. After earthquake and fire . incalculable value. With street-cars idle,telephones down, the automobiles went everywhere. Theycarried messages, wounded, supplies, dynamite—anything withcertainty and dispatch. The shoddy construction of the cheap flats and tenementhouses south of Market street started fires all over this terri-tory; and as the water supply was centralized, an accident toa part crippled the whole. As it was impossible to fight fire. SOME LESSONS FROM THE EARTHQUAKE. 37 without water, the fire spread more and more until it hadeaten up three-fourths of the city. The wreck of the w
. After earthquake and fire . incalculable value. With street-cars idle,telephones down, the automobiles went everywhere. Theycarried messages, wounded, supplies, dynamite—anything withcertainty and dispatch. The shoddy construction of the cheap flats and tenementhouses south of Market street started fires all over this terri-tory; and as the water supply was centralized, an accident toa part crippled the whole. As it was impossible to fight fire. SOME LESSONS FROM THE EARTHQUAKE. 37 without water, the fire spread more and more until it hadeaten up three-fourths of the city. The wreck of the watersupply was another example of the excessive centralization ofmodern cities. Many square miles of buildings were destroyedsimply because they depended on the general water supplywhich failed; but the United States Mint, though surroundedby fire, was saved, partly because it was honestly constructed,but also because it had its own artesian well for fire protectionand an independent steam-pumping plant. If all other large. Car-tracks on East Street, near the Ferry,buildings had been similarly equipped, the fire might easilyhave been checked. In the absence of water, dynamite was resorted to. Thiswas very effectively used by the army engineers, but manyothers who handled it did not know how to apply it effectivelyand only spread the fire. Often when it was used, it wasemployed too timidly and was resorted to when it was toolate. If the blocks in Chinatown between Kearny and Stock-ton had been promptly blown down Wednesday afternoon the 38 AFTER EARTHQUAKE AND FIRE. entire residence district of the Western Addition might havebeen saved. A hundred California miners used to handlingdynamite could have saved three-fourths of the burned districtby intelligent and prompt blasting. It was fortunate that the military and naval posts wereso near, so numerous, and so efficient. The value of militarydiscipline in an emergency was never more strongly demon-strated. It is difficult to ima
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