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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (April 19, 1906)
The Omaha Daily Bee Your Money' Worth THE OMAHA DEE Best tlT. West Whir Ado Count THE OMAHA DEE Best t'h". West ESTABLISHED JUNE 19, 1871. OMAHA, THURSDAY MORNING, AriUL 19, 190( TWELVE TACIES S1NOLE COPY THREE CENTS. THOUSAND LIE DEAD If. STRICKEN SAN FRANCISCO'S SMOKING RUINS Debris Takes Fire in Many Places and Eight Square Miles of Buildings in the Wholesale District Are Destroyed Blaze Spreads to Residence Sec tion and City Seems Doomed. At Least One Thousand Are Known to Be L-au and Other Thousands Are, More or Less Injured, While Many Thousands More Wander Homeless in Streets or Huddle in Parks, Waiting for the Coming of Daylight and End of the Affliction. Additional details but add to the extent of the San Francisco calamity. All the horror that was imagined from the meager ac counts that came early seem to be fully confirmed by the later news. It is impossible yet to tell the full extent of the disaster, but at nightfall it was known that at least 1,000 persons had lost their lives in San Francisco, while 2,000 or 3,000 more were more or less seriously injured. In addition to these, thousands of homeless, huddled in the parks or open streets, waiting for the coming of another day that would reveal more of the extent of the terrible destruction wrought there by the fire and earthquake. It was estimated last evening that at least $100,000,000 worth of property had been destroyed. The government of the United States moved with all prompt ness to relieve the distress of the people in San Francisco, and tents for shelter and government rations for food are to be issued as fast as possible At least eight square miles of the best built portion of San Francisco, containing all the public buildings and the magnificent private structures of which the city was so proud, are included in the area wrecked by the earthquake and the fire that followed it. The city is stricken most sorely. Troops are guarding the streets and doing all possible to assist the authorities of the city to re store order and determine the full extent of the calamity. It is not likely that this will be known for several days. HAN FRANCISCO. April lg.-Earthquake and fire today have put nearly half of Han Francisco In ruins. Probably 1.000 people have been killed. 1.000 others In jured and the property Ijs will exceed ItOO.OOo.ono. Thousands of people are home less and destitute and all day long streams of people have been fleeing from the atricken districts to places of safety. It was 5:1$ o'clock this morning wnen terrific earthquake shook the whole city and surrounding country. One shock ap parently lasted two minutes and there was almost linmedlutc collapse of flimsy structures all over the city. The water supply wn cut off and when Area broke out In varioua sections there was nothing to do but to let the buildings burn. Cosnmnnlcatlon Cat Off. TaUgreph and telephone communication JM Shut off for a time. The Western tTnlon 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. Elec tric power was stopped and street cars did not run. Railroads and ferry boats also ceased operations. The various fires have been raging all day and the Are department has been powtrleea to do anything except to dyna mite the buildings threatened. All day lung explosions have shaken the city and added to the terror of the inhabitants. Following the first shock there was in- other within five minutes, but not nearly so severe. Three hours later there was another slight quake. Steel Straetnres rsdtmscfi. - j Today's experience has been a testi monial to the modern steel building. A score of Ihese structures were In course of erection and not one of them suffered. The completed modern buildings were also immune from harm by earthquake. The buildings that collapsed were all flimsy wooden and old-fashioned brick structures. The damage by earthquake does not bn gin to compare with the loss by fire. The heart of the business section has been de stroyed. An area of thickly covered ground of eight square blocks has been burned over and there is no telling when the Are will be under control. Looters Shot an Sight. Mayor Bchmlts was about early end took measures for the relief and protection of the city. General Funston was quickly communicated with, and by t o'clock 1.000 federal soldiers were guarding the cities and assisting the firemen In dynamiting the buildings. General Funaton realised that stern measures were ncceary and gave orders that looters were to be sh.it at sight. Four men were summarily ex ecuted before t o'clock this afternoon. At a meeting of fifty citizens railed by the mayor It was announced that I,! tenia would be pitched In Golden (Jate park and arrangements had been made to feed the destitute In the public squares. All