The Alaska citizen. (Fairbanks, Alaska) 1910-1917, 1913-05-26

On the third day of the great
San Francisco fire deep-chested
man stood on the sidewalk of Van
Ness avenue. Three days of stub
BILE was on his face. three days
dust was on his clothes. He held
in each hand the end of a telephone
wire that ran across the street. He
touched them together spark snap
ped and over the way palatial
dwelling rose into the air and
crumpled down in its own cellar
noninflammable ruin. When the
flames ate their way up through the
city they choked on the brick and
mortar barrier interposed by the
dynamite squad
The leader of the dynamite squad
was Franklin X. Lane, now seere-
tary of the interior in the cabinet
of President Wilson. When asked
about the story the other day. he
nodded:
at was destruction which conserv-
ed the rest of the city That has
been the rule of my life-to con-
serve something 1t was my aim
when | was on the interstate com
merce commission and it will he
my policy as secretary of the inter
Tor. by whatever means are re-
quired. to develop the natural re-
sources of the country so as to as
sure their perpetuation for the use
of future generations. as well as our
own"
SAN FRANCISCO NEEDS WATER.
Mr. Lane had just been consider
ing an application of the city of
San Francisco for permission to con
struct a great reservoir in Hetch.
Hetchy valley. in the Yosemite ma
tional part. San Francisco is the
most poorly watered city of its
size in the United States. but mem
bers of a certain school OF conser-
vationists are fighting the opening
of the national park to this project
Probably no man could have been
made secretary of the interior who
has more profound realization
of San Franciscos need of water
than Franklin X. Lane.
The earthquake that started the
fire broke most of the water mains
The fire fighters were making their
last stand at Van Ness avenue. the
broadcast thoroughfare of the city
but it was a disheartening situation
The chemical engines had sprayed
the building in the path of the
flames with the chemical solution
supposed to arrest fire, but finally
there was not even water enough for
this.
LED FIGHT ON FLAMES.
Mr.. Lane got into a motor car
which had been run so hard through
the debris of the burned section
that its tires were gone 1t had lost
one of its batteries, which had been
borrowed to supply the current for
setting off the dynamite. Mr.. Lane
found three firemen lying in hear
at one of the stations completely
exhausted by the work of the pre-
ceding forty-eight hours.
We've got TO find some water,
he cried
ITS no use" replied the fireman
whom he awakened; "the whole
western addition is doomed; we've
tried every hydrant for a mile
around and there's not drop tc
be had. Let me Sleep
Lane awakened another fireman
and in the tireless motor they went
through the streets trying one by
drant after another. Each would
spout up about four gallons of water
and then the flow would cease. Fin
ally. in Green street, near Cough
they were rewarded with strong
stream. Three engines were brought
and pumped the water to Van Ness
avenue and Broadway, a few blocks
away, and the fight was continued.
If it lies wholly with the new
secretary of the interior, San Fran
cisco will not want for water.
KEEPS CLOSE TO CALIFORNIA
Franklin X. Lanes service In
the national government has a pc
cularly close sentimental relation
ship to California, his home Not
only does this question Of water
supply, the need of which he learn
ed so poignantly during the fire
come under his jurisdiction as sec
rotary of the interior, but his ap-
pointment to the interstate COM
merce commission in 1906 brought
for the first time to that body a
representative of the Pacific coast
after politics had kept the coast un,
represented for many years. His &C
tivities led to the governments suit
for dissolution of the merger OF the