REBUILDING SAN FRANCISCO.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8311, 14 December 1906, Page 3

REBUILDING SAN FRANCISCO.

SAN FRANCISCO, November 16. The task of rebuilding the city of San Francisco has gathered momentum as it has proceeded, and is now going on at a marvellous rate. Among the causes which have lead to the rapid healing of the wounds made by the great fire, the following are prominent:—The sound condition of the banks of the city at the time of the disaster, and the fact that all the banks remained solvent, and resumed business at t he expiration of the holidays arranged by tiio Governor or California, to give them an opportunity to gain access to their vaults; the large amount of cash, probably already in access of 250,000,000 dollars, paid to policy holders by insurance companies; the confidence at home and abroad, in the destiny of the great city by the Golden Gate ; and the great influx of both capital and labour, because of this recognition of the city's opDortunities. DISMANTLING THE PALACE HOTEL. Some slight idea of the Herculean labours being performed at the present time may be gathered from the contemplation of the work on the old Palace Hotel, perhaps the most solidly built structure in the burned district. The contractors have undertaken to. raze the splendid unci unshaken walls of brick in five months. The bricks were moulded together with mortar composed of lime and cement, with strips of Norway iron and cement welding them together. Massive girders of iron formed the supports. Two huge hoist engines with inch and. a-half cables, with a pulling capacity of 5,000 men, are used for taking down the walls, which fall in sections -without a brick being dislodged. Blasts are used to weaken the sections before lowering them. Three hundred men are employed constantly, working in shifts, 011 this contract, and steam shovels are used in conveying the debris to the cars and waggons. It is estimated there are ten million bricks in the building. An interesting method, recently invented, is applied to the removal of the wrought-iron girders, which formerly supported the glass roof of the court, which fell in the twisted court. By forcing electrical heat of 5,000 degrees, generated by a huge dynamo, intc the mass of iron, the mass of iron, the girders are cut into pieces easy to handle. The Palace Hotel is to be built as quickly as possible after the site is cleared, and on a scale of even greater magnificence than before.

REPAIRING STEEL STRUCTURES. Many other beautiful hotels aro in course of construction, as well as some supurb office buildings. Nearly all the steel structures, which were damaged but not ruined by the lire, are being repaired. The St. Francis Hotel, on which the repairs will cost three quarters of a million, is approaching completion. The Fairmont Hotel, where repairs will cost as much or more, is also being rushed, and the proprietor for the hostelry already is being engaged. The Flood building, probably the most costly in the city, is already completely rehabilitated, and is occupied by banking institutions, and by the Southern Pacific railway offices. On Sansome-street, between Pine and Sacramento, building operations are in progress, involving about two million dollars. This quarter continues to be the centre of banking activity, though the important banks have established branches, most of which will be permanent, on or neatVan Ness Avenue, the new fashionable retail district of the city. VAN NESS AVENUE. This retail district is the magnet which attracts all visitors and residents of the city. It is like nothing so much as a great world's fair. The buildings are all new, or newly arranged. Plate-glass windows and fine linishings are everywhere, flags are flying, and the stocks of goods displayed are extravagant, even for gay and prodigal San Francisco. It is presumed the ready money from insurance companies has encouraged trade. At any rate the merchants, particularly great jewellery establishments, and the dealers in silks and fine apparel of all sorts, report business more active than ever before. The street is broad and handsome, and is always thronged with automobiles and other showy equipages. Some of the stately residences of other days are in use as dry goods stores, others as fashionable restaurants. Altogether the spectacle afforded is unique and fascinating.