The Butte Daily Post from Butte, Montana • 1

JTTE VOL XXV. NO. 120. BUTTE MONTANA, WEDNESDAY APRIL 18, 1906. PRICE FIVE CENTS A LOOK INTO THE FUTURE THE ENTER MOUNTAIN Thousands Killed and Damage Done 7iJreatin Many Millions of Bollars(Bity.

in wLjs the Watermains Tire BursUf Fire With Dynamite. I Three Miles of Southern Pacific Track South of San Francisco Dis-. appear Into Earth, Carrying Telegraph Lines In San Francisco Shock Lasts Three Minutes Main Buildings Tumble Like Houses of Cards Debris Covers the Bodies of Untold Number of Dead RST TREMBLE The faefs so far as known at this hour may he summed up as follows: The Mechanics' Pavilion has been converted into an emergency hospital and already several hundred victims of the disaster are being treated there by a corps of volunteer surgeons. The entire water front is ablaze. The post office was badly shaken and is (iilirely collapsed.

The Fish market at the corner of Clay and Merchant streets has collapsed, killing six people. F'ire Chief Sullivan and his wife have been badly injured. The Grand Opera house is burning fiercely. A ten-story building at Tenth and Mission streets, adjoining the Grand Opera, house, is apparently doomed, and other big buildings between the theater and St. Patrick's church many people are fleeinjr from llieir homes and from Ifie Palace theater, taking their personal effects.

The gas works, south of Market street, have been blown up and started another big fire in that section of the cily. MAY SWEEP CITY A portion of the Mission several miles fiom business section of the city is in flames, The fire began at Twenty-second street and is rapidly moving eastward. Should the wind increase it may sweep the entire southern section of the city. In Oakland five persons were killed by the collapse of the Empire building. The Gore block, at the junction of Market and Pine streets, is in flames and probably will be a total loss.

The fire has reached Market street near Third street. The building next to the Claus Spreckcls building at Third ana Market street, is in flames and the fire extends along the south side of Market to Fourth. The following buildings on New Montgomery, street between Market and Mission, have been entirely destroyed: Pacific Telephone company, Rialto building, Mission and Market, the Natoma building, the twelve-story Mutual Life building on California street and Sansome has been entirely destroyed. Twenty-one bodies have been taken to the morgue, which cannot accommodate any more. Mayor Schmitz has established headquarters at the Hall of Justice and appointed a relief committee of twenty prominent citizens.

MILITIA ON GUARD The militia is patrolling the streets. They have received orders to shoot any one on sight detected in theft. The Jessie street side of the Palace hotel is burning. The burning district at this hour runs from South street on the west to the water front, on the east, south of Market street; north of Market street, from Sansome to the water front, and from Market street to Washington. There is also a block burning on Mission street between Twenty-first and Twenty-second streets.

The newspapers having had their power cut off, have combined and will issue one paper from the office of The Chronicle, which has its own power-plant. There was a great rush at the different banks by depositors who wanted to draw out their deposits. BANKS REMAIN CLOSED But the banks decided to keep their doors closed. By order of the chief of police all saloons have been closed. The damage already inflicted is estimated roughly at $40,000,000.

The fires are spreading rapidly and unless the wind comes up from the west (Continued on Page Eight.) WASHINGTON, APRIL THE SUBURBAN COLLEGE TOWN NEAR 'FRISCO, IS REPORTED IN A TELEGRAM FROM GENERAL FUNSTON TO BE "COMPLETELY DEMOLISHED." used, if possible, in blowing up property to prevent the spread of the lire." DYNAMITE THE FLAMES Water Supply Inadequate to Fight Great Fire. San Francisco, April 18. 10:15 a. n. The fire extends from the ferry to Front street on 'one side and pretty much all south on Market street and to about Seventh street, with sporadic fires in the Park section and the western division.

The water supply is entirely inadequate and powder is being used to check the flames. The rooms in the Palace hotel were vacated early in the morning and guests are now returning to gather up their effects. All sorts of vehicles are being used to carry out of the danger zone everything of value. The loss of life seems to have been confined to the poorer districts. For the benefit of eastern people who have friends visiting in San Francisco it is safe to say they have not been injured.

