The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, May 4, 1906, Page 1

OF The San Francisco Call 1651-3 Fillmore St. PHONE: WEST 956. B o S R R T8 SR R SRR R R TR ] P .uxf'f\’i:r "XCIX—NO. 155' Editorial KRooms, FPhone: Oakland OAKLAND OFFICE The San Francisco Call 1016 Broadway Business Office Phone: Oakland 1083 T PRICE FIVE CENTS S ARE FULL Supply Is Ample Again for Fighting Fire HARRIMAN OFFERS A LOAN OF $100,000,000. Committee Informed That He Will Gome 10 Aid of City if It Is Needed. Reassuring Reports Are Received at Meet- ing of the General Body. t the Guggenheims would soon turn out emough of that supply the wants of the d States. of exorbitant rents was ought to the attention of the and Mayor Schmitz stated uld confer with the Super- s and with Assessor Dodge in an 1ve property valuations as- proportion to the rents rial e Unite tter Ruef, chairman of the committee 1anent location of Chinatown, rted that his committee has met secretary of the Chinese legation Washington and the Consul Gen- 1 of China in San Francisco, who they wanted Cliinese residents ated the samhe as Caucasians. His committee considerea HAunters Point adapted for a permanent loca- but thought the Chinese might ct. He was informed that the ling Chinese merchants had can- celed orders for goods with the expec- of leaving San Franeisco. DISTRIBUTION OF FOOD. Thornwéll. “Mullally reported that street transporation is being improved each day, and cars are put down upon lines just 2s soon as they are made | passable. He handed to the rellef com- tee $175 contributed by the Plain- ld Yale Club, composed of the alum- {ni of Yale Universlity, of which Mr. ,|Mullally is a2 gradute. The contribu- {tion was recelved with applause. Gavin McNab reported that the com- .| plete system for the delivery of food has been taken over by the military, 11 {and will be continued on the same line. |He urged the concentration of that | work as much as possible, in order that the drays and trucks must be re- turned to their legitimate work. Senator Savage of San Pedro, grand master of the Ancient Order of nited Workmen, pleaded for assist- e for members of the order and wited to obtain tents needed for the neless at once. He was assured y consideration, but was informed pern tion, obje lead HARRIMAN SPEAKS. report as to the g been received, ounced that E. will lend you an entered husiastically £ on for &linat no distinction could be made be- E follows: 3 1 persons regarding their affilia- ant to u for this cordial bl ‘chpart G oy nd fiiat 241 g- 1 have not yet thought of . .00;0 1ust be treated alike under t unravel the matter lh’ you direction of the United States . He was given credentials, how- r, which carried his pciat. n 8. Drum of the committes on istory of the disaster stated that it is very essential that members of all committees send reports of all they did since the morning of the earthquake, which will aid materially in the work of compiling the history of the dis- aster. J. W. Bartnett and his committee for distributing clothing and housing the homeless were discharged &t their own request from further duties. Mr. Bart- here ply , however, 1 the matter a - y I believe I wild be in er you very material erests I represent. rsonally concerned I t think that San Francisco has outside help.” of the great railroad committee in a very n00d and he was heartily ap- that E.Li;i G MATERIAL PRICES. Wittman report- ed t factory progress is being nett reported that ha had been co- made in restoring retail business, and operating with the military, which was that new stores are being opened every ' continuing the work very efficiently. a besides a great mny of the old| Upon the motion of J. B. Reinsteln, ones which opened at the first oppor- |who advocated that in thiz matter em- u ! phasis ghould be given to the relation P. H. McCarthy, 'president of the Building Trades ‘Gounmell, wanted to krow what arrangements had been made to supply material for building between San Francisco and California, the following were added to the com- mittee on reconstruction as ex-officio members: Governor Pardee, Lieuten- industries, such as lime, cement, doors, ant Governor. Alden Anderson, Presi- cdent Charles S. Spear of the State He said the wost 'of manufa Harbor Commission and U. 8. Webb, ing has not increased, and there is no teason why dealers should raise the | prices for indispénsuble materials un- der present conditiens,’ and suggested that men of that kind should be brand- ed and exposed and held up to public scorn. He said there was urgent need to| ebtain material at once for the build- | tngs which remained uninjured by the earthqueke. He referred to class A buildings, which the earthquake did not inf and said the damage caused by fire to these bulldings could be easily repalred and the buildings made babitable. He said the escape of these bulldings from injury