tfforU to prevent the fire from reach ing the Palace and Orand hotels were un successful and both were completely de stroyed, together with all their contents. All Theaters Destroyed. All of Ban Francisco's best play houses, including the MaJtstlG, Columbia. Orpheum and Orand onera houses are a mass of ruins The earthquake demolished them for all practical purposes and the fire com pleted the work of destruction. The hand some Rlalto and Casserly buildings were burned to the ground, as was everything In that district. The scene at the Mechan ic's pavilion during the early hours of the morning and up to hoon, when the injured and dead were removed because of threat ened destruction of the building by Are, was one of indescribable sadness. Sisters, brothers, wives, and sweethearts eagerly searched for some missing dear one. Thous ands of persons hurriedly went through the building Inspecting cots on which tho sufferers lay In the. hope that they would find some loved one that was missing- The dead were placed In one portion of the building and the remainder was devoted to hospital purposes. After the fire forced the nurses and physicians to desert the building eager crowds followed them to the Presidio and the children's hospital, where they renewed their search for mis sing relatives. Hundreds of Injured Treated. lp to a late hour this afternoon more than 750 persons who were seriously in jured by the earthquake and the Are had been treated at the various hospitals throughout the city. The front of the Bailey and the Lacoste building on Clay street, near Montgomery, fell, killing three men. Captain of the police department was seriously Injured at noon today by the fall ing of tilling. The stereotypers. and pressmen of the Examiner and the Call, as soon as the shock was felt, rushed out of their build ings and found that the coffee houses at Stevenson and Third streets had collapsed. They Immediately set to work with axes and anything in the way of an implement with which they could provide themselves, to rescue those inside. The sheds over the Southern Pacific's long wharfs on San Francisco bay have completely collapsed and thousands of tons of coal went In to the bay. Tho long wharf was one of the most Important shipping points about the bay and freight traffic will be Interrupted considerably. As a result of the breaking of the mains of the Spring Valley Water company the town of San Mateo was Aooded. It was owing to the broken mains that the fire gained such headway In San Francisco. The town "f San Rafael, despite its own trouljea, dispatched fire fighting ap paratus to San Francisco. From early morning the offices of the Western t'nlon and Postal Telegraph com panies In Oakland have been filled with j people In all walks of life filing messages of inquiry as to the conditions of friends and interests in other cities of California which suffered from the earthquake shock. The fire swept down the streets so rapidly that it was practically Impossible to auve anything in its way. It reached the Orand opera house on Mission street and in a moment had burned through the roof. The Metropolitan Opera company from New York had Just opened its tea an n there and all the expensive scenery and costumes were soon reduced to ashes. From the opera house the Are leaped from building to building, quickly Uvcllng them. The 0 ---- i i BULLETIN. OAKLAND, Cnl.. April 1S1.-12::50 a. in. At the present time the , flumps ha vo spread from thp busi ness to thp residence district and It seems flip whole city la doorrtPd. Several large building were Mown up with dynamite, but even this heroic action was not sufficient to stay the spread of thp flumps. Federal troops are on duty as sisting the police, and have orders to shoot anyone found looting. Call editorial and mechanical departments were totally destroyed In a few minutes. Spreckels Building Destroyed. The flames leaped ncross Stevenson street toward the fine fifteen-story stone and Iron Claus Spreckels building, which with Its lofty dome is the most notable edifice In San Francisco. Two smnll wooden build ings furnished fuel to Ignite the splendid pile. Thousands of people watched the hungry tongues of flame licking the stone walls. At first no impression was made, but suddenly there was a cracking of glass and an entrance was effected. The Interior furnishings of the fourth floor were the first to go. - Then as If by magic, 'smoke issued from the top of the dome. This was followed by a most spectacular Illum ination. The round windows of the dome shone ltke so many full moons; they burst and gave vent to long waving streamers of flume. The great structure, which had withstood tho forces of the earthquuko appeared doomed to fall a prey to fire. After a while the light grew less Intense and the flames, having nothing more to consume, went out, leaving the building