STEADY DIN OF DYNAMITE As the hours go by the excitement grows more intense. Every few minutes explosions are heard as buildings are blown up to stop the progress of the flames. The fire has spread, and if the wind conies up San Francisco will experience the greatest conflagration of modern times. On Lower Market street, the main thoroughfare of the city, block after block of substantial buildings have been destroyed. A big fire is raging on the corner of Sansome and Vine streets, one block from the Associated Press.

The wildest rumors as to loss of life are coming' into the newspaper offices, but it is impossible to confirm them. No reports have been received outside of San Francisco, but the damage alwut the bay must be enormous. Oakland is said to have suffered severely. The Santa Fe roundhouse and machine shops at Port Richmond, across the bay, have collapsed. The earthquake was not seriously felt at other points along the coast, so far r.s can be ascertained.

THOUSANDS MAY BE DEAD There is no way of estimating the number of dead. It may bex hundreds, it may be thousands. There is hardly any water, and it is impossible to say when the fire will stop. People are moving out of the Palace hotel. The Postal Telegraph operators who are at their posts are taking their' lives in their hands, as the building is collapsing and the fire is within half a block.

The Call and Examiner buildings are liable to go at any moment. The Postal Telegraph company and the Commercial Cable company will open a temporary office at Oakland as soon as a boat can be procured to carry the operators across the bay. The fire, however, is so fierce between iMarket street and the ferry as to make it impossible to reach the 'boat at present. San Francisco, April 18. 8:30 a.

m. The fire which broke out in the Mack Wholesale Drug company, 13 and 15 Front street, threatens to destroy the entire block. On California and Pine streets the fire has reached to Sansome street. FIRE ON EVERY SIDE From Pine and Dupont streets fire can be seen raging in all downtown districts. A brisk westerly wind is coming up and the destruction of the entire business district is threatened.

Persons are thought to be pinned under the wreckage of the fish market streets between Sacramento and Clay and Commercial streets. On Fourth and Tehama streets an entire family was caught in the collapse of a building. The Hall of Justice is momentarily expected to fall. The city hall is almost an entire wreck. The Mechanics' pavilion has been converted into an emergency hospifal.

The Grand opera house has suffered severely. SITUATION AT 9 O'CLOCK Thought Nothing Could Prevent Spread of Fire. San Francisco, April 18. 9 a. m.

SAN FRANCISCO, APRIL 8:15 THER WAS ANOTHER SHOCK WHICH INTENSIFIED THE PANIC. PEOPLE STARTED TO RUSH INTO THE STREETS BUT THIS SHOCK WAS OF SHORT DURATION AND THE ALARM SUBSIDED. SHOCKS CONTINUE AT INTERVALS. AT 9:30 AND 10 O'CLOCK THERE WERE HEAVY SHOCKS THAT DID. FURTHER DAMAGE AND BROUGHT INCREASED PANIC.

THE BUSINESS SECTION OF THE CITY FROM MARKET STREET TO MISSION STREET AND FROM THE BAY BACK HAS BEEN ALMOST COMPLETELY WRECKED. MANY BUILDINGS ALONG MARKET STREET AND MISSION STREET, INCLUDING THE DEPARTMENT STORES, ARE COLLAPSED. MANY PEOPLE IN THE DISTRICT ARE REPORTED KILLED. BY ASSOCIATED PRESS. San Francisco, April 18.

At oclock San Francisco time, the employes of the Postal Telegraph company had to leave their office on account of the fire. The militia is in charge of the town. The Western Union announces that it ha established an office in San Francisco in the ferry building at the foot of Market street -and that it has wires running into this building and in working order. The following message was received from the ferry: "We are surrounded by. flames, but the fire cannot touch this building.

The ferry, being on the water front, is separated from adjoining property by a court about 300 feet wide. General Funston has called all the federal troops available for service, if necessary, in an emergency. The board of supervisors will meet immediately to take, necessary measures for relief and protection of the sufferers. PALACE CATCHES The Palace' hotel is now on fire. Other buildings on fire are the Claus Spreckles structure, seventeen stories high the Pljelan building and the O'Farrel block.

