness avenu
was saved and services went on there as
usual. st. Luke's, the big Episcopal church,
Is standing, but unsafe, Service was read
from the steps. the congregation stand
ing on the broad pavement of Van Ness
@ There Sere outdoor services in
the Oakland parks, too. The evening SER
vice was omitted, for there are no lights
alIowed-not even candles. We are burnt
children and we dread the fire.
STEAMSHIP CHINA BRINGS RICE.
We are eating almost with regularity.
The relief trains from other towns on the
Pacific Coast-four from Stockton, gen.
eral provisions from Sacramento and cooked
food from down the valleys-have saved
the situation. Pacific Coast steamers from
Puget Sound brought in still more, and
to-day the Pacific Mail steamer China came
in with a cargo OF rice. This is good news
for the Chinese and Japanese, since they
do not thrive on American food.
il was unloaded duty free, and DR.. Voor-
sanger who has been working like Funston,
will distribute it tomorrow with the help
Of his volunteer corps Of Stanford students.
In fact. duties are of on all boats which
bring foodsturs or clothing. We need
clothing badly. We need tents and blankets
and any kind Of material for shelter. Half
the sickness which is working the physicians
to skeletons could have been avoided if
there had been shelters in the parks these
last three nights
Although Oakland is crowded to-day as
It was yesterday, there has been a great
exodus. Passengers have to wait their
turn to get out on the overland trains Of
the Southern Pacific and Santa Fe, which
are charging no fares to places in Calf ornia
The thrush Of refugees from San Francisco
-L-,N NAklA DA--1A