Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Lexington wheatfield. (Lexington, Or.) 1905-19?? | View Entire Issue (April 26, 1906)
BAY CITY Earthquake Visits San Francisco THOUSAND DEAD Fire follows Shock and Adds to Panic NO WATER SUPPLY Mains are Broken and Fire men Fight Flames With Dynamite-All Bus iness Section Is Gone. City Surely Doomed. Oakland, April 19. At 11 o'clock this morning San Francisco is a mass of ruins and the flames continue the work of destruction, obliterating the few remaining habitations. There is no water and the city seems doomed Dvnamite has failed to check the fire Oakland has been placed under martial law. The San Pablo ferry was sunk by flying debris. All night the heav ens were lighted by the light of the vast conflagration. This morning a mass of smoke marks the continunce of the destruction amid scenes of unspeak able horror. The estimated loss in San Francisco will reach from $150,000,000 to (200,000,000 in the town. The limits of the fire at this hour are Nineteenth street on the west, Town send street un the south and Broadway on the north. Everything between these streets and the waterfront is de vastated. Day Dawns Hopeless San Francisco, April 19. Day dawn ed on a scene of death and destruction. During the night the flames consumed many of the city's finest structures and spread in a dozes directions to the res idence portions. The tear dimmed eyes of a myriad of homeless, stricken, heart weary, help leaf people watched the fire stretch its long lone of red destruction from the waterfront to the Mission, which i feftept bl standing wood and brick and Steel and iron made a huge, smoldering scrap heap; around the shipping die trict down to the bay shore, destroying vessels, wharves and docks; and then, in a bitter turn of the wind, Bhrivel the Warm Belt, reach its destructive ban ners over the Southern Pacific Btation at Third and Townsend, crumpling cars and engines and huge buildings into bonfire ashes, and completing the fell work of yesterday south of Market street; then swing back, on the wings of a self-made'Kale, to find new fuel amid the stately homes of the men who had been state buildes and railroad magnates on Nob Hill. Funston's Resume of Disaster. Washington, April 19. The War de partment today received the following telegram from General Funston; "Your four dispatches received. Have already fiW several for you. It is impossible now to inform you as to the full extent of the disaster. City practically destroyed. Troops have been aiding police patroling and main taining order. Martial law has not been declared. Working in conjunction with the civil authorities. Have not interfered with the sending of any dis patches. You cannot Bend too many tents or rations. About 200,000 people homeless. Food very scarce. Provis ion houses all destroyed. All the gov ernment buildings in the city gone." Oakland, Cal., April 18. Earth quake and fire today have caused the greatest calamity California has ever known. In San Francisco alone it is estimated that 1,000 persons have per ished, while as many more are suffering from injuries. The entire business portion of the city is in ruins, and the flames which, owing to the lack of water, cannot be checked, except by blowing up with dynamite buildings in their path, are still sweeping through the city. It is impossible at present to estimate the property loss, for the extent of the con flagration cannot be told until the fire has burned itself out. IS IN RU N The dreadful earthauake shock came without warning at precisely 5:13 o'clnck this morning, its motion appar entlv being from east to west. At first the upheaval of the earth waB gradual but in a few seconds it increased in in tenaitv. Chimneys began to fall and buildings to crack, tottering on the! foundations. People became panic stricken and rushed into the streets most of them in their night attire They were met by showers of falling buildings, bricks, cornices and walls Manv were instantlv crushed to death while others were dreadfully mangled Those who remained indoors generally escaped with their lives, though scores were hit bv detached plaster, pictures and articles thrown to the floor by the shock. It is believed that more or less loss was sustained by nearly every fam ily in the city. Telegraph and telephone communi cation was shut off for a time. The Western Union was put completely out of business, and the Postal company was the only one that managed to get a wire out of the city. About 10 o clock even the Postal was forced to suspend in San Francisco. Electric power was stopped and street cars did not run. Railroads and ferry boats also ceased operations. Today's experience has been a testi monial to the modern steel building a score oi inese structures were lu coarse of erection, and not one of these suffered. The completed modern build ings were also immune from harm by earthquake. The buildings that col lapsed were all flimsy wooden and old fashioned brick structures. The burned district extends from the water iront south of Market street to Mission street and west to Eleventh street. The fire extends out Hayes and McAllister streets nearly to Fillmore, and from the water front along Market to Montgomery and north from the wa ter front to New Montgomery street, Manufactories, hotels, wholesale