standing, but completely gutted. The Palace hotel, the rear of which was constantly threatened, was the scene of much excitement, the guests leaving in haste, many with only the clothing they wore. Finding that the hotel, being sur rounded on all sides by streets, was likely to remuln Immune, many returned and made arrangements for the removal of their belongings, though little could be taken away owing to the utter absence of trans portation facilities. Army Headquarters Bara. The Parrott building, in which were lo cated the chambers of the state supreme court, the lower floors being devoted to an Immense department store, was ruined, but its massive walls were not all destroyed. A little further down Market street the Academy of Sciences and the Jennie Flood building and the History building burned like ao much tinder. Sparks carried across the wide street, ignited the Phelan build ing and the army headquarters of the Ie parlment of California were burned. 6U11 nearing the bay, tho waters of which did the firemen good service, along the docks, the fire took the Rlalto building, a handsome skyscraper, and converted scores of solid business blocks Into smouldering pilua of bricks. Banks and commercial houses, supposed to be fireproof, though not of modern build, burned quickly and the roar of the flames could be heard even on the hills which were out of the danger zone. Here many thousands of people congregated and wit nessed the awful scene. Great masses of Aame rose high in the heavens or rushed down some narrow street, Joining midway between the sidewalks and making a horl sontal chimney of the former ways. The dense smoke that arose from the en tire business district spread out like an immense funnel and could have beeu seen ui uiuea vui it Kt, occasionally, as some drug house or place stored with chemicals was reached, most fantastic effects were produced by the colored flames and smoke which rolled out against the darker back' ground. A finance committee with James D. Phe lan at the head waa appointed and Mayor Si limits waa instructed to issue drafts lor all needs on this committee. A general meeting of the clilxens' com' mlttee has been called for It) o'clock to morrow morning. Oatalde Aid Needed. It is probable that even with the spirit and willingness shown by San Francisco people outside aid will be necessary. A message from President Roosevelt waa re ceived this morning and It had a cheering effect. George Gould also telegraphed offering assistance. The burned district ex tends from the waterfront south of Market street to Market street and west to Eler enth street, north of Market. The lire x- OMAHA TO HELP. Mayor Zlmmnn last nlitht deter mined to cJl together st noon today a number of Omnta'i representative citizens, who will consult as to what action will he. takwt to assist the peo ple of 8an Franc (Vco In their present distress. The extent of the calamity as far as known Is enough to warrant the public action proposed, and the conference will determine on how It Is to be done. 8AN FRANCISCO, April 1X.-H p. m.- The Merchants' Exchange building, one of the handsomest and most substantial edi fices in the city, is In flames, as Is also the Crocker-Woolworth bank building. The former building is a fourteen-story struc ture, seven floors of which are occupied by the Southern Faclflc Railway company as offices. The Crocker-Woolworth building is a twelve-story terra cotta and granite struc ture and stood directly opposite the Falace hotel. The Immense D. O. Mills building Is surrounded by fire and will probably succumb. The Lick house. Occidental ho tel and Runs house in this Immediate vi cinity are la lmmlneat danger. The latest estimate! places the property loss at ISJ0,000,0U0. BILLETIX. SAN FRANCISCO, ,Aprll 18.-10 p. m.-lt looks, now as If the entire city would be burned. The Associated Press men are trying to get matter from Oakland by boat, but the chances are Very uncertain. The government Is furnishing tugs, but the confusion Is so groat that they cannot be relied upon. It will be impossible to send full details for several days. SAN FRANCISCO, April 18.-8 p. m. Night added to the horror and as darkness fall the sky was Illuminated In all direc tions. As the flames rpread Into the resi dence districts people left their homes and fled to the parks and squares. The series of rather severe shocks st 7 o'clock further Increased the terror and many left homes that were not In danger. BILLETI. SAN FRANCISCO. April H.-From the Cliff house comes word that the great pleasure resort and show place of the city, which stood upon a foundation of solid rock, has been swept into the sea. Not a thing stands to tell where the monster stone building once stood. It has been leveled o the foundation and only the ruck lining the scacoast remains intact. HILL! OAKLAND, Cal., Airll 18.- p. m.