Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1906-04-23

mucH llnuof. SPARKS carried across
the street, ignited the Phelan building
and the army headquarters of the de-
partment of California were burned
Still nearer the bay, the fire took
the Rialto building, a handsome sky
scraper, and converted scores of bust
ness blocks into smouldering piles of
bricks.
Fire Worse Than Earthquake.
The damage by the earthquake does
not begin to compare with the loss
by fire. The heart of the business
section of San Francisco has been de-
stroyed by fire. An area of thickly
covered ground, eight square miles,
has 0een burned over and there is no
telling when the fire will be under
control.
Soldiers Help Ftremen.
At Mayor Schmitz's request Gener-
al Funston sent soldiers and by 8
o'clock 1000 federal troops were
guarding the streets and assisting fire
men in dynamiting buildings.
Thieves Shot on Sight.
General Funston realized that
stern measures were necessary and
gave orders that hooters were to be
shot at sight. Four men were sum-
marily executed before 8 o'clock in the
afternoon.
The fire ate its way southwark on
both sides of Kearny street and at
this writing G p. m.) was within a
block of the California hotel. About
o'clock the world famous Palace
hotel, built at the cost of millions,
fell prey to the conflagration, and the
Croker building caught fire.
ST. ignatus in Train of Ruin.
One of the big losses of the day
was the destruction of st. Ignatus
church and college the greatest
Jesuitical institution in the west and
built at a cost of a couple of millions
At o'clock at night the fire swept
from the south side of the town across
Market street and was burning
houses at Golden Gate avenue and
Octavia. This result was reached
after almost the entire southern dis
trict from Ninth street to the eastern
water front had been converted into
blackened waste. In this section
were hundreds of factories, wholesale
houses and many business firms, in
addition of thousands of homes.
Fire Slower on North Side.
On the north side the fire last
night was not making such rapid
Roadway as in the western addition.
Throughout the city wherever there
is a public square, a scene of desola-
ton is presented Tents have been
pitched by fortunate possessors of
canvass, but the majority of the
homeless people are huddled in fright
ened groups about the household be-
longings they managed to save from
the general ruin.
From Golden Gate park comes the
news of the total destruction of the
immense building covering portion
of the children's playground. The
walls were shattered beyond repair
and destruction is complete. The
pillars of the new stone gates at the
park entrances were twisted and torn
from their foundations. Some weigh
ing four tons, were shifted as though
they were constructed of chaff.
Dewey Monument Leans.
In Union Square park, where a
number of homeless are now being
given temporary shelter, the mighty
Dewey monument has been shifted
from it's base. 1t now stands lean
ing at an angle of ten degrees. There
is danger of the immense stone struc-
ture falling.
Homeless People Watch Spectacle.
Banks and commercial houses, sup
posed to be fireproof, burned quickly
and the roar of flames could be heard
on the hills out of the danger zone.
Here thousands of people congregated
and witnessed the awful scene. Great
sheets of flame rose high in the heav
ems, Or rushed down some narrow
street, joining midway between the
sidewalks and making horizontal
chimney of the former passageways.
The dense smoke that arose from
the entire business district spread out
like an immense funnel and could
have been seen for miles out at sea,
occasionally as some drug house or
MACE stored with chemicals was
reached, the most fantastic effects
were produced by colored flames and
smoke which rolled out against the
darker background.
Like the Burning of Rome.
Though the flames surged about
the Merchants Exchange like a sea
of fire. the steel giant resisted them.
The Western Union building, how
ever, fell a victim TO the fiery attack.