The Lancaster news. (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, November 03, 1906, Page 6, Image 6
Rebuilding San Francisco.
A Son of Lancaster Writes
Interestingly of the Great
Work of Reconstruction in
Progress in the Earthquake
City?Street Railways now
in Operation?Merchants
Doing Prosperous Business
in Temporary Houses?
Many Thousands still Living
in Tents in Public
Parks.
Mr. Editor: The reliability
tion of San Francisco and restoration
to its former state previous
to the greit calamity of April L
last is a problem that now con-1 ?
fronts her citizens. The work of j i
half a century which wa? torn to! ]
pieces in three days must now be j ,
taken up anew af,d the rebuild ! |
ing of her many beautitul edifices <
and structures pushed forward ]
with all possible speed. It is the ,
duty of both labor and capital to
be generous and considerate in
this time of the city's great need
and work together for the upbuilding
and restoration ot her
institutions which are now pros
trate in the dust. There is no
doubt but that San Francisco
will be rebuilt and the only question
is as to the time it will take.
If labor and capital will put aside
their petty disputes and spites
and pu'. their shoulders to the
wheel, it will be only a tew years
when our city will again take the
position it formerly held. It
however we have labor strikes
and lock-outs, the growth and
upbuilding will be seriously retarded
and it will take much
longer to rebuild. I
as soon as tlie Humes were t
brought under control on April (
21st last, the matter of rebuild ?
ing the burnt distiict was taken *
up and plans made for clearing |
awav the debris and cleaning tl e f
destroyed portions of the city? i
A Herculean ta*k confronts our j
city and nothing but dauntless (
courage and determitia'i >n could g
surmount these great difliculties. f
But the citizenship endowed with l
those indomitable qualities that 'J
established this great city at the
gateway of the Pacific set to work
at once to overcome these obsta
cles and restore order out of chaos
and rebuild our city, as did the
patriarchs of old.
The first and most important
step to be taken was the repairing
and putting the street cars
into service again. This work
was begun by the United Rail I
roads very soon alter the fire was
brought under control and in on*week
thereatter the electric cars
were running down Market stree'
Work on the other street lines has
been steadily going on ever since j
until now a majority of the lines
have been put into service, and
in the course of the next three
months every line will he again
running on schedule time. The
United Railroads have rendered
excellent service and have aided
the city most efficiently in its
i - ~e ,1 i a 1
111# if i wi umvi vgg 'iiili UC9Ui(|tn/il. 1
For about six weeks after the
cars began to run on Market I
street the receipts therefrom were :
turned over to the Iielief Com-j<
mittee to be U9ed for the bpnefit
of the destitute refugees. In addition
this corporation is performing
invaluable service in the
clearing of the debris from the
burnt district by assisting the
other railroads in hauling out the
refuse material to the suburbs of
the city to be dumped in the lowlands.
It might be of interest to
add that the President of the
United Railroads is Mr. Patiick
Calhoun and the Assistant to the
PvueiiloTif ie \lr Tliiiril wpll Mill
laly, both ot whom are natives of 1
the old Palmetto State. 1
With the cars running again (
the business men turned their I
attention to business and tempo- I
iary buildings began to spring ?
up as it by magic all over the 1
burnt section to shelter the s
wholesale houses which had been f
*omph tely wiped out by the con t
flagration. Lumber and carpen- t
ters were now in great demand, 1
building material was delivered p
is fast as teams could be secured
for the purpose and soon the t
o und ot the hammer and the c
juzz ot the saw could be heard r
ill over the burnt city. Mer- t
.-bants, as soon as telegraphic fi
'ommunication was opened with i
he eastern markets, duplicated t
heir stocks which had been de- p
itrrtvo/1 on/1 lit? flirt (inui fhnir /
emporary buildings were ready a
o receive their good?, they came a
'oiling in from the East and the s
vheels of business started up s
igain under temporary roofs.? n
File retail merchants receded fur- w
her westward beyond the burnt i
listrict along Van Ness Avenue v
md Fillmore street, where they t
mprovised storerooms for tern- b
>orary quarters and opened out n
heir new stocks to the retail g
rade. These streets betore the f
larthquake were principally res- r
dence thoroughfares but now r
)ecame the principal arteries ol t
he retail business of the city.? n
Jn every vacant lot along these <J
streets were erected storerooms i:
ind now every available space 11
ias been occupied Since the b
ire business in every line has
leen booming and the receipts of ?
id firms since that memorable n
iccurrence, both retail and whole- 8
lale, have been much larger than e
or the corresponding months ol g
ast year anil the year before.? 8
The railroad companies have s
lioie freight than they can han- o
lie and Ireight cars are getting c
10 scarce that the situation is besoming
serious. Business in 1
jvery line is increasing each I
lay. c
One ot the gi eat est problems I
hat the city has undertaken is i
Rearing away the debris trom j
he burnt district. It has been f
estimated bv a prominent car- \
penter in this city, who is author- i
ty in such matters, that it will f
require about twelve months to t
dean up the burnt district.? <
While it is a very great task, the ]
citizens have begun work on it 1
m l the debris is being moved 1
jut with surprising rapidity. 1
loe railroads have laid spur i
tracks inio the burnt section nd <
the ?Ud ris is loaded on flat cars 1
and h <u * d oir by locomotives t
find electric engines and dumped i
in the Ioa places in the suburbs |
of the city. This work is now <
progressing satisfactorily and the 1
f nindatioiiB tor permanent build i
ing.s arc being cleared and clean i
e l oir preparatory to beginning 1
these structures at no distant
late.
