Seward Weekly Gateway
TO| ,, N(( SKWAIU). A!. ASK A. SATI’liDAV. A 1*1*1 L - I • l»»«._
SAN FRANCISCO UTTERLY DESTROYED
RY EARTHQUAKE AND FIRE AND
OTHER CITIES SUFFER
A violent earthquake shock in
the eit.v of San Francisco early
Wednesday morning destroyed
■lany hviie buddies in tlit*■ bus
iness district and at least i<* 0
lives. Other tremors followed
and tire bursting from t e
ruins of the wrecked buildings
wiped *iie city completely out :u
the following three days with a
total loss of at least .‘>000 lives
Because the first shock broke all
water mains and entirely cut otl
the water supply, preventing
any ethvtive tiirht against the
flames. Other cities around San
Francisco bay were badly dam
aged.
By Cable to The Daily Gateway.
San Francisco, \pril Is A tremen
dous earthquake shock at o clock
•his morning brought instant death to
Bore than l oho prisons, wrecked hun
dreds oMioums and m their col laps.
started a ecu * am which is « t
.ng the liistric >•< th of Market street
• hilc th v. e - ol Market stre- -> in
• s :u in - • raging
esrt ol ‘i- v ; In central eN *
• . . as » recked and ciun
•innicati n bv titai means is cut off.
<>nlv one ? legtaph wire running out
M
All Water Plains Broken
San Francisco. April Is •' a. tn.
All the district s-mth of Market is
turning. The w ater mains are broken
and the tire department is |>owerlcss.
Already WHO dead bodies are piled in
die streets and tenement houses
throughout the doomed district are
•ollapsing. Several big department
♦tores and other large buildings are
being razed to the ground in the hope
•i checking the Haines. The I’alaee
•otel i> now blazing but the St.
Francis is still safe.
The main tissure left by the earth
quake opens twenty feet wide along
Market street three blocks in length
and an immense mass of debris is piled
along the gap while all is in ruins for
several blocks on each side. Firemen
are wrecking buildings in all direc
tions to try to stop the progress of the
lames which are sweeping over wide
areas with tremendous impetus.
All water supply is cut off by the
wrecking of the mains but thousands
•t men are working desperately to
repair the mains sufficiently to let
water through them. Appeals were
sent early to other California cities for
aid and special trains are running at I
utmost speed carrying the tire depart-.
■tents from all neighboring cities.
No Saietv In Streets
Houses are ablaze in all parts of the !
city and there i* no safety in the j
street* because of falling walls which J
•ften hurl their fragments to the!
other side. Hoth telegraph offices j
were wrecked and messages to the out->
side are tiled in a temporary office set
up in tine street and connected with
the solitary wire which leads out of
the city.
Pandemonium reigns and unless the
flames are stopped soon the whole bus
iness district of the city will go up in
smoke. Twenty block* south of Mar
ket street are already in ashes.
At 10::jothe Palace hotel is doomed}
and near the point of collapse. The St.
Pranei* i* in danger a* the tire i>
steadily working that way.
The earthquake shock was felt at
Sacramento, ninety miles away, but
no damage was done there.
Second Earthquake Shock
San Francisco. April IS A second
earthquake shock at 10:30 a. m. jarred
down the huge Fall and Examiner
buildings at the cornerof Market street
and Third street. The Fall building
was fourteen stories high with a tall
tower, and the Examiner building nine j
stories high. Both were totally wreck- i
ed and the ruins instantly burst into
(Continued on page 3)
LATEST NEWS I ROM
SCENE OH DISASTER
3y CaMe to Tlic* Dal'.y Gateway.
Sau Francisco. April -t* Noon F in*
i> son ailing everywhere south ol
Market stieet where any buildings
remain. Kverything t" Twenty-seven? n
street am south to the foothills ts
gum-. On the north side- names are
now racing down Broadway to a small
section of tin* business district still
standing. The whole westward resi
dence district is a seething furnace.
Not a building in the whole city will j
he left.
The Fniteil States mint is only part
ly destroyed because of the large area ,
of open ground around it. but it is the 1
only building left standing south of!
Market street. The district is com-:
pletely wiped out. Dynamiting has!
ceased every where because it is of no;
avail. Telegraph Hill is in flames.