-At this hou the Are la an Francisco Is In creasing in violence, ..readlj!- in nil directions In both the burtnees. and resi dence quarters. It Is reported that while a building was being blown up with dyna mite a premauture explosion killed fifteen men. The Terminal hotel at the water front and Market street fell today and burled twenty persons under the dobrls. These were Incinerated and there is no pos sibility of learning their identity. Bl LLETIX. SACRAMENTO. Cal.. April 18. Dr. Stone, superintendent of the Napa State hospital, telephones the governor's office that an automobile arrived there with news that Santa Rosa is ruined and that be tween 3X1 and 300 people are killed. BULLETIN. OAKLAND. Cal., April IS.-It Is reported that the mint in San Francisco Is ablaxe. and from outside indications It will be Im possible to save it. The Are surrounds it on every hand. BLXLKTI.V. OAKLAND, Cal., April 18.-9 p. m.-Prao-tically the whole district south of Market street from the waterfront to the Mission has been swept clean by the flames. tends out Hays and McAllister streets nearly to Fillmore and nearly to the water front along Market to Montgomery, and north from the waterfront to Montgomery street. Manufactories, hotels, wholesale houses and residences comprising the principal part of the business section have been de stroyed. The city hall, a structure costing 17,000,000, was first wrecked by the earth quake and then destroyed by Are. The Palace hotel, value estimated at 13,000,000, also burned. The beautiful Claus Spreckels building at Third and Market was gutted. The Rlalto building and dozens of other costly structures were also destroyed. The hall of Justice is threatened and will un doubtedly go. The Examiner and the Call buildings are gone and the Crocker build ing across the street from the Palace ho tel Is on fire. No Afternoon Papers leaned. No afternoon papers were Issued and it is doubtful if the morning papers will ap pear. The Southern Pacific tracks are in such condition that only a crippled train service has been possible. The Call build ing and its New street annex are still standing. The freaks of the earthquake were many. Wide fissures were made in the streets, street railways were twisted out of line, sewers and waterpipes were burst and it is feared that there will be an epidemic of disease. Provisions are being sold at fancv Dricea and even water is being vended by the glass. It Is impossible to give a list of the deud and wounded or even a list of the principal buildings. Proclamation by the Mayor. At a meeting of the committee of safety tonight Mayor Schmlts Issued the follow ing proclamation: To the cltlxens of San Pranclseo: The federal troops, which are now policing a portion of the city as well as the regular and special members of the police force have been authorised by me to kill any (Continued on Second Paga EARTHQUAKE SHOCK SHATTERS COAST CITIES OF CALIFORNIA Sacramento, Oakland and Suburban Towns Shaken from Foundations by the Terrible Upheaval of Earth During Early Morning Hour With Unknown Result in Destruction Insane Hospital at St. Agnews Wrecked and Between Two and Three Hundred People Perish All But One of Stanford University Buildings at Palo Alto Destroyed or Damaged Big Spreckels Sugar Refinery at Salina in Ruins While Destruc tion at Other Points Is Almost as Great. BULLETIN. SACRAMENTO. Cal.. April lf. Oscar LiK'iis arrived here lHut night from Santa Kosa. He left there at 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon. He said: "There Is not a brick or stone building left standing In Kitntn Kosa. and the entire devastated territory has been burned over. "Dead bodies were le!ng taken" from the debris of wrecked houses on all sides. It Is estimated that the death roll will foot tip from 20 to oOO." SAN FRANCISCO, April l.-Reports from outside of San Francisco Indi cate widespread damage. San Jose, fifty miles south, lost many buildings and from fifteen to twenty people were killed. The annex of the Vendome hotel collapsed and fires broke out. Stanford university and Palo Alto suffered. At Stanford many of the handsome buildings were demolished and two pcoplj' were killed. One of them was Junius Robert Hana of Brad ford, Pa., and the other was Otto Ourts, fireman. Six other students are lying In the Palo Alto hospital, wjlh -bruises, cuts and in ternal Injuries. These are Ross D. Howard of San Francisco. Henry L. Hearing of Santa Ana, Cal., Frolll. Halbert. R. Thomas of Los Angelos, Robert Weatwick of Santa Barbara an1 W. H. Masters of Portland, Ore. The court house at Redwood City and other buildings collnpsed. Menlo Park, Bur- ilnguine and other fashionable suburban towns suffered. Santa Rosa to the north, Napa, Vallejo and all other towns around the bay were damaged. Salinas Nearly Destroyed. SAUNAS. Cal., April 18.