Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-04-18
Anniversary OF
FRISCO DISASTER
Year Ago Today All Was Excite
ment in Salt Lake Owing
To Calamity.
SOME OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS.


A different 18th OF April this. for
Salt Lake residents from that which
the city experienced Just one year ago
today, san Francisco news Items come
IN normally today, and ia tho news
paper offices The usual routine Is being
ground out. while the date in 1905 found
city editors trying 20 puzzle out the sig
nitcance OF fragmeniary kilograms OF
dIsiofnted sentences. declaring that the
city is rocking, buildings tOpping" and
later chat tho city was burning in one
mighty mass Of flames.
Then outside on the streets there were
lhe bulletins the weeping women ia
the telegraph offices, the special eGl-
lions even Of the little paper published
at ri. Douglas aud the rush westward
Of citizens hoping to locate relatives,
followed by the mass meetings TO send
food aud clothing TO the thousands of
homeless.
Slowly In the weeks THAI followed
were the details Of the greatest Ca tas-
trophe to any single city in Americas
history The people began to- see what
IL meant. and through the clouds %
smoke and ashes, there began to be
queries Of the future.
For the "NeW8" the season was par
ticularly one OF anxiety and strained
effort for two members OF the staff
were ON the ground before the fires
were dlmmed In smoke and ashes. and
specials were pouring In at all hours,
with pictures and sketches which madn
The News" accounts the most COM
plete and comprehensive published
while Its photographs were the first to
be printed anywhere OF the great dis
aster.
THE FINAL QUERY
The final query after tina details had
oeen told. was what would the future
1ring How long would It take San
Francisco to- come to herself again?
a News STAFF member wrote from tn.
rlins Of Mob hill. where the old gold
made milionalres had built their pal
ices, that San Francisco would never
lsaIn come to her own. That these
ilen who had built the city and given
\ The peculiar and distinctive flavor
nat mad II unique 1.-The Stanfortls, the
HuntlnBtOns- she EIOpkinSes and theic
near OF financial kin, were products OF
The gold era. ana their work had gone
with their bones TO a ilnal resting
place
Remaining WAS not the site OF a city
'or gold seeking argonauts, but only
sort for commerce, q shipping station
'"r valleys fun Of oranges and prpnes. |
tnd a gateway tO the Pacific that must
'utd Itself on what power IL possessed
% outwit the men OF Semitic to the
forth. and the grasping men of Oak
and across the hay who were so anx-
Gus 20 steal the clty's docks and
Wharfage facilities in the hour OF Its
worst distress.
THE OUTLOOK.
And today. a year after. the city
points Well the way of its future
growth, while Its accomplishments In
getting out Of its 1ilcnsa are mostly |
" the blueprint order The city's OPP
litnIstic now place 10. years as the peril
vi within which the city win begin to
ook like herself again, In a new dress
There is not yet finished one single big
building to tell the hope for more To
follow. The business center Is still i'm
The temporary Fillmore street section
while abandoned street cars are used
sor dwellings In large numbers. The
tshes sim remain with The bricks In the
main thorOughfares, while the brains
ind Drawn of the city leaders has been
In getting rid OF the vultures
sho swOoped down to prey upon the
stricken community.
ABE RuETF AND HIS CLAN
This work OF getting Abe Rueff
and his clan down and out of poll
teal power 1t now seems. VIII go
1own In history AS the big task OF
the FIRST year. 1t has taken much
public spirit to accomplish results,
and contributions OF large amounts
from public spirited citizens Bat
the end Of the FIRST year finds the task
moro completely accomplished than
any other ono item Of the reconstrue-
zion.
In the field Of labor tho town Is
distinctly working mans town, ana
win be so for 10 Years Yet. during
which time an army of mechanics can |
find plenty to do Over $40, 900 900 !
In building permits have boon let
while the labor salary list runs up to
81 200, 900 a week, which means 352.-
BOO 000 on over 500 100000 invest
ed In buildings. since materials cost
about as much as labor The san
Francisco papers are filled with pro.
misses Of new buildings, Every cltI.
sen seems To be carrying a blue print
Of what he plans to do, and another
year may perhaps see In real accom-
plishments what We now hear OF only
as hopes for the future
INDIFFERENT TO PUBLIC,
The city government seems to share