The cruisers Marblehead and Chica
go are landing marines to aid iti t hi* J
protection of life and property. Hun-j
deeds of corpses are lying neglected in j
ilie streets. The ferries refuse toj
allow anyone to return from Oakland i
and all entrance to the city is stopped, j
Household goods are being spilled in!
the s’: s in the burning district and !
consuu • ii because there are no eon*
ve amvs to move them.
!’ 11. •,. are fleeing by thousands;
across the hay without clothing ex-1
cept w hat they wear. The Big Foil-1
t el la warehouse and canneries near j
Fort Mason are lieginning to burn j
and tie* (lames are working on the!
*'ivi* shruhberv at the edge of Holden 1
*
Hate park.
Homeless Number 300.000
People art* now (locking out of tin*
city In rowiniats and other Ixnits of any
kiuo they can obtain, carrying only'
blankets, but the supply of water craft I
is wholly inadequate. Last night there :
were 100,000 homeless people in the
city. Tonight there will be 300.000.
A majority will lit* in blankets on the
beach near the Cliff house site.
Not a drop of drinking water is to
be had in the whole city except that
sold from bottles at 25 cents a drink.
In the city there is scarcely a day’s
supply of food of all kinds. Steamers
are hurrying there from other coast
towns w here all bakeries are working
day and night to furnish bread. Mayor
Schmitz stationed policemen today at
all bakeries in the citv to see that
only a small quantity of bread be sold
to one person.
Oflicers with drawn pistols are forc
ing citizens to work. Sailors from
government vessels were taken ashore
today to assist in the task of giving
Rich and Poor Sleep Together
Last night 300,000 people, former
rich men, society women, workingmen,
boys, girls and outcasts, slept together
on the ground in Golden Gate park and
on the beach where the ClitT house
stood. The great camp of the home
less was in charge of Major McKeever.
The Postal telegraph established a
temporary office last night in a tent on
the waterfront, over warm ashes, and
again has a line out of the city.
Bakeries are being set up in many
places and *>0,000 loaves of bread will
be baked in the city today.
After midnight the Humes in the
residence district traveled so fast that
they licked up the debris left by the
dynamite explosions of buildings be
fore the worker could carry the rub
bish away to clear an open space and
the effort to stop thte fires by dynamite
was futile. Nearly all the elegant
homes along both sides of Van
Ness avenue were blown up but the
tire leaped across that wide street as
though it had been an alley.
At 6 o’clock this morning Van Ness
avenue was a mass of seething flames
which were sweeping toward Russian
llill. Chinatown is completely wiped
out.
Caring for Refuges
A limited number of refugees are
being taken care of at the Presidio.
President Harriman wired today to
Southern Pacific officials to place the
ferrv boats of the company at the dis
posal of all who may wish to leave the
city. Thousands are hungry but su[>
plies anil tents are expected today.
They will he taken to the (loldon
dale park and distributed as fast as
they arrive. A water supply is prom
ised this afternoon. The suffering
from the lack of water is very great.
Oakland Sends Water.
Oakland. April Water is being
sent over in barrels from tlusJM’y.
The police have taken change ol gro
cery stores and permit the sale of only
a single article of food to one person.
The government train of transpott
tugs has begun to carry refuges across
to this city, and the demand upon the
local food supply will he heavy.
The list of dead so far is mainly from
the tenement district and is mostly
foreigners and working girls. Only
forty bodies so far have been identified.
Three thousand have been reported to
the authorities as missing. Some of
these are known to have become in
sane and others have no doubt lied.
Every House Deserted
Every house in San Francisco is de
serted. More than eighteen square!
miles ol area is completely devas
tated. Ail hope of saving anything
from the holocaust is abandoned hut
people are becoming calmer. The i
Fainmmnt hotel is a mass of ruins.
During the night ghouls and thieves;
were busy raiding in tin* burning dis
trict. The police killed two more.;
making eight killed altogether. Many
others escaped after being wounded by
the si>)diers.
This morning bread is selling' in San
Francisco for $1 a loaf.
The blowing up of tlie grand homes,
of millionaires on Van Ness avenue
last night, sounded like artillery can
nonading and was plainly audible
across t he bay.
It is reported that many persons are
imprisoned in doomed buildings t hrough
the burning of stairways. The Fair
mount hotel L now practically con
sumed. although it L burning- slowly
as it is fireproof.
Santa Rosa Obliterated
A courier from Santa Rosa this
morning reports that the town is prac
tically obliterated. The dead number
.">00. The whole business section col
lapsed and lire was started which
burned a large area. Many persons
were imprisoned in wrecked buildings
and cremated alive. Refugees are
coming in here from the city.
