ANXIETY IN WELLINGTON. INTERESTING CHAT WITH A MAIL AGENT.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 12483, 20 April 1906, Page 7

ANXIETY IN WELLINGTON.

INTERESTING CHAT WITH A MAIL AGENT.

THE NECESSITY FOR MARTIAL LAW. IOMCIAL TO '"THB PRESS.") WELLINGTON, April 19. There were many anxious enquiries at the Post andvTclograph Office acre to-day regarding the earthquake. Quito a number of ex-New Zeaianders reside in San Francieco, and many New Zeaiandei's have relatives or friends there." The latest bulletins were anxiously (scanned as they were pouted at the. telegraph office and the newspaper offices. Tuts afternoon 1 called at the Jt'oeb Office to interview Mr D. E. Lindsay, the Sau Francisco ".Mail" agent (wuo was at 'one time stationed iv. Chri»tchurch), but found that he was at pro* cent in Sau Francisco. 'Iho outward mail boat was to leave there to-day, and it is to be hoped lie was on board, and not on shore when the earthquaKe occurred. 1 was, however, able to ccc Mr W. lebister, who nasi wade many trips to San Francisco in the capacity of mail agent. Mr Kobertson, the chief clerk, pioQuced a book oi ' photographs of the city i> • prominent uuiklmge, and we were aole lo see pictures of the principal ouot* destroyed, j Quite recently—three or lour mouths ; ago—Mr lstnsier said, it had been deI ciued to add another two storeys to i the Palace Hotel. uchor big hoteJa are the St. Francis Hotel, Faninount . Hotel, California Hotel, end the Occidental. The tirst-nemed is understood to be the best hotel, the Fairmoiiut and the Palace coming next in order. The St. Francis is a new hotel of twelve etoreys, finished about twelve mouths ego. Mr Isbister thinks it will probably have su/Jered. All theso big buildings are guaranteed earthquake and fire proof, but, of course, it is only a question of magnitude of shock to . bring down any building in the world. From the news to hand it would seem as if the buildings on the south side of Market street have suffered most. Market street, two chains wide, is the main thoroughfare. The Palace Hotel is in the next block to "The Call" building, owned by Sprockets. The Opera House is in the same bloc* as "The Call" building, but fronts Mission street, instead of Market street. The Post Office is between Mission street and" Howard street, tnroe blocks further up. The Government havo had no word from the i\cw Zealand agent, Mr H. Stevenson-Smith. In regard to the proclamation, of martial law, Mr Isbuster saye that in such a place as San Francisco, where there are a great many undesirables martial law will be an absolute necessity•'at such, a time as this. Some of these characters, he says, would not hesitate to fire buildings for the purpose of looting them. Mr lsbiflter was in San Francisco during an earthquake twelve years ago; it occurred at two o'clock in tho morning, and was sufficiently severe to brine down some of the cornices or the buildings, and to cause people to rush out into the streets, though lie himself slept through it. Hβ knew nothing about it till ho read of it in the newspapers. The Sonoma, one of the San Francisco mail boats, with a number of New Zealanders on board, arrived at San Francisco on Thursday last, at 6 o l clock a.m. Amongst the passengers were Messrs W. H. A tack (manager of tho Press Association), Mr Fulton, C.E., and his wife and daughter. The Fultons had no definite plans, though they intended to stay a few days in 'Frisco. The probability, however, is that both they and Mr Atack lied - proceeded on their journey before the earthquake occurred.

Mr Frank Coffee, of Sydney, who k at present on a visit to Wellington, and who was a resident of San Francisco for several years, says that San Francisco has fewer sky-scraping buildings than any other city in the United States. It was only of late that the many - storied edifice was being erected in California's Capital. The Spreckele building, which was one of the most conspicuous object* in San Francisco, contained nineteen storeys, and was absolutely up to date. The offices of "The Call" newspaper are situated in the Spreckels building, and near neighbours are the largo separate buildings of "The Chronick)" and "The Examiner." The Palace Hotel, which is also amongst the buildings destroyed, was the favourite place of residence of (Australians and New Zealanderc, and was a fine structure. St. Francis Hotel comprises two buildings, each thirteen storeys high, one of which has just been completed. There ero 32.1,000 people rending inside tho city limit*, end of these not a few are Italian*, Portuguese and Chinese. The principal business thoroughfare* of tho city are Market, Montgomery, Kearney, Post, Sansome and O'Farrell Street*!, and off these streets the population is dense. Baldwin's Hotel, which was in Market Street, was destroyed by fire. In its place a fine building was erected for commercial purposes, and it contained c. restaurant that coiikl accommodate 1500 diners at one time. San Francisco has both the trolly and the cable systems for its tramways.