The Rich Hill tribune. (Rich Hill, Mo.) 1903-1911, 1906-04-26
Have Destroyed More Than Three-Fourths of
All the Buildings in San Francisco, the
California Metropolis.
over EIGHT SQUARE MILES BURNED
Eight Square Miles of the City Burned--3OO,O 900 Homeless
Property Loss $500, 900, OOO--MOreT Than 500 Dead--Re-
spOnse to Appeal for Assistance Was Quick and
GenerOus-Destitute Are Being Cared For.

San Francisco, Calf. - San Fran
cisco was practically wrecked by earth
quake at $40 Wednesday morning.
The shock lasted three minutes, thou
sands Of buildings were damaged and
destroyed The loss of life is reported
TO be great All wires with the eXCep-
ton OF one. are gone. The city hall
costing $1,000, 600, is in ruins. Modern
buildings suffered less han brick and
frame.
Terror and excitement is indescri-
able. Most Of the people, asleep, were
suddenly aroused and rushed into the
streets, undressed. Buildings swayed
and crashed, burying occupants. Panic
IN down town hotels. Lick house was
badly damaged but no loss of life is
reported there. The palace and St
Francis hotels stood the shock. People
hocked to the telegraph office to send
messages to friends and were frantic
because there were no wires. The
greatest damage to buildings was done
south Of Market street where there
are mostly frame buildings and tene-
ment houses. Fires occurred in every
block Of that district.
San Francisco. Cal, - Thursday
dawned on a scene Of death and de-
~struction. During the night the
flames had consumed many Of the
city's finest structures and skipped in
a dozen directions TO the residence
portions. They had made their way
over into the North Beach section
and springing anew to the south they
reached out along the shipping sec
ton down to the bay shore. over the
hills and across toward Third and
| Townsend streets. Warehouses. whole
sale houses and manufacturing con-
Germs fell in their path. This com-
pleted the destruction OF the entire
district known as the South OF Mar
ket street" How far they are reach
ing to the south across the channel
cannot be told as this part Of the city
is shut of. After darkness thous-
ands OF the homeless were making
their way with their blankets and
scant provisions TO Golden Gate Park
and the beach 70 find shelter. Those
IN the homes on the hills just north
Of the Hayes Valley wrecked section
piled their belongins in the streets
and express wagons and automobiles
were hauling the things away to the
sparsely settled regions.
Downtown everything Is ruin. Not
a business house stands. Theaters
are crumbled into heaps. Factories
and commission houses lie shoulder
ing on their former sites. All OF the
newspaper plants have been rendered
useless.
At 9 o'clock. under a special mes
sage from President Roosevelt. the
city was placed under martial law.
Hundreds Of troops patrolled the
streets and drove the crowds back.
while hundreds more were set at work
assisting the FIRE and police depart
ments. The strictest orders were is
sued and in true military spirit the
soldiers obeyed, Daring the after
oon three thieves met their death
by rife bullets while az work in tho
ruins The curious were driven back
" the breasts OF the horses that the
eayalrymen rode and all the crowds
we're forced from the level district
TO the hiily section beyond to the
north.
The water supply was entirely cut
on. and maybe II was just as well.
for the lines OF FIRE department would
have been absolutely useless az any
stage. Assistant chief Dougherty SUI
peryised the work OF HIS men and
early IN the morning IL was seen that
the only possible chance to save the
city lay in an effort TO check the
flames by the use OF dynamite. Dur
ing the day a blast could be heard On
any section az intervals OF only a few
minutes. and buildings not destroyed
by IRE were blown TO atoms. But
through the gaps made the flames
jumped and although the failures OF
the heroic efforts Of the police. fire.
men and soldiers were az times sick
ening, the work was continued with
a desperation that viii live as one OF
the features Of the terrible disaster.
Passengers on trains from other
cities Ia California bring details OF
destruction and death from nearly an
Of them.
San Francisco. Cal. - San Fran.
cisco Thursday night was The city
desolate. Il seemed that the acme OF