-U18 Miles from San Francisco.) At 5:15 a. m. today three shocks of earthquake visited this town, lasting, respectively, 5, 1 and 42 seconds. They came from the northeast and south west. The damage will . be fc!, 500,000. No Uvea were lost, but a number of people were Injured. Among the buildings de stroyed in this town ure the Ford and Slanbury building, dry goods; Elks' hall. Masonic building, the Knights of Pythias' building, armory, Porter & Irving store, Logan cyclery, Odd Fellows' building, city hall, Masonic temple and several other smaller buildings. Spreckels' sugar factory, about three miles from town, was entirely destroyed, with a loss of $1,500,000. The high school building was also wrecked. Another shock was experienced at 2.25 p. m. At Watsonvllle the Moreland academy was destroyed by fire and several build ings collapsed. Shocks were also felt at Monterey and Pacific Grove, but little dam age waa done. At the Del Monte hotel three chimneys fell through the roof, killing a bride and groom and one of the hotel help, and Injuring several others fatally. At Holllster the Grangers' Union warehouse has been destroyed. Mrs. Griffith waa killed and her husband went Insane from shock. Martial law at Baa Jose. LOS ANGELES. Cal.. April 18. At San Jose the Vendome Hotel annex was badly wrecked and ten or fifteen people killed. The Doherty block was completely burned and one woman killed. Dr. DeGrow waa killed and his wife badly injured. Every business building was demolished. Martial law has been declared and the militia and 500 deputies are guarding the streets. It is estimated that fifty people have been killed. The poatotflce was vartly wrecked, the Presbyterian church totally demolished and the court house wrecked. Passengers arriving from other cities in California bring tales of death and disaster from Santa Crux, Monterey, Gilroy and Hollls ter. The death list at Santa Crux is re ported large. Santa Rosa is a total wreck and 10,0 0 people are homeless. The. loss of life will probably reach hundreds. Main street is piled many feet deep with fallen buildings. Not one business building is left Intact. The four-story court house is a pile of broken masonry, destroyed by fire. Citizens fled to the fields and lulls to watch the destruction of the city. The water system was destroyed by the earthquake. Haudreds Dead ia Asylasa. LOS ANGELES, Cal., April 18. A long distance telephone message from Salinas. 114 miles south of San Francisco, at 11 o'clock tonight gave the following informa tion ; "On hundred and twenty bodies have Every town around San Francisco bay has suffered from the awful earthquake shock that wrecked the metropolis of the Pa cific coast yesterday. While none of them felt the blow so se verely as did San Francisco, none of them escaped it. At Palo Alto, where the Leland Stanford, jr., university is located, tho wreck was great, and the university suffered heavy loss, several of its most magnificent buildings being ruined completely. At Berkeley, where the University of California is located, the de struction was also severe. San Jose, at the extreme southern end of the bay, was visited by a shock that destroyed lives and wrecked buildings. Vallejo, Sausalito, Benicia, Suisun and other towns around the bay report more or less wreckage, and Oakland and Sacramento are called on to bear severe loss. Between Oakland and Porto Costa the roadbed of the South- era Pacific sank out of sight, while the roundhouse arid track3 of the Santa Fe, across the bay from San Francisco, were com pletely destroyed. A part of the coastwise tracks of the South ern Pacific are also destroyed. In all directions around the bay the destruction of property was great, and it will be many days before the full extent of the damage can be told. The property loss will far exceed any ever experienced on the Pacific coast, and may likely exceed any on record for the United States. The troubles of the smaller places have been lost sight of to some extent by the greater disaster at San Francisco, but some information is given in the telegrams that follow. been taken out of the Agnews Insane asylum and there arc probably 150 more corpses in the ruins. Tho magnificent structure was demolished. Eight Italians were taken out of the Italian hotel at San Jose. At that place the Presbyterian church and the high school wore destroyed. The new hall of Justice at San Jose, Just completed at a cost of JTOO.onO, was de molished. All but two of the university buildings at Stanford are in ruins. At Ixmia Prleta, 18 miles from Santa Crux, a mine house slipped down the side of a mountain, bury ing ten men in the ruins." BILI,KTI. NEW YORK, April 18. Continued re currence of earthquake shocks which were severe enough to alarm those remaining Indoors was reported to the Western Union headquarters In New Tork City by its Oakland office. Shortly before 6 o'clock. New Tork