houses and residences, comprising the princi pal part of the business section, have been destroyed. The city hall, a struc ture costing $7,000,000, was first wreck ed by the earthquake and then destroy' ed by fire. The Palace hotel, valued at $3,000,000, also was burned. The beautiful Claus Spreckels building at Third and Market streets was gutted. The Rialto building and dozens of oth er costly structures were also destroyed. The Hall of Justice is threatened, and will undoubtedly go. The Examiner and Call buildings are gone and the Croker building, across the Btreet from the Palace hotel, is on fire. mi j xue ireaxs oi tne eartnquaxe were many. Wide fissures were made in the streets, street railways were twisted out of line, sewers and water pipes were burst, and it is feared that there will be an epidemic of disease. Provisions are being sold at fancy prices, and even water is being vended by the glass. it is impossible to give a list of the dead and wounded, or even a list of the principal buildings destroyed, OUTSIDE SAN FRANCISCO. Many Towns Ruined by Earthquake and Hundreds of Lives Lost. San Jose, April 19. One hundred and fifty persona are reported killed in thia city. The entire business portion ot the town bordered by St. James on the north, Market on the west, Third on the east and San Fernando on the south is a complete mass of ruins. The city is under martial law, the streets are being patrolled by troops. All hospitals are crowded with dead and dying. The electric plant is badly de molished and the city is in darkness. San Francisco, April 19. Reports from the interior are most alarming. Santa Rosa, one of the most beautiful cities in the state, in the prosperous county of Sonoma, is a total wreck. There are 10,000 homeless men, women and children, huddled together. The loss of life is not to be estimated. It will probably reach the thousands. The main street is piled many feet deep with the fallen buildings. Not one business block is left intact. This de struction includes all the county build ings. Nothing ia left. What was not destroyed by the earthquake was swept by fire. Messengers bring the Baddest tid'ngs from Healdaburg, Geyserville, Clover dale, H opland and TJkiah. In every case the loss of Hie and property is & shocking as here. Oakland, April 18. Reports from dis tricts outside of San Francisco indicate widespread damage. San Jose, 60 miles south, lost many buildings and from 15 to 20 people killed. The an nex of the Yendome hotel collapsed and fires broke out. Stanford university and Palo Alto suffered. At Stanford, many handsome buildings were demolished and two people were killed. Six other students are lying n the Palo Alto hospital with bruises, cuts and internal injuries. The courthouse at Redwood City and other buildings collapsed. Menlo Park, Burlingame and other fashion able auburbs Buffered. Santa Rosa, to the north, Napa, Vallejo and all towns around the bay were damaged. DESTRUCTION GROWS HOURLY riremen biow Up Buildings Frantic People Flee for Safety. San Francisco, April 19. With each succeding hour the devastation and de struction in this etrlckeu and prostrate ruin of a city grows and grows. At 8 o'clock tonight it seemed as If nothing could save the comparatively Binall portion of the city that yet remains un burned. The entire business and whole sale district is now only a glowing fur nace, while the giant tongues of flame have reached westward far beyond Van Iees avenue and are wiping out build ings and seeking more to devour. lu every excavation and hole throughout the north beach household s are burying household effects, throwing them into the ditches and covering the holes. Attempts are made to mark the graves of the property so that it can be recovered after the flames are appeased. Chief of Police Dinan Baid he thought 250 would fully cover the number of deaths. He found it impossible to se cure details. About 50 bodies have thus far been found. There was much shooting of looters today, but the offenders were fortunate enough to escape with wounds. There is a great shortage of the bread supply in the city. This afternoon, after a panic at the California-street bakery, the police took possession of the premises and it will be operated under municipal control. At this place men battled with women and children in their efforts to each seize four and five loaves of bread. The police used their clubs for the purpose of bringing about an equitable distribution of the loaves. BLAZE LIGHTS MIDNIGHT SKY. Conflagration Seen From Oakland Appears Unchecked. Oakland, Cal., April 19. (Mid night) At this hour the light from burning San Francisco does not appear to have diminished, and is almost, if not quite, as brilliant as last night. Although the flames have swept their way three miles westward from the water front, the entire sky is' illumi nated by the glare of the unchecked conflagration. There ie no wind and only the faintest suspicion of a breeze here tonight, but it is said there is a stiff breeze blowing over San Francisco. A gigantic column of smoke hangs over the desolated city, the apex forming fantastic shapes thousands of feet in the air and slowly drifting away to the northward. Although telegraphic communication was established this evening with the Ferry building on the San Francisco Bide, only a very limited amount of matter could be handled, The tele graph company would receive but a few hundred words of press matter, giving the wires over to pressing commercial business. It is believed that by to morrow morning additional facilities will be had. The telegraph companies are com pletely swamped by thn enormous vol ume of messages reaching here, as well as the crush of business filed for the outside world. It is unlikely there will be any further news matter from San Francisco before morning. Money Pours In. The following list shows how the cit ies of the United States are responding to San Francisco's urgnt need o' help: Los Angeles, $200,000; Salt Lake, $100,000; Sacramento, $50,000; Port iand. $100,000 i Indianapolis, $10,000; Spokane, $5,000; Stockton, $20,000; Seattle, $40,000; Pittsburg, fou.uuu; Omaha, $10,000; Goldfield, Nev., $10, 000; Tacoma, $10,000; Eugene, $2,000. Besides these John V. Rockefeller has given $100,000; Clarence H. Mackay, $100,000, and the Andrew Carnegie hero fund, $25,000. There are also thousands of telegrams pouring into San Francisco from all parts if the United States telling of funds being raised. Find Shelter at Berkely. Berkeley, Cal., April 19. Tonight Berkeley is packed with over' 1,000 re fugees who have been brought across the bay to escape the horrors of the San Francisco conflagration. The home less and hungry are fed at the station from long benches provided by the citizens' relief committee, which in cludes representatives of all the fra tenal and religious organizations in town. The women students and pro fessors of the State university are doing great work for the sufferers, and to night are finding shelter for all. Treasure at Mint Is Safe. Washington, April 19. The United States mint at San Francisco escaped serious damage from the earthquake and the conflagration. Its Btock of gold, silver and bullion, amounting to about $39,000,000, is safe. FIRE STILL BURNING But Has Lost Its Fury and Is Now Slowly Dying Out. NATION COMING NOBLY TO RELIE Foreign Countries Stand Ready With Help, But Their Aid Will Not Be Needed. San Francisco, April 20. Plunged into absolute darkness tonight at 10 o'clock, San Francisco has not seen the conculsion of the devastating work of the conflagration. The fire that started at Nob Hill and worked its way to the North Beach sec tion, sweeping that section clear of buildings, was later veered around by a tierce wind and made its way southerly to the immense Beawall sheds and grain warehouses. The flames were heading directly lor the immense Ferry build ing, the terminal point of all central overland and local trains of the South em Pacific road. The darkness and the wind, which at times amounted to a gale, added fresh terrors to the situa tion. Tonight the principal remaining fire was confined east of Van Ness avenue and north of Union street, but was burning its way to the shore. Late this afternoon the police broke open every saloon and corner grocery in the saved districts and poured all malt and epiritous liquors into the gutters. HUNDREDS DEAD IN HOTELS. Over 75 Bodies Taken Out One Hundred in Cosmopolitan. San Francisco, April 20. The three story lodging house at Fifth and Minna streets collapsed and over 75 dead bod ies have been taken out. There are at least 50 more dead bodies exposed. This building was one of the first to take fire on Fifth Btreet. At least 100 people were lost in the Cosmopolitan hotel on Fourth street. The only building standing between Mission, Howard, East and Stewart streets is the San Pablo hotel, which is occupied and running. The shot tower at First and Howard streets is gone This landmark was built 40 years ago The Risdon Iron works is partially de troyed. The Great Western Smelting and Refining works escaped damage, also the Mutual Electric Light works, with slight damage to the American Rubber company and Vietagas Engine company. foiger $ros.' uonee and Spice house is uninjured, and the firm is giving away large quantities of bread and milk. Many are dropping dead from the heat and from suffocation. Over 150 people are reported lost in the Brunswick hotel, Seventh and Mis sion streets. NATION TO THE RELIEF. War Department Assumes Entire Con trol of Situation. Associated Press dispatches from every important city in the land indi cate that $12,000,000 in cash is already in sight for the relief of the fire and earthquake sufferers in and about San Francitco, and that a total of $20,000, 000 is l'kely to be raised. The United Stats will grapple alone with the situa tion growing out of the total destruc tion of one of her richest and most pop ulous cities. Foreign countries, in view of the magnificent responses of the American people to the call for aid, will not be asked to contribute, though numerous offers have been made. Before the cabinet, at its meeting yeBterday, had resolved upon this course, however the Dominion of Can ada had taken cognizance of the situa tion in San Francisco by voting $100, 000 in cash for relief, and dispatches from the seaport cities of British Co lumbia indicate that they are ignoring the existence of the international boundary line and are joining in the work of forwarding money and provis ions with their sisters cities on the Pa cific coast. Ruins