San Francisco During the Eventful Days of April, 1906 | Page 4

of citizens for 2 o'clock. Met Mr. J. E.
Tucker - sat down with him on a box in the middle of Market Street,
opposite Lotta's Fountain, and we discussed the situation. We agreed
that the city was doomed to destruction, and that we were unable to do
anything to save it. Crowds of people were about, only looking on -
some looked dazed, and others wildly excited. I walked down to Bush
Street between Sansome and Montgomery, met Mr. Murphy of the First
National Bank, and Herman Oelrichs, and discussed with them as to
whether it would come to his building. The earthquake had thrown the
heavy granite cornice of his bank building into the middle of Bush
Street. Murphy, Grant & Co.'s building was on fire at this time; this
was between 1 and 2 P. M.. Went along Montgomery to California
Street, and found the fire approaching Montgomery Street. At 3 o'clock
it had got to the Palace Hotel on the Mission-Street side, and by 3:30 it
was well on fire. About this time I went into the Western Union
Telegraph office, and while writing a telegram to Nellie and Robert,
who were on their way to New York, the announcement was made that
no more telegrams would be received. I then walked home, and at that
time the streets leading to Lafayette Square and the Presidio were filled
with people dragging trunks and valises along, trying to find a place of
safety. They generally landed in the Presidio. As night came on the fire
made it as light as day, and I could read without other light in any part
of my house. At 8 in the evening. I went downtown to see the situation,
going to Grant Avenue through Post Street, then to Sutter, and down
Sutter to Montgomery. The fire was then burning the eastern half of the
Occidental Hotel and the Postal Telegraph Company's office, on
Market Street, opposite Second Street, and other buildings adjoining.

At this hour the fire was about a mile and a quarter from my house. The
Lick House and the Masonic Temple were not on fire then. I next went
to Pine and Dupont Streets, and from that point could see that the Hall
of justice and all the buildings in that vicinity were on fire. Very few
people were on the street. Goldberg, Bowen & Co. were loading goods
into wagons from their store on Sutter Street, between Grant Avenue
and Kearny. I attempted to go in to speak to the salesman, with whom I
was acquainted, but was harshly driven away, by an officious
policeman, as if I was endeavoring to steal something. I came back to
my house at 9:30 and found in the library Mr. Wilcox and his mother,
Mrs. Longstreet, Dr. and Mrs. Whitney, Mrs. Hicks and her daughter,
Sallie, Ruth, and Marie Louise. They were all very much alarmed, as
the information which they obtained from the excited throng on the
street was of the wildest kind. The two automobiles and the Wilcox
carriage stayed in front of the house all night, at an expense of
twenty-five dollars per hour for the carriage. I felt tired, and went to
bed at 11 P. M. and slept until 2:30 A. M. got up and went down-town
again to see what the situation was. I went to California Street, then to
Hyde, then to Pine. From Pine and Leavenworth I could see that the
fire was at that hour burning along O'Farrell from Jones to Mason and
on the east side of Mason Street. The St. Francis Hotel was on fire. I
went from Pine and Mason to the Fairmont Hotel at California and
Mason. The hill is very steep between these streets, and many people,
having exhausted themselves, were sleeping in the street on the
paving-stones and on mattresses. I did not think the fire would pass
beyond the Fairmont Hotel, as there was hundreds of feet of space
between the front or eastern side of the hotel, and any other building.
But the fire passed up beyond the hotel on Sacramento Street until it
reached a point where the hotel was at the leeward of the flames. The
hotel was not finished and in the northeast corner were kept the
varnishes and oils, which very much aided in the destruction of the
building. From California and Mason Streets I could see that old St.
Mary's Church, on the corner of California and Dupont Streets and
Grace Cathedral, on the corner of California and Stockton, were on fire.
To the north, Chinatown was in a whirlpool of fire. I returned home on
California Street and Van Ness Avenue. Both streets were thronged
with men, women, and children - some with bundles, packages, and

baby-carriages; but