Quite a numebr of modern steel
structures were gutted and all
the wool work burned by the
flames, but they can all be re
paired, as the steel frames were
not injured by the fire, and the
tvork of rehabilitating them is
low being pushed rapidly. The
ol lowing steel buildings will be
epaired and finished up without
luy further delay, namely, Kohl
Building, Merchants Exchange,
Mutual Life, Wells-fargo, Union
I'rust, Crocker, Monadnock,
Chronical, Clans Spreckles, IIi
>t rnia Bank, Mutual Savings
Bank, Shreve, James Flood,
5 <int Francis Hotel, Fairmount
Jotel and the Newman and Levion.
The so cati, and will, be
ixed up and made as good as
hey were before the conflagraion,
and will form quite a nice
lttle nucleus for t.hp new nml
[renter city.
Another problem with which
he city has had to deal is ihe
aring for the poor homeless
efugees who lost everything in
he great fire. Aoont twenty
ive thousand are living in ten's
11 the public parks and are being
>d largely from the public fund
irovided by the generosity of the
American people, though they
re all gradually getting work
.gain and consequently will
oot: be able to care for them
elves. The rainy season being
lear at hand, all these people
.i 1! have to be housed from the
nclement weather which preails
during this season. Small
wo and three room cottages are
ieing erected by the Relief Com
nittee in the parks which will
ive them shelter and protection
rom the cold and damp of the
ainy season. All relief to the
efugees is administered through
he Relief Committee, the Chair
nan ot which is Honorable
antes I). Phelan, Ex-Mayor ol
lan Francisco and one ot her
nost public spirited and hotiorale
citizens.
It will be seen that, while
lan Francisco has been given a
nost stunning blow, she will
oon recover and become a great
r city than *he was before the
Teat catastrophe. It will take
ome time but she will be re
tored to the proud position she
nee occupied in the commerial
world.
San Francisco is situated on a
leninsular with the Bay of San
^rancisco on her east, the Fa |
ific Ocean on her west and I lie I
amous Golden Gate on her
lorth, which connects the Hay
tnd the Ocean, and it is thereore
properly termed the Gatevay
of the Pacific. Her harbor
s one of the finest in the world.
She has naturally deep water,
hat is, it requires no dredging
>r artificial means to keep it so
Mature has done here what man
ias had to do for other great
larbors of our country. The
arrest ocean liners and men of
war that plow the great deep
an steam riidif up and land by
aer docks. Most of the exports
Hid shipping to the Orient from
die Pacific Coast go from her
port out through the Golden
Ga'e. The beautiful strait which
washes the northern shores of
the city and connects I he Ocean
find Hay has acquired a world
wide fame and is one of the
HORSES,
MULES
Our Mr. Hood has just arrived from the
markets with one of the nicest lots of #
Jk. MULES,
MARES x
HORSES
that has been on the market this season.
They are all well broken and among them
some extra nice matched teams of mules,
mares and horses. Come one,come all. They
are here and must be sold. We need the
money and are going to sell for the high
dollar. ,
Lite Stuck Co
BIG DROP IN COTTON.
In the face of the above fact, we make below
some prices that should appeal to the pocketbook
of everyone. ^
3,000 yards 10 cents Outing at 7 1-2 cents.
25 pieces Jeans at 12 1-2, 15, 18, 22 1-2, 33 1-3 cents, worth
25 per cent, more money.
25 pieces Cantton Flanel at 7 1-2, 8 1-3, 10, 12 1-2 cents yard.
3,000 yards heaviest weight Sheeting, 15 yards for $1.00.
5 pieces all wool 54 inch Ladies' Cloth, 48 cents the yard.
10 pieces 54 inch Broadcloth worth $1.25, for only 95 cts the yd.
10 1-2 pieces 36 inch wide $1.25.
Silks all shades at 98 cents the yard.
ARE YOU GOING
To huy a Suit, Jacket or Overcoat ? If so, see ours and save
from $1.00 to $5.00.
Solid case Wright's Health Underwear, the $1.00 kind, at 75
cents garment.
One case Ladies 25 cents Vests to go at 19 cents. Few dozen
Ladies red wool Vests to close out at 48 cents garment.
We are still headquarters for Shoe bargains.
Big Stock Trunks, Bags and Valises, to go at CUT prices.
Come to see us whether you buy or not. You are welcome.
Yours to Please,
l-underburk Company
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