The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-05-27

times.
Then came the earthquake and the
value of $5O0,00O,000 had been swept
away. Oftthis amount OF damage $3.50
100000 resulted from the fire since
that time the insurance companies nave
paid TO San Franciscans S1as,o00,ooo.
Nearly five square miles of the heart
of the city was left In ruins. To ciehr
away the wreck was the greatest task
Iof the kind ever undertaken. Railroad
rails were laid through the city anu
heavy engines carried away billions of
bricks and millions OF tons OF twist
cd iron and steel. The very greatness
OF the task OF clearing away the wreck
Iage encouraged men In their deter
Imination to build on greater scale:
More than $4,000 buildings were de-
stroyed. Nearly 10000 new ones havs
been erected and oyer 1000 remodeled,
$50 that San Francisco In two years
lures destroyed. But the superiority OF
the new city over the old is shown
by the fact that the $4,000 buildings
burned cost s105, 100000. while the r.
1000 new buildings have cost sll2,ooo,-
900. Two years after-and the value
lof the Improvement on the real es-
tate In the burned district Is greater
than 1t was before the fire. And THIS
lis not all of the miracle OF the sll2,-
600, 900 invested in the new buildings;
! sos, 100000 is local San Francisco mon
ley. In these buildings OF the new CITY
There is now stock and furnishings 10
the value of s160,0O0,o0o.
AIS, 900 at the time OF the fire me
estimates made on the school census
shows population to-day OF nearly
l480,0O0. There was great exodus I'M
Franciscans assert with the utmost Ia;os,t
confidence that the loss in population
| has been more than made up 6y the
influx brought about by repuilding.
.! = ssaff toy. na
are the phrases used here to TX
time or denote an era. With the un-
Ilamented obsolete buildings of certain
sections of the city there also per.
Iished much that San Francisco co VII "
itimate juxtaposltion Of business and
social life, which obtained when offices,
shops, clubs and hotels were IN their
old relation. will not be known again.
town. The shops Will also take up
| their old quarters, but the great shop
ping districts which .sprang up IN tne
funharmed residence district Will not
surrender their life, and Van Ness ,, a AYE.
lare scattered, and the Bohemian res
taurants, which contributed both to
the fame and infamy OF the city, have
4 tiers. But only the old-timers will re-
Igret the change of locations-there is
mo change in the existence OF the
things that make San francisco tie
little Paris" so beloved OF American
lBohemians.
The city that is has taken the place &c
of the city that was. Its people are
Hooking forward with faith and un-
aaunted spirit to the city that hat VIII WI % De.
Vantage was taken Of the opportunlly
Ito rearrange the street plans. But that
lis not to be thought Of now. The les
sons taught by the great disas g, ma. MAZE
loss 90 per cent, was by fire. per
3Icent. by dynamite used in fighting the
4 fire, and only . per cent. by the earth,
Quake. The rebuilt city IS made up OF
buildings of that type OF construction
(which resisted the force of the earth-
quake. AS far as human precaution
lean go the city is protected from dan
Tiger from another "temhlor." the peo-
,lOOO.OoO to install an auxiliary water
system to be used only in fighting
Hire. Further than this man cannot
SO In his efforts to guard var AGAR, aEalnst the
Before the fire San Francisco was wa,
la creditor city. It's bonded indebted
J. mess is limited by It's charter, to =, la
per cent, Of its assessment roli ooo ddn
q which fixes the limit OF indebtedness
lat s67, 100000. Until a few days age
!, the actual bonded debt was only S.,
$4,000 Encouraged BY the ~, results %
: Iby a vote of 10 to /, agreed to a bond
Issue OF s1S,2Oo,0oo This money Is
!to be expended for improvelnents-$5,
: 100000 for the auxiliary water system
/ s4, 900 900 for a sewer system, $4,000
! 1000 for additional schoolholses, ST..
), loco 900 for hospitals, and million eacl
,Ifor u hall OF justice and a garbage dis
!. Even with this new debt the pei
: capita Indebtedness of San Francisco Is
!. Ionly SAC, which compares faYorabls
/ with New Works. S127. Bostons STA OF
: |Cincinnati's Sill, It is also notable
i fact that the percentage of mortgage
) |indebtedness in relation to the aetna
: value Of real estate and improvements
lis ,YerY loMtin San francisco. Accord