At flu* town of Draw ley 100 build
ings were wrecked but no lives were
lost.
Los Angeles Badly Shaken
Los Angeles. April 20 Two distinct
shocks of earthquake were felt here
y esterday afternoon and buildings rock
ed like boats. Residents are greatly ^
alarmed.
Seattle Sends Food Train
Seattle, April 20—A train loud of;
nt-ovisions will leave here tonight for
San Francisco. Gov. Pardee wires to
Mayor Moore that tin1 people are al
most starving. The relief committee
raised $70,000 yesterday and expects to
double the amount today. The city
council appropriated $10,000. At the
call of tiie mayor the commercia
bodies, secret societies and churches
held meetings last night to raise
money. Last night $40,000 was tele
graphed to Oakland. All Washington
towns are subscribing money.
The local F. S. quartermaster has
been ordered to purchase 100.000 tons
of provisions and rush the supplies
south on a special train.
President Asks Relief
Washington, 1). C., April 20- Presi
dent Roosevelt issued a proclamation
thi> morning calling upon cities
of the country to raise funds and
supplies for tho relief of San Fran
cisco. They'are asked to send money
to Charles Hallam, keeper of the Red
Cross treasury at Washington.
Not Due to Vesuvius
Washington, D. C., April 20—Scien
tific men say that the eruption of
Vesuvius did not in the most remote
way cause the San Francisco earth
quake. The tremor was due to the
rapid cooling of the earth’s crust,
which is very thin along the Califor
nia coast. This caused a subterranean
slide.
DENSE SMOKE
HIDES VOLCANO
Eruption of Vesuvius Appears To
Have Ceased anti Soldiers
Dig* for Dead.
3y CaMo to The y.iily Gatoway.
Naples. April II The eruption of
Vesuvius has evidently spent its force
alt hough a d( nse. black cloud of smoke
is still issuing from the crater which
completely hides the volcano from
v "\v. The lava has ceased to flow.
Soldiers ace exhuming the dead
from the ruins of Itose itirca: and
other buried cities. Owing to th«•
rapid decomposition men are unable
to work long at the task without retir
ing to revive in the fresh air. Several
soldiers have been overcome by the
oppressive odors emitted by the de
composing llesh. mingled with foul
gases, and had to he carried out by
their companions. Many of the bodies
of the victims are simply masses of
crushed flesh and bones.
Sheltered by Fallen Walls
Naples. April 10 Two aged women
imprisoned under ashes were found
alive by soldiers who were excavating
in Lite ruins of Ottajano. The women
had been entombed for six days. They
were in a small space between fallen
walls which sheltered them from the
hot ashes and stones falling from the
volcano.
Vesuvius is now absolutely calm and
the smoke ha* cleared away leaving a
ghastly spectacle of desolation above |
ruined ei tit's and once fertile fields.
Prof. Matteutci. the scientific observ-'
er in charge of the observatory on j
Mount Vesuvius and who was confined !
in i’ and cut off from the world during j
the whole period rf the recent erup-1
tion. has come t«> tEm■ city and given an ]
account of bis experiences. Hr says)
tile eruption was a literal hell.
From t lie observer's position he |
could sc*1 enormous walls of flame j
rising far above the mouth of the
crater which emitted a river of lava I
of immense volume. Other streams of
great size tlowod from various fissures
in tin- sides, new ones breaking out
constantly until it seemed as if the
whole volcano was melting. He saw
huge blocks of stone hurled 2500 feet in
the air and the smoke and gas made it
almost impossible for him to breathe.
Prof. Matteutci is of the opinion
that the volcano will now lie quiet for
many years.
The press dispatches a few days ago
stated that the observatory had fallen
into the crater of the volcano. This
appears to have been a mistake or else
the observer was in a separate build
ing.
DESCRIBES THE CASWELL
Capt. Swift Says Steamer Is Fitted I
to Line Up Stream
Capt. Swift, owner of the steamer
Neptune of the Cook inlet run, and
who recently purchased the Caswell
for the Susitna and Ventna rivers,
writes from Seattle as follows to the
Gateway concerning the latter boat:
“She is light draught, drawing 12
inches of water, light; can run about
10 miles per hour; is allowed eighty
passengers and is fitted up with good
outfit to line up stream: steam capstan
etc. She will connect with the Str.
Neptune at Fire island or Tyonook.
She is now about ready to leave here.
Steamer Dora Arrives
Steamer Dora, Capt. Zim Moore, ar
rived in port Thursday afternoon
after a pleasant trip to the west
ward. She brought no news. Her
passengers were D. C. Mathison, Mrs.
Mathison and three children, I). Bil
lings and H. J. Brooks, all from Unga.
The steamer sailed for Valdez in the
evening.
Nome miners are generally opposed
to the Lacey bill which provides for a
$25 cash assessment and $75 annual
labor on mining claims instead of the
present requirement of $100 annual
labor. At a mass meeting it was
agreed that a titting substitute would
be to require thirty days annual labor
on each claim.
The Seattle Trade Register has
issued a special “salmon review” in
addition to its regular weekly issue,
which is an encyclopedia of informa
tion concerning the salmon industry of
the Pacific coast for the year 1905.
Wrangell is rebuilding rapidly' to
replace its fire losses.
GOV. HOGGATT
I ON WAY NORTH
To Sail from Seattle Friday and
Announces he will Move
Capital to Juneau.
By Cable to Tlx* Dally Gateway.
Seattle, April lv Gov. Hoggatt of
Alaska arrived hen* this morning' and
, will sail Friday for luneau on the Cot
tage City. He w ill proceed at or.ee to
Sitka and his lir.-t ohicial act wi 11 be
to direct ihe transfer of t:h‘- territorial
capital to .lum .au.
Concerning Alaska legislation Gov.
I ioggalt says t lie bill granting terri
torial government to Alaska will not
pass at this session of congress nor in
the next ten years, as many residents
of tlx* territory as well as outsiders in
! fcrested tl'iere are opposed, to territor*
| ial organization. He says that a rapid
i change of conditions in Alaska may
■ change the views of influential men
; who oppose territorial government but
j as tilings now stand there i> no chance
for tlm territorial bill.
The governor declined to discuss
! probabilities as to the Alaska dele
gateship. He said that at least forty
names were mentioned in Washington
and it was impossible to make a fore
cast.
Expects Cable Extension
Gov. Hoggatt says he expects the
appropriation of S*lf»o,00o for tlx* ex
tension of the cable to W ran gel from
Juneau and for the construction of a
wagon road between tlx* same cities
will pass. He believes that the
$.'}n,t>00 appropriation asked for by
Maj. Itichardson to make a prelimi
nary survey of a route for a railroad
or wagon road from Fairbanks to
Nome will also pass.
The proposed enlargement <1 guber
natorial powers by taking from tlx*
judges of tlx* F. S. district courts of
Alaska the power to appoint C. S.
commissioners and transferring it to
the governor, will not pas.-., in the
opinion of Gov. Hoggatt.
Give Hoggatt a Reception
By Cable to Tbc Dally Gateway.
Seattle. April 20 Gov. Hoggatt of
Alaska was given a reception at the
Alaska club last night and sailed tor
Juneau on the Cottage City this morn
ing. In June he will start on a tour of
the territory which will occupy the
whole summer. He will go from
Juneau to Valdez and Seward, then
over the trail to Fairbanks,and thence
down the Yukon to Nome.
hoggatt to Reclaim Reindeer
By Cable to The Dally Gateway.
Washington, D. C., April if) - Secre
tary Ilitehsoek of the interior depart
ment today made a formal order trans
ferring to Gov. Hoggatt the superin
tendencv of the Alaska reindeer herds.
The governor is directed to reclaim
for the government a large number
of reindeer which were given away
under the Sheldon Jackson regime to
missionary societies and Laplanders
and to other white men without au
thority from the government. None
were ever given to natives and the
Ksquitnos derived little benefit from
those which were nominally kept for
their benefit.
Proposes Funds for Alaska
By Cable to The Dally Gateway.
Washington, D. €., April 18—The
army appropriation bill reported to
the senate carries an appropriation of
$170,000 for extensions «f Alaska cable
lines and $100,000 for construction and
repair of Alaska roads. The total
appropriations recommended in the
bill aggregate $71,250,000.
Captain Blodgett Returns
(’apt. P. D. Blodgett, superintend
ent of the Meet of the Cook Inlet
Transportation Company with head
quarters each summer at Seldovia, was
a Farallon passenger. He had been
outside during the winter. He reports
that the company is prepared to place
as many small steamers on the inlet a*
traffic demands.
Brings Big New Dynamo
Richard Butler of the Light & Pow
er Company returned on the Oregon.
He brought with him a new dynamo
of 225 kilowatt power. It will gener
ate electricity for 5000 incandescent
lights. About twenty tons of elec
trical equipment and supplies are in
the consignment.
O. G. hernlng Returns
(). G. Herning returned on the Ore
gon from Seattle, where he went last
month to buy a stock of goods for his
store at Knik.
SHIPS CATTLE
TO COOK INLET
Prof. Geor^eson Consigns Eleven
Galloways to Kenai Station
as Experiment.
By Cable to The Daily Gateway.
Seattle, April IL I’rof. C. »\ (ienr
ye son, superintendent of the aifriee
tural experiment station', mad • h
tir>t shipment of <killowa\ rattle
; Alaska experiments l>\ steamer tod t
F.h*\en head will he taken •< K<
Ion < ’onk inlet, where the mnrnma
has an ajjricult ural e.xpi riment 'i In;..
These animals Were late)’ i • w
over from Scot i:imi.
I’rof. C •oree.'on says tire tin a_p
cultural department intends *<* mak<
several experiment' at eatth ral r
in various parts of Alaska. Otln
breeds besides (Jalloways wiil L»• • -m ■.
bp later.
SHEEP F OP YENTNA OISI PFC I
Plans for Incorporating Town )lade
by Montana Hen
i I let ween S,(HH) and 10.000 sheep w i
| be taken into the Yentna district thi
season by a large rancher of Mont an;.
Negotiations for their transport at in* t
are already being made between tin
owner of tile animals and tin- officer'
of the took Inlet Transportation (‘on
pany. which operates the steamei -
Neptunc and ( aswell.
The party which will make tin- in
into the Mt. McKinley district on tin
vessel will consist of about peop
Tiiev will leave here on the F.xc Ui*
April 15 and will b<* taken fi-om S
dovia to Fire island by the st«-.mn
Neptune. The part.' will o:.'i'
largely of miner' and prospector?
(’apt,. Swift stated that the expedit!.*
intended to establish a tbwnsite a‘ tin
head of navigation, possibly near tin
head of the Takasitna river. Tin plat*
is to stake out a site and allow each <>:
tin* people on hoard, including tin
crew, to take their pick of the lots am
in this manner establish om- o! the
new towns of the district. S*-a? t ■«■
Post-Intelligencer.
Farallon Sails Westward
Steamer Farallon. ('apt. MacCregoi
reached port Tuesday morning anu
sailed westward at noon. She brought
nineteen passengers and a small freiglr
cargo to Seward, and several passen
gers for the westward, besides picking
up several here. She took a much
larger cargo to the westward, princi
pally for the Alaska Commercial Com
pany's stations.
Oregon Brings 138 Passengers
Steamer Oregon, ( ’apt. o Brier,
reached port Thursday afternoon at
o’clock with 138 passengers and 422
tons of freight. Of the latter 290 ton
was for the railroad company anil 132
tons for city merchants. She brought
105 laborers for the Alaska Centra!.
The Oregon sailed for Seattl* last
night.
Steamer Toledo does Through
The steamer Toledo, which the Cook
Inlet Transportation Company wi
operate between Seldovia and upper
inlet ports this summer, came through
in company with the Farallon from
Prince William sound this week ano
went on to the westward. She had no
cargo for Seward and therefore did not
put into this port. She brought ex
plosives for several ports, including
Orca and Latouehe. She also carried
a large cargo of general equipment
and supplies for the Crow (.’reek mil -
ing company.
Burnside to Sail North May I
The Post-Intelligencer states that
the cable ship Burnside will sail from
Seattle May 1 for the north to give the
Alaska cable a thorough overhauling
and to make repairs. The end of the
cable at Seward will be changed, a
heavier wire being put in. Several
improvements in the landings of th**
line will also be made. The ship will
remain north all summer.
The steamship Orizaba, the first of
the Northwestern Steamship Com
pany’s new vessels, sailed from Balti
more for the Pacific coast late in
March. She will go on the Nome run.
The Saratoga, which is to go on the
Seward run. will sail witlfln a few
weeks.
Driver Reeves of the Dawson-White
horse stage line, drove a stage 100
miles the first day out of Dawson on
one trip last month. He covered four
relays and had from four to six horses
on each relay.