The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1923-09-18


with smoke. assisted the Red Cross
this morning. white 500 others had
donncG knickcrbockcrs and gone out
10 nEht brush fires that we're the
cause of the CONFEDERATION. and that
su" hurned .otuinouHly near.
berkeley presented remariI
able picture this morning. Tho
Tire had burned 40 ilerccly, de.
/ teloping such intense heat. that
hardly could the frames OF the
destroyed homes be dlStln.
guishcd. Some Of the homeless
VINO returned TO the scenes had
difficulty In picking out their
donioiles.
Tho devastated dlstrlc, was prac.
ueally leveled Each building glowed
IKE tho remains OF big bonfire.
Men. women. girls and boys. with
Hoot.blaekoned faces. moved about
among the debris In the dawn.
The fire fighters who stood Off
tho brush fires until midnight. after
tho disaster 10 the residential dis.
! tFiet had occurred. were called In
all but about / 900 left on guard.
All during yesterday fire depart.
mcnts OF tho East Hay elites had
been answering calln to hundreds OF
fires
Tho oakland firo department an.
Hwercd 80 calls In IS minutes.
Ono OF these. whipped by the
strong gales blowing. got beyond
control OF the thousands who helped
Tight II. and was snbdued only BY
the uso Of dynamite. Students OF
the university rallied to prevent do.
siructlon OF their campus.
When the flames were finally
brought under control, after
dark. II was estimated that near.
~ 1000 buildings, mostly homes,
had been destroyed, making the
fire the greatest disaster TO visit
San Francisco bay region since
the great earthquake and fire OF
1906. Fifty square blocks were
raxcd. leaving only smoke black.
rned chimnrys TO show where
honse~ used 10 stand.
The fire hazard hhs no, yet been
completely done away with. For.
ct fires are raging IN several eoun
ties OF the section. communication
being 10 badly damaged that days
may pass before the services are
brought back 20 normal.
rs daylight came people began
drifting hack 70 smouldaring fires
which few hours before had been
their homes--homos filled with rare
antiques. objects Of art and priceless
libraries.
They bravcd the stsi smoking
ruins In hopes OF saiyaging some
thing Of value
A scayenNer wagon drove thru the
burned district loaded with mahor
any furniture worth hundreds Of dol.
lars which someone had saved. Be
hind IL rolled an auto Of q make
costing many thousands and in the
tonneau was n sewing machine the
sole possession left to tho automo.
bile'H owner.
An elrcdiy man OF distinguished
appearance walked down the street
with pair OF andirons In HIS hands.
apparently all that was left OF his
home and probably a relic rich in
memories II not an antique OF great
value.
One woman camc 10 relief head.
quarters loaded down with phono.
graph records. which were all she
had saved.
Fire Chief sidney Rose and
squad OF police made survey OF
the scene this morning and report
cd they believed tho damage would
run above the y5.0oo,0o mark. cI.
elusive Of the contents Of the
houses.
Rose said the average value OF
homes destroyed was approximately
81, 900.
Fifty automobiles were reported |
to police 10 have been burned and !
police believe three times this mum.
Der must have been lost.
Rose said he considered 500 rs
too low figure on the number
OF buildings burned and that he
thought It would run nearex to
900.
The burned area IL roughly
bounded by Hearst ave. on the
south. oxford st. on the west. tho
city limits on the north and cast.
Among the homeless are 1900
students OF the University OF Cali.
fornia, today's figures showed.
Many stories Of persons who
may have lost their lives were
coming 10 the authorities thru.
out the morning. None of these
has been confirmed and no
bodies have been found.
j. Kigan reported he saw
man burned TO death in n house
on Keith ave.
Student guards say that an aged |
woman refused to leave her home |
on Arch st. when II was dynamlted !
Police Sergeant Frank Swayn de. |
clarod nc saw the roof OF house
collapse with n man standing ON II. |
Another report to police was that |
four university students died try.
ing to save their fraternity house. |
Paul Cadman, dean OF men at
the university. said he was positive |
an aged man and woman died
when they returned 10 their burn.
ing house In search OF possessions.
40 the morning wore on. others
drifted towards tho burned district
and tried 10 salvage bits OF books
from the ashes, but seldom with sue.
cess.
At least 20 professors, members OF
the University OF California faculty.
lost their homes and practically all
within them In yesterdays fire.
Among those OF the faculty who were
made homeless were: