Omaha daily bee., 1907-03-31
UPLIFT OF SAN FRANCISCO
Progress Of Reconstruction Of the hetrOpo-
is at the otldsn Gaia
wRAT has BLLN Done N TEN MONIAs
HIIIons Paid for Labor ana Material,
Temporary and Permanent Build
inEs Erected ana Obstacles
Overcome.


SAN FRANCISCO, March 10 - within
two weeks Of the time that the big FIRE dew
astated San Francisco on April Is eleven
months ago, the California promotion com
nittee made the prediction that as the dis
aster was the greatest and most astounding
in the history Of the world, so would the
recovery be one that would astonish the
world Even while the most optimistic OF
the business men Of the stricken city placed
the figure of recovery at ten years, the com
mittee said that IN fve years time there
would rise better city than the one which
was destroyedo.
That sanguine prediction is now shortened
by nearly all the business men Of San
Francisco. and from present indications
there is no doubt that the predictions OF
the committee win be verified.
During the past eleven months there has
been much carping criticism on the part OF
superficial observers who took It for
granted that because immense steel and
stone structures were not rearing their
heads to the skies within a few months OF
the devastation of five hundred city blocks
nothing was being done toward rebuilding
When the enormous task OF removing the
debris Is considered together with the hun
dreds Of difficulties. both great and small
which beset the city in It's efforts to rise
from the ashes, It is a marvellous achieve
ment that has crowned the efforts of the
city builders
Fifty-nine miles Of streets were rendered
impossible by debris, and $40 miles Of street
railway rendered imperative. Millions
upon millions of tons Of stone. steel, brick
mortar and other debris in hopeless tangle
and confusion covered every block. Two
nd randnrqd
homeless, and for days there was neither
water service nor gas and electricity for
light. For weeks all the cooking was done
in the streets while every house had dou-
bled its normal number Of occupants. This
was the condition on the first of May, when
the work really began, and when the de-
bris piles were attacked by thousands of
men whose first effort was to clear the
streets so that teams could pass through,
then to rehabilitate the traction lines, wa
ter system and gas service. 1t was neces-
sary to build two cities at the same time
one TO live in while building the permanent
one.
It Is we'll to remember these conditions
when considering what has been accom-
plished during the eleven months which
have elapsed since the fire, for we are
prone to forget.
conservative uBuTH8 hllOW Nhdl NtOtVVVfvVV
have been expended In reconstruction and
rehabilitation in San Francisco since the
fire. OF this amount, in round numbers.
2S,OOO,OOO has been paid to labor. 1t is esti-
mated from computations OF contractors
and labor organizations that there are at
the present time, and have been for the
past six months, 5000 men engaged in
reconstruction work In the city Estimat-
ing at a low average these men have re-
ceived for their work $3.50 a day, or total
of $4,000 day. There have been 1856 week
days in the past six months and twenty
six Sundays The total amounts to SO, $780,
co., including Sunday and overtime work
of about one-fourth the full number of men,
During the first three months after May 1S
when work may be said to have really
begun, there were 10000 men at work
Computing the same average Of pay this
would give a total for the thirteen weeks
Of $4,000, making the grand total S2o.-
30 900, that labor has received as Its share
Of the money paid for rehabilitation of San
Francisco in ten months since the FIRE.
According to the estimates of builders
and contractors labor has received 45 per
cent Of the amount expended, which leaves
total OF $s2,00O,OO0 spent for material, or
$sOOOO.OOO for buildings and reconstructioD
One Of the most conservative estimates Of
the rehabilitation of burned stores is that
at least 100000 have been expended by
the retail merchants In replacing their de-
stroyed stocks. This has all been paid for
and brings the total 10 $4,000, 900 cash that
has been expended in reconstruction and re-
Mobilization.
But what has been done in the past ten
months has really been but the breaking
ground for larger operations. The work of
clearing away the debris alone has been
of appalling magnitude, but that has vir-
tually been going on side by side with
building. In all the downtown district
debris has been carried away steadily and
foundations have been laid for an enormous
amount OF building which, 80 far. has made
no appreciable showing. Within the next
two months there viii come a marked
and distinct change. Buildings by the hun
dred will then show above ground, and all
the preparatory work will then be under
stood.
working Under DimeuItiea.
Some general idea may be obtained of
what has been done In San Francisco by
a cursory examination into conditions In
various parts of the burned district. When
the FIRE swept over Telegraph Hin It
crossed the intervening valley and up the
side OF Russian Hill, thence out to North
Beach, wiping out everything In the whole
district Before the ashes were cold prepa-
rations for rebuilding In that locality were
begun, and hundreds of temporary struc-
lures were erected where the people might
live while they were building up again
their destroyed homes and business houses
This, for time was the scene OF greatest
activity in the burned district, and the re-
suit Is that the entire territory is now re-
built in better condition than II was before
the fire. II must be understood that these
buildings are nearly all frame and small
brick. with scattering Of reinforced con-
crete structures. This is the same class
that occupied the vicinity before the FIRE
During those early days permission was
granted for the erection OF any sort Of
temporary structure, anywhere in the city
without permit, and without necessity for
compliance with the building regulations