by earthquake - ample proof that the foundation of San Francisco is as firm as that ©f any other city. Gevin McNab stated that the Cowell plant bad sufficlent lime and cement s hand to supply immediate wants i Attorney General of California. P. H. McCarthy wanted to know what had been done to enable em- ployers to pay the men they employ to reconstruct - Ban Francisco. He said there is plenty of work in sight for thousands of mechanics. CHARTER LIMITATIONS. Mr. Phelan explained that the bank- ' ers had made temporary arrangements enabling them to furnish money to employers and business men, all of whom are anxious and eager to re-' sume business and restors it to normal Harriman had offered to advance $100,000,000 to rebuild S8an Franecisco. Gavin MoNab called attention to the charter limitations which will af- " fect & proposed bond issue, and said 1t would require an amendment to the PRESIDENT EXPLANS L1 WASHINGTON, May 8—A special message was sent to Congress today by President Roosevelt, in which he explained the attitude of this Govern- ment regarding the offer of contribu- tions to the San- Francisco fire and earthquake sufferers from faoreign countries, The President says that where the contributions were made to this Gov- ernment he did not feel warranted in accepting them, but where they were made to the citizens’ rellef commit- tee of San Francisco no official action was or could be taken in regard to them. The message indicates that the Governments of the entire civilized world promptly responded In messages of sympathy and many of them with contributions or offers of contribu- tions. The text of the message is, in art, as follows San Francisco many offers of assist- ance in the shape of contributions were tendered by foreign individuals, ccrporations, governments and muni- cipalities. The Canadian Government, with an instant generosity peculiarly pleasant as a proof of the close and friendly ties which knit us to our neighbors of the north, offered to pass a resolution appropriating $100,000 for the rellef of the sufferers by earth- quake and fire. With a generosity equally marked and equally appreciat: ed the republic of Mexico, our nearest neighbor to the south, voted to appro- priate $30,000 and the republic of Gua- temala voted to appropriate $10,000 for the same purpose. The Empress of China, in addition to sending money to be used for the Chinese who suf- fered in San Francisco, offered to send [¢¢ more than double &s much to be used for the inhabitants generally. The Japaness Government iimmedl- ately offered to send across the ocean one of their beautifully equipped hos- pital ships to be used in any way for the sufferers, and also offered 200,000 yen to the relief committes in addi- tion to more than 100,000 yen sent by Japanese subjects. The Government of far distant New Zealand voted $25,000. The Government of Martinique voted 1000 francs; the municipality of Edmondson, Canada, $1000. Many mu- nicipalities, corporations and individ- uals in England, Germany, France, Japan, Cuba and other countries protf- fered ald. “Where these offerings of ald are made to the private rel'ef comumittees organized to deal with the distress in San Francisco I have, of course, no of- ficlal action to take concerning them. Where they were tendered to me, in my official capacity, I did not feel war- ranted in accepting them “But I am certaln I gave utterance to the feelings of all our countrymen when 1 express my very lvaly appreciation of the warm-hearted generosity and eagerness to ‘help Us in the time of our affliction shown by the govern- ments, the municipalities, the corpora~ tions and the individuals mentioned before. We are deeply grateful to them and we are deeply gateful for the way In which they showed in such practical fashion the growth of the epirit of brotherhood among the na- The message here gives a list of al- most every country on the globe which sent offerings of sympatby. It adds: “Appropriate expressions of grati- tude to all those friends have been re- turned by the State Department or by myself, but it seems to me that the real depth of grateful feeling awak- ened I our people by all these evi- dences of genuine sympathy and friendship should be expressed also by formal action of the supreme legisla- tive power of the nation. “I recommend the passage by the Congress of an appropriate resolution to that end. “THEODORE ROOSEVELT.” | Bue based upon present valuation and limited by charter provision only suf- fices to construct public bulldings, ‘water system and other improvements which are indispensable, and that in no way can the municipality be de- pended upon to further private recop- conditions. He also said that E. H. struction. Former Mayor James D. Phelan, chairman of the finance committee, re- ported that outside contributions for ‘tire day amounted to $77,000 and local contributions $25,000, bringing the total avallable to $3,790,000, Adding constitution as well a3 as to the char- sums the press announced had been ter. Phelan explained that & bond is- | contributed & total of 84.315,285 was in | G e et B T AL e P RS TSR - A L U Tl oo RO AR G, AL SR AR ML el i M, SL - SRR ot i e SRR A T o i P B OSSR 8 LS o e 2 eSO 7 PR IS DINGS 10 BF FIREPROOF Architects Plan for Many Struct- ur BUIL Preliminary plans for many big fire- proof, shake-proof buildings have been drawn up. Builders are slow to accept plans for their new structures at pres- ent. They are waiting for the flinal insurance settlement. Capital also is waiting for the new building ordinance. So far there is no inkling as to what the new restrictions and limitations will be. But there is not the slightest doubt about whether new skyscrapers will be built. The State Board of Architects has the following suggestions to make in relation to the restrictions of the com- ing building ordinances: Thorough inspections and investiga- tions have been made through the burnt district and it has been found that safe- ty is mot a question of style of archi- tecture, but quality of workmanship. Cornices and arches need not be ex- cluded from the mew city. Where they were properly anchored and built they withstood the shock and the fire both. It is the opinion of the board that the city beautiful need not be without its picturesque cornices and decorations. The Call and Kdhl buildings are proof enough that good work on decorstions will insure them against destruction. The pile foundation has been found to. be the most substantial. In the earth’s vibrations it rests as does a chip in water. And the building rests securely upon it. Forty-five feet is ad- vised as a safe depth for either pile or concrete foundations, The height makes no difference in the matter of safety. Any building sup- ported by what is known as the cage, steel frame will withstand any ordinary number nine’’ shake. It is necessary for Ban Francisco to have .its high buildings. With proper workmanship they ean be built in such a ‘way that they will be absolutely safe. Bay windows are not considered safe. Though it is strongly urged that decora- tions be permitted, few projections should be allowed. It is considered that the Ferry Build- ing sustained the most severe shock of anv in San Francisco. Yet inspection shows that it is good for several more shakes such as the ome of April 18th. The tower is included in this statement. In conformity with the resolution adopted by the Citizens’ Committee, Mayor Schmitz yesterday appointed & Committee to devise laws for rebuilding San Francisco, which will suit existing conditions and facilitate the speedy construction of dwellings, business houses and public buildings. The Com- mittee consists of seven supervisors and an suxiliary of seven representative men ineluding architects, builders, structural engineer and attorney. The following supervisors are on the Com- mittee: James L. Gallagher, George F. Duffey, A. N. Wilson, Daniel G. Cole- man, L. A. Rea, Charles Boxton, Max Mamlock. The following constitute the suxiliary: William Curlett, Jeremiah Deneen, R. C. Berkeley, William H. Leahy, nk Shea, J. W. Mahoney, A. Ruef. —_— BRANDS CHARGES AGAINST C. G. LATHROP A8 FALSE David 8tarr Jordan of Stanford Uni- versity Is Aroussd by an Un- founded Attack. The Call is in receipt of the follow- ing telegram from David Starr Jor- dan, president of Leland Stanford Jr. University: “PALO ALTO, Cal, May 8—San Francisco Call: Anonymous attack in the Examiner of May 2, charging Charles G. Lathrop with peculatifon in relation to the wrecked Stanford build- ing, was infamously false and wholly without foundation. The university fac- ulty without exception bave absolute confldence in Mr. Lathrop's integrity. ‘The buildings show architectural mis- takes in not foreseeing earthquake, but not the slightest evidence of dishon- esty known to me. “DAVID STARR JORDAN.” ————— Clothing Distrbution Saturday. By order of General Greely no more clothing will be distributed to the refu- gees until Saturday, except in espe- clally distressful cases. This order was considered necessary to facilitate the issue of clothing. The interim will be utilized in the unpacking and ar- ranging of the contributions. sight. The receipt of $2000 in green- ; backs from Bisbeee, Ariz, will be acknowledged today. IBAS ELESS REPORTS Several rumors, based in some In- stances upon malice and in others upon ignorance of the facts, are in |clrculation respecting the laying of tracks bythe Southern Pacific Company and the Ocean Shore Rallway Com- pany through streets in the burned districts for the purpose of removing debris, One rumor is to the effect that the Southern Pacific Company had taken advantage of the catastrophe “to ‘tighten its grasp on coveted ter- minals.” The other is that the Ocean Shore Rallway Company proposed to lay .rails up Van Ness avenue for & purpose seinister, if not sinuous, Investigation shows that there is not the slightest basis of truth in either of these reports. Both companies are acting under permits from Mayor Schmitz to lay temporary tracks along certain streets named in the permits and to construct temporary laterals wherever neessary for the purpose of removing debris from the burned dis- trict so as to facilitate travel and the rebuilding of the commercial district. The bricks and other rubbish will be collected by these roads end dumped upon low lands on the bay shore, thus adding more stable territory to the «ity fronmt. 