time, the following message came from this office, located at Oakland, Cal.: "Too many hard shorks to stay indoors much longer." As this message came over the wire the telegraph Instrument In New York City was continually disturbed, and the New York operator said he could account for this disturbance only as caused by the shecks at San Francisco. The seismic vibrations caused an unwonted clicking in the instrument. The spread of the conflagration In San Francisco was further detailed In the fol lowing dispatch: "Fire burning north of Broadway as far as Green street. Everything is gone In the section lying between Eighth street and the water front and southward be tween Market and Mission streets." Bl I.LETIX. SACRAMENTO. Cal., April 18. A severe earthquake shock occurred here st an early hour this morning. There Is great confusion and It Is impossible to learn the full extent of dumagc. No loss of life Is yet reported. SACRAMENTO. April 18.-Recelved at 11:07 a. m. The severest earthquake felt In this city In many years occurred at 5:13 o'clock this morning. Buildings rockd like cradles. Many clocks stopped. No serious damage waa done. A few cracks were die- covered In the Stock-Postotflce building. Slight damage was done to some brick buildings. Telegrapn and telephone wir'-s were pros trated between Sacramento and San Kran cinco and no communication could be had with the latter city this morning. Chimneys and water tanks were shuken down at Sulsuan. Solano county, and at Tracy, ban Joaquin lounty HI LLE VI V OAKLAND, Cal., April 182 p. m. -lie-ports just received at 1'alo Alto say Stan ford university lh practically demolished. One student is reported killed. The telegiaph companies have been forced to leave San Francisco and have established offices heie. The Associated Preea has ar ranged a messenger scrvhe across the bay. Palo Alto la Ihlrty-tlnee miles south ,f $1 San Francisco on ihe coast line of the Southern Pacific railroad. Here is located the Leland Stanford, Jr., university, which was founded by the late Senator Stanfotd and which waa endowed by him to the ex tent of nearly 15n,0ll0,on0. The university buildings are built of brown stone and are said to be the finest cluster of building used for educational purposes In this country. The buildings are not hlg-n, the most of thein being four starlet or less. The memorinl chapel, which Is situated in the center of tho group of rmilrti.ia, was built at a cost of more than ll.oOO.COl. The town of Palo Alto has a population of about 5,mo and the country for a ra dius of several miles Is level. BIXLKTIS. OAKLAND, Cal., April 1.. 0 45. -Another sharp Bhock of earthquake was Just felt on this side of the bay. It was of short duration, lusting about five seconds. EIGHT SO.IAUK, MII.ES DEVASTATED Entire Wholesale District Destroyed by Fire and Dynamite. SAN FRANCISCO, Arrll 18 The latest reports at police headquarters show that the entlie district boundtd by Vallejo, How. ard, Eaat and Sansome streets, embracing practically the entire wholesale portion of the city, has been swept clean by the fire. Also the district bounded by Second, Market, Eighth and' Folsom streets has been devastated. In the latter district are included mont of the city's finest and most substantial buildings. The area covered by the flames up to the present time Is about eight square miles, or several hundred city blocks. Very little, if any water is avail able and the blowing up of buildings by dynamite Is the only means of checking the progress of the flames. The most of the buildings untouched by the flames have been greatly damaged by the earthquake shock. The pecuniary loss at this hour (4 p. m.) is conservatively estimated at $100,000,000. . SEWS RECEIVED I SEW TORK First Report of Disaster Was Sent to (he Metropolis. NEW YORK, April 18.-At about 9:40 the Postal Telegraph company had com munication with its San Francisco of fice, but lost the connection again al most immediately. In the brief period that the wire was working the Ban Francisco office reported that a number of - buildings had collapsed and that the dead and Injured were being taken front the ruins as rapidly as possible. At the time this message came through the princi pal danger was from the fires, a number of which had started and were making great headway owlr.g to the lack of water. The Western I'nlon telegraph office at Fresno says that it Is the must severe shock ever known. They have no further delulU. The Postal Telegraph company learned thai the tiro U eating lis way along Mar ket street. The water mains were burst by the earthquake so that there Is no means .ut hand for fighting the conflagration. The electric lighting plant of the city has failed and gas mains are destroyed. The damage extends through the entire city. The Postal building was badly wrecked and the operating room la Incapable oZ uaa.