The Columbus commercial., 1907-08-06
WORK Of REGULAR ARMY
IN SAN FRANCISCO DISASTER

OO SOluSlIAluS 1OT lI1cHls w I'LL
true American spirit they accept
ed the responsibility and took
charge. They levied on some
adjoining stores and warerooms,
making systematic issues. They
settled disputes and maintained
order. Finally, having exhaust
ed all the resources of his imme
date locality he had started out
with two wagons on a foraging
expedition, and he said Those
people are hungry and | have
simply got to get something for
them" +" | took him to the Pre-
sidio dock and loaded up his
wagons. and asked Colonel Febi-
ger that night if he would not
visit the foot of Jones street the
next morning and see what was
going on. He reported that the
mans story was all true. The
three pirates were running 5000
refugees, mostly foreign, and
doing it very well, and their au-
thority down there was unques-
toned. These refugees We're
taken in the general organized
plan later and the enlisted men
returned to their commands
This is only a minor incident III
a great field of work, but it shows
a trait In the American soldier,
an ability to take the initiative
and do his own thinking, which
may enter largely into the his
tory of some great war in the
future. The work of the army
in San Francisco from lack of
time has only been outlined in
this paper. To the careful OBJ
server it taught many lessons
and was reassuring in its results.
One lesson is the necessity of
eliminating liquor in any time of
great stress. During the first
day of the disaster, liquor could
be o b t a n e d from deserted
saloons, and on one street from
rivers of wine running down the
cutters from the bursted vats of
the California Wine Association
Many cases of incidental trouble
occurred. 1t would have been
absolutely impossible to have
kept adequate order among the
great mass of refugees, some of
whom were desperate and some
of whom were lawless charac-
ters. if they could have obtained
liquor. Oakland did not follow
San Francisco's axample and a
guard had to be stationed at the
ferry to keep drunken men from
introducing liquor from the out
side. We are taught that in any
time of great emergency we
must rely on the initiative Of the
men on the ground. Conditions
We're ever changing. Plans for
one day or hour would not do for
the next. The mental poise Of
the community had received
violent shock and whereas the
greatest courage and patience
was observed to generally obtain,
the crank was there and the man
who could see no suffering but
his own. d. Devine asked an ex-
cited Individual from an outly-
ing district if there had been
much of an earthquake out his
way. Earthquake" he replied
why that's where the earth
quake was" There was a de-
termined effort on the part of all
leaders to work together, to bury
individual preference and opin-
ions. to eliminate personality
and work for the general good.
In must not be taken for grant
ed that all this harmony and
unity of action came without
effort We have recently read of
a disaster where such harmony
did not prevail, and it is to the
lasting credit of all men connect
ed with the administration that
they could not only work day
and night and keep pace with
ever shifting conditions but that
they could work together. Hun
dreds of opportunities presented
themselves as trouble makers
rrxs 4 4 j