1t would require an army of horses, ‘wagons and-men and months of labor, not to mention the vast expense, to do this work without the help of the rall- roads. The rallroad people realized that their welfare was i long meas- ure dependent upon the growth and prosperity of this city and State, and they felt that the time and money de- voted to the work would be well in- vested in every sense of the word. The offer further shows that the raflroad companies have the utmost confidence in the future of the new San Francisco, and that they are hand in hand with the best elements of the community, not only in the task of restoring the former status, but of bet- tering it in manifold ways. E. E. Calvin, vice.president and gen- eral manager of the Southern Pacific Company, denounced the report yester- day as not only false, but maliclous. “The work that we are doing,” he sald, “1s being prosecuted by virtue of a permit issued by Mayor Schmitz and for the sole purpose of removing debris from the streets. The permis- slon is only temporary and Is revoca- ble at the pleasure of the Mayor. There is no permanent track laying being done and no thought of it. We are willing to do all we can to help clean up the city.” Mr, Calvin then gave the following as the route over which the temporary tracks were to be laid: From Battery across Market to First; First to How- ard, out Howard to Fourth, down Fourth to Townsend, from Townsend up Fourth to Evereit and down Ever- ett to Third; thence from the foot of Battery to Clay or Sacramento. This route has been selected as the best adapted for opening up the commer- cial district to travel and rebullding in the first place, and the track laying is to be of a temporary nature only. J. Downey Harvey fiatly denled the report that the Oean Shore Rallway Company intended to lay even tem- porary tracks on Van Ness avenue. ‘Thers is nothing on that avenue to do,” he added, “and we have no de- sire to lay tracks there.” He explained also that, as in the case of the Southern Pacific Company, his company was mcting under a permit issued by the Mayor for the temporary ldying of tracks to clean the business streets. - The route menunnld in the permit 1s as follows: Twenty-fourth to Capp street, along Capp t> Fifteenth, to Howard, to Bpear, to Market, to East, to the belt line, and thence around on the belt line to North Beach. Also from Twenty-fourth and Capp along cl» to Army to Ban Bruno road, !{}ence to Islals Creek. Later laterals will be run from these diffcrent routes wherever mumd for tha removal of d"lt m beon sald that we had no ”* resuméd MNr. Harvew, with a lmch- ~We have three engines and forty slready, and that's -imo !l:llln‘ M fsn't ft2” © ) jor Gen- hlv for San , Where he will sup- etll The committee meets again this!' -rl.ntanfl tha :muntdlig for Red Cross morning at 10 o’clocik Jand Go WILL NOT PAY THE: LOSSES DUE TO THE EARTHQUAKE I]EN'H] Only Those Whose Property Was De- stroyed by Fire Will Receive Insurance. London Companies Decide They Will Only Recognize Glaims Based Upon the Qonflagration. NEW YORK, May 3.—The Tribune today says: Representatives of both foreign and American fire Insurance companies who were in the city yes- terday discussed action to effect & compromise 1o the adjustment of losses by the San Franclsco fire. The discussion was largely upon the ques- tlon as to the attitude the adjusters of companies should be instructed to| take in regard to the disputed ques- tions. The great companies express a strong purpose to be not only just, but generous in cases of doubt with the victims of the fire, but they all evidently feel what was expressed by the president company, who said: “The adjusters for this company will not be allowed to walve the condi- tions of its policies, nor the conditions and restrictions of -its. charter. We have no more right to pay a loss oc- casloned by earthquake than we have to pay & loss of life. We are not an earthquake insurance company, nor & life insurance company.” Because of exemption from loss by earthquake damage well-informed in- surance men estimated yesterday that the companies would ultimately pay from 60 to 75 per cent of the aggregate amount of risk. LONDON, May 2.