. A history of the earthquake and fire in San Francisco; an account of the disaster of April 18, 1906 and its immediate results. r heads and trembled. The hours of waiting were over; the time ofbattle had arrived. The cannon were unlimbered,dynamite charges were set, and soldiers, firemen, 112 THE CONQUEST and volunteers went at the work of razing the build-ings along the east side of the avenue—a long lineof mansions, churches, and apartment houses. Thefire was but three blocks away. A slight wind hadsprung up from the west. The torch was applied, and back fires werestarted to meet the approa
. A history of the earthquake and fire in San Francisco; an account of the disaster of April 18, 1906 and its immediate results. r heads and trembled. The hours of waiting were over; the time ofbattle had arrived. The cannon were unlimbered,dynamite charges were set, and soldiers, firemen, 112 THE CONQUEST and volunteers went at the work of razing the build-ings along the east side of the avenue—a long lineof mansions, churches, and apartment houses. Thefire was but three blocks away. A slight wind hadsprung up from the west. The torch was applied, and back fires werestarted to meet the approaching conflagration. Soonall that lay between was a raging furnace. Perhapsnever before had human eyes beheld such a sight aswas seen by the people on the slopes beyond, asthey looked across at the westerly side of Nob Hill,and the level ground below, all in flames at all the district from which the people hadmigrated during the night or had been driven in themorning was ablaze—a flame-swept sea. The airfor miles was stifling. The roar, as the billows offire rose and fell, and leaped from house to house,. Claus Spreckels Residence Photo by Mtiller THE CONQUEST 113 from street to street, was terrific. And ever therewas a cracking and lashing of whip-ends overhead. In the morning it had been determined that theWestern Addition should be saved at any cost. Bynight millions of dollars worth of property lay lowin ruin. The price had been paid; and what a priceit was! It had been a magnificent spectacle, but onewhose horror brought no fear to those who saw in it the end, the furthermost limit of thefire, and rejoiced that it had been checked. It wascomforting to know that though the fire was at itsworst, its progress had been stayed. Vain joy; for in the end it seemed that after allthe fire was not stayed — that all that had been donehad been without avail. Not even the width of VanNess avenue was a bar to the fierce heat of the con-flagration. Along
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