The south side of Market street between Fourth and Fifth street, is now on fire and the flames are spreading in all directions. It seems that the entire business section of San Francisco must be destroyed. Mayor Schmitz called for the assistance of the entire Oakland fire department and has ordered that all dynamite available to be used to blow up buildings in order to stay the progress of the flames. SHOCKS CONTINUE New York, April 18. The following message from San Francisco was received by the Western Union at 3:30, New York time "We are having an accumulation of light shocks.

A heavy southwest wind has grown up within the last half hour. "A section of the city south of Market street, bounded by this street, Third and Sansome streets and Ninth street and Market street has just burned and the Anglo-California bank has also been destroyed. "Every building in the city has been more or less damaged by the earthquake. The Southern Pacific company has brought a ton of dynamite into the vicinity of the burning section on Market street, to ASSIMILATION SHOULD FAIL all the buildings then being of frame. STRICKEN DISTRICT San Francisco Man in Butte Tells of Section That Suffered.

Among the many persons who called at The Inter Mountain office to secure, if possible, word of conditions in San Francisco, was C. E. Miller, special agent for the Hartford and Citizens' Fire Insurance companies, whose family resides in Oakland. Mr. Miller had resided in San San Francisco since 1875.

"It is apparent from the dispatches thus far received," said Mr. Miller, the disaster is worse in the section south of Market street. In that section are scores of three and four story buildings with now and then much higher ones. The retail district is partially wrecked, and it is safe to say that the loss of life, however great, would have been much greater had the shocks occurred during business hours. The wholesale district south of Market street is the one chiefly wrecked.

That is composed, for the most part, of buildings seven and eight stories high. The retail district is north of Market street. I presume that the largest department store in the city, which is located on Market street, is the one referred to as being among the buildings wrecked. In business hours that building and the surrounding streets are crowded and the loss of life would have been frightful indeed had the disaster occurred a few hours later. "All the 'territory below Montgomery street is made ground.

Vessels once landed their cargoes where the Bank of California, at the corner of Sansome and California streets, is The city hall, which is reported to have been wrecked, cost $7,000,000, The Palace hotel, which was damaged, is supposed to have cost all of $5,000,000. The Grand hotel adjoining cost about $400,000. There are many other costly buildings in this district. "The new wholesale, district of San Francisco is on Mission street, and included in the wrecked district. If the buildings on that street have been demolished the property loss will be appalling as the structures were modern in construction and represent an outlay of many millions of dollars.

Beyond that and in the vicinity of Howard street is where the cheap lodging houses are largely located. That is a crowded section of the city and is in. the wrecked portion. I would judge from the dispatches and from the condition as I know them that the greatest loss of life would be in that district. The property loss, however, would not he so great there as on Mission street, where the buildings are of modern construction.

"The Call building was the first of the skyscrapers in San Francisco. It is sixteen Stories high and was erected about nine years ago. Following its construction a law was passed prohibiting the erec-tionof such high buildings. This law must have become a dead-letter, for other buildings have followed of like character. The Chronicle's building is being increased to a seventeen-story building, and The Examiner's home opposite is also a high building.

It is only in recent years that high buildings have been constructed. Formerly all the residences in the city and the buildings in the outlying business districts were of frame construction because of earthquakes which were feared. In 1868 the city was visited by a severe earthquake, but the damage was compara-i tively small there because of the fact that the buildings were mostly frame. In recent years stone and steel have been employed more in construction and the buildings have gradually been growing in height. "The city has been visited by shocks every few years.

In the past, however, with the exception of the one in 1868, they have caused no damage. I have often been awakened by them. The first shock would usually be followed on the count of ten by another, and there were (Continued on Tage Eight.) i EEF DECISION OF VITAL IMPORT PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT SAYS CONGRESS SHOULD LEGISLATE TO DO AWAY WITH IMMUNITY. JUSTICE POWERLESS UNDER CIRCUMSTANCES Decision of Judge. Humphrey in the Packers Case Criticized Severely by the President.

BY ASSOCIATED PRESS. Washington, Aoril 18. Ins ia special message delivered to congress today President Roosevelt declares the result of the recent trial of the "Beef Packers" in 'Chicago was a "miscarriage of justice," and tthat the interpretation placed by Judge Humphrey on the will of congress "is such as to make that will absolutely abortive." The TOes'sage, which is most sensational in character, is based largely on a letter to tihe president from Attorney General in which the attorney general reviews the proceedings of the cases against the beef packers. The president says it is clear that no criticism attaches to Commissioner Garfield, as what he did was in pursuance of a duty imposed on him by congress. He refers sharply, however, to the decision of Judge Humphrey, congress could not have foreseen such a decision and that he could hardly believe that the ruling of Judge Humphrey will be followed by other judges.