—A meeting of the representatives of the several British fire insurance companies interested in San Francisco was held in London to- day. It was unanimouslsy agreed to send a joint dispatch to Oakland to the following effect: “Under any circumstances the Brit- ish companies will only pay losses for which they are legally liable, siuce to g0 beyond their contracts would be il- legal. They cannot recognize any lia- bility for damage by earthquake where no fire ensued, nor for damages to buildings pulled down or destroyed by order of the San Francisco author- ities.” The committes of insurance officials of Oakland is directed in the general interest and Dbefore the removal of the debris to employ immediately the best available engineers and survey- ors to Investigate and report in detail the earthquake damage in the burned area. Three British offices—the Alllance, the Commercial Union of Norwich and the Union—whose San Franeisco poli- cles cortain clauses excluding liability for fires due to earthquakes, have sent telegrams to their agents at San Francisco explaining that while con- curring in the resolution quoted above they do so without prejudice to the special position they occudy. NEW YORK, May 3—An important omission was made in the transmis- sion of a dispatch from London last night giving the text of the joint dis- patch sent to Oakland, Cal, &3 & re- sult of the meeting of the represent- atives of several British Insurance companies. The message should have read: “Under any circumstances the Brit- ish offices will only pay the losses for which they are legally liable, since to go beyond their contracts would be {illegal. They cannot recognize any liability for damage by earthquake where no fire ensued, nor for damage by fire to fallen or partly fallen buildings, nor for damages to buildings pulled down or destroyed by order of the San Francisco authorities.” HARTFORD, Conn,, May 3.—The es- timated net losses of the Hartford In- surance companies in the recent San Francisco fire, as given out by the ofi- cials of the companies today, are as follows: Aetna $2,700,000, Hartford Fire $5,- 75,000, Natlonal Fire $1.500.000, Orient $700,000, Phoenix $1.500.000. Scottish Union and National $1,000,000. Total $13,150,000. UNDERWRITERS MEET. OAKLAND, May 3—At the meeting of the executive committee of the Fire Underwriters’ Adjusting Bureau held in Reed Hall today the following were selected ' to constitute general adjust- ing comumittee, the first seven names being those of Eastern men and the | remaining eight those of men promi- jnent in the insurance circles of Call- |fornfa: W. H. Clemons, J. H. Cas- well, C. H. Coffin, J. A. Bament, L. A. Moore, J. C. Corbet, H. F. Atwood, Willlam Sexton, R. V. Watt, Dixwell Hewitt, C. Mason Kinne, V. C. Drif- of & large American fleld, E. C. Niebling, E. Morrison and D. E. Miles. H. F. Atwood, who comes from Ro- chester, N. Y., was elected chalrman of the general adjusting committes and E. F. Morhardt was chosen secre- tary. Speaking of the work the committea was formed to do and the extent of its powers Mr. Atwood said: “The principal duty of the body of which 1 have been elected chairman will be to apportion the losses among the adjusters. Where six or more companies are interested In a loss that loss will be referred to a sub- committee. In a loss where five or less companies are Interested the company may designate their own adjusters. This general adjusting committee or no sub-committee of the parent body shall have power to bind the compa-~ nies or waive any of the rights or con- dition of the several policles. Theh £ub-committees will simply act as ad- Justers to arrive at the measure of damages, and their work must be ap- proved or disapproved by the general organization. “We are eager to get busy, but be- cause of the precautionary delay being taken in the Opening of safes and vaults we are compelled to await the time when we can begin important operations. We have wired to Balti- more for a supply of the blank forms that were used by the adjusters in settling the insurance losses of the great fire in that city two years ago. “Whether the general adjusting committee will discriminate betweeen losses occasioned by earthquake and fire, and just what our course will be in that respect, is something that I am at this time unprepared to talk about. We plan to hold another ses- sion tomorrow afternoon, and by the early part of next week we hope to have the general adjusting committes at work in San Francisco, with head- quarters in the ferry depot”™ Bstimates of fire risks carried by companies insuring in San Francisco vary from $165,000,000 to $230,000,000. E. Myron Wolf, Stats Insurances Com- missioner, makes an_approximate es- timate of $200,000,000. The St. Paul and American Central insurance companles today, through John A. Backwith, loca. agent, paid policies in full on Insurance held by