Small Companies. Chicago, April 20. It was declared last night by Chicago insurance men that many of the small accident and fire companies probably will be forced to suspend business because of their enormous loss in San Francisco. Even some of the bigger companies will be hard pressed. The total amount of lia bility convolved is now placed at more than $180,000,000 in San Francisco alone. This is considered conservative. Added to the losnes in, San Francisco will be at least $50,000,000 to be met in other ci ies. Will Build $5,000,000 Plant. New York, April 20. It was an nounced at the office of M. Guggeon heim's Sons today that orders have been issued by that firm to proceed as soon as possible with the construction nf a $5,000,000 smelting plant in San Francisco. REAP CROPS OF FOREST. Plans Completed for Using Reserve Timber for Ties. Washington, April 18. The demand for lodgepole pine ties by the Western railroads, which prefer thorn to any other because of the eaae with which they take preservatives, has greatly in creased the market value of the Rocky mountain forests in Northern Colorado, Wyoming, Eastern Idaho and Southern Montana, where lodgepole pine is the, predominant tree. These forests are largely within existing and proposed national forest reserves, and are conse quently under government control, bo that the Forest service has felt the need of preparing plans to permit the sale of ch mature timber in them as may be safely spared. During the past year a working plan was completed for about 46,000 acres in the Wyoming division of the Medicine Bow reserve. It was found in the first place that the protective value of the forest as a cover for the watersheds is so great that any utilization of the timber crop must be subordinated to it. Throughout the region the control of stream flow by the forest, cover is the prime consideration. The mining industry, which is of high importance, will not be hampered by the disposal of reserve timber, since all the mining claims located in cr near the tract include timber sufficient for the needs of the owners. The present moderate grazing of cattle is carried on without risk to reproduction of the forest. The Medicine Bow forest reserve con- tains the largest continuous body of lodgepole pine to be found in the Rocky mountains. The completed plan provides for bet ter protection of the forest from fire, including effective measures for coin pact piling of debris and h niflh in nnnn. ings ready for burning; stipulates that all timber to be removed shall be marked in advance by the forest offi cers, who will be furnished with a full set of instructions to govern all steps in the logging operations; and requires that all merchantable Darts of the treH be used. Similar working Diana will l nm- pared for available bodies of timber on other reserves, making Dossibla the utilization of these vast forests under a system of scientific management whirh will perpetuate and improve the stand and, above all, safeguard the forest cover on the watersheds. ALL READY TO SIGN. Columbia River Jetty Bill by the Senate. Is Passed Washington, April 18. On motion of Senator Fulton, the senate yesterday paased the bill which was adopted by the house of representatives appropriat ing $400,000 to continue construction of the Columbia river jetty. It took only one minute to secure its final en actment. When the engrossed copy of the bill reaches the president, it will take him even less time to sign it. The bill which the senate passed was that introduced by Representative . Jones and, although identical with Mr. Fulton's bill, which went through the senate a month ago, it was neceesary to- put the house bill through the senate in order to make it a lav. This re quired the senate to pass two bills tp. propriating $400,000. When the house bill was agreed to the senate, oil mo tion of Mr. Fulton, recalled its original bill from the house and tabled it. The bill should reach the bresirienh the latter part of this week. Comment ing on said: its final passage, Mr. Fulton "To Mr. Burton, chairman, and Mr. Jones, of Washington, a member of the house river and harbor committee, are- we especially indebted. Both these gentlemen should be held in kindly remembrance by the people of Oregon. It is fortunate for us .that Mr. Jones is member of that committee, for he is not only a friend of Oregon, but he is one of the strongest men in tne house, and is recognized as one of the leaders." Arranging West Virginia Scale. Indianapolis, April 18. The execu tive board of the United Mineworkera of America began a special session at the Claypool hotel to consider questions' that have arisen out of the strike situa tion in the bituminous district. The proposition of the operators in the Kanawha field of West Virginia to pay an advance of 3 per cent in wages was taken up, and a message of instruction' Bent to the representatives of the min ers, who were to meet tonight at Charleston, W. Va., in joint scale com mittee with the operators. Canadians Buy Mexico Car Lines. Mexico City, April 18. The report- ed sale of Mexico electric tramways to the Mexican Light & Power company, Canadian corporation, has been con firmed. Werner, Beit A Co., of Lon don, Bold all their holdings for $11, 250,000 gold. The actual cash paid will be $6,250,000.