He declared that his interpretation of the law as that placed on it by Judge Humphrey "comes measurably near making the law a. farce," and he recommends that congress pass a declaratory act staring its real intention. The president also requests congress to confer upon the government by statute the same rights of appeal, in criminal cases, which the defendant now enjoys, where the merits of the case have not been determined. Text of the Message. The full text of the message follows To the Senate and House of Representatives I submit herewith a letter of the attorney general, enclosing a statement of the proceedings by the United States against the individual and corporations commonly known as the "beef packers," and comment upon the decision of District Judge Humphrey.

The result has been a miscarriage of justice. It clearly appears from the letter of the attorney general that no criticism whatever attaches to Commissioner Garfield what he did was in strict accordance with the law and in pursuance of a duty imposed on him by congress which could not be avoided, and of course" congress, in passing the Martin resolution, could not possibly have foreseen the decision of Judge Humphrey. But this interpretation by Judge Humphrey of the will of the congress as expressed in. legislation is such as to make (Continued on Page Ten.) PERKINS DENIED WRIT. BV ASSOCIATED PRESS.

New York, April 18. Justice Greenbaum dismissed the writ of habeas corpus which was issued for the release of George W. Perkins, the banker, when he was arrested a few weeks ago on complaint that he had given funds of the New York Life Insurance company as a contribution to' the republican campaign fund. The arrest of Mr. Perkins, who had been under parole in the custody o-f his counsel, was BUTTE PEOPLE IN FRANCISCO MANY HERE AND THROUGHOUT THE STATE ANXIOUSLY AWAIT NEWS OF DEAR ONES.

IMPOSSIBLE TO LEARN THE FATE OF MANY Judge Dixon, James S. Casey and Many Others Are Known to Be There. Butte was profoundly stirred by the San Francisco catastrophe. The news was first received in an Associated Press bulletin to The Inter Mountain. A few minutes after it was posted the office was besieged with inquiries from Butte residents and visitors in the city who had relatives and friends in San Francisco.

Every bulletin was read with eager interest by, crowds around The Inter Mountain office, and all through the day the entrance to the newspaper, where the bulletins were posted, was blocked with excited people. Before 10 o'clock The Inter Mountain's first extra was off the press and newsboys were crying it about the streets. A second extra was issued at 11:40, and both were out before any other published account of the disaster reached the street. 'More than 9,000 extras were sold by The Inter Mountain newsboys. Butte has a peculiar interest in.

the disaster from the fact that this city is intimately connected in a business way with the coast metropolis, and also from the fact that many of Butte's residents have friends and relatives in the stricken city. A number of Butte residents are in San Francisco1 and no word could be received from them today. In other parts of California are many Montanans and the interest in them was intense throughout the city. SAN FRANCISCOA GREAT CITY Modern in Construction and Metropolis of the Coast. San Francisco had, according to the.

census of 1900, a population of 342,782. It has grown materially since then. The city has an area of forty-seven square miles and is Ibuilt in part on reclaimed land. There are more than 50,000 frame and about 4,000 brick and stone buildings in the city. The biggest structures are the city ihall, 332 feet high and worth $7,000,000 The Call building, sixteen stories; The Chronicle building, seventeen stories the St.

Francis hotel, twelve stories; the postoffice. worth $5,000,000, the mint, seven public libraries, forty-seven hospitals, ninety-eight schools, and many large hotels. The assessed valuation of real estate in San Francisco in 1904 was $380,000,000. The assessment is supposed to represent two-thirds of the actual value of the property. If this is correct the real value of property in San Francisco in 1904 was about $570,000,000.

The increase in the past two years has been greater than for the previous five or six years. An insurance expert in Butte says that it would be conservative, in view of these facts, to place the increase at 25 per cent. In round figures the value of real estate in the stricken city would be at least The city has suffered severely by fire, the worst being in 1849 and 185 1, when $16,000,000 worth of property was destroyed. An earthquake visited the city 1 on October 21, 1868, but tihe loss was.