May 



190G. 



The Weekly Florist^^ Review* 



J 705 



>.^h-?^<^-y»<^-'^V'^-y».^Ky».<^<^'^-?>.^ 



GREAT DISASTER 

 AT SAN FRANCISCO 



' V<.^^'Vr^>W'-»k^-^ w-^Xa^-^kJ* 



THE FIRE PICTURE. 



The pbotograpli reproduced on lliis 

 pa<ie \\as taken lor tlie Kevikw on I'li- 

 day afternoon, April L'O. It shows the 

 burning city of San Francisco as it aji- 

 ])eared to tlie refugees gathered at tiie 

 top of Telegraph Tlill, where thi' corre- 

 spondent stood. Tlie district shown was 

 completely swept ]<y the fire, tin lionses 

 in this section of tiie city being all of 

 frame construction, as indeed ucrc most 

 of the residences in the city. San l''ran- 

 eisco iiad no suidi building regulations 

 as have most American cities, ]>rohiliit- 

 iiig the erei-tion of wood striirtun- m 

 tlie closely built sections. 



THE FLORISTS' PREDICAMENT. 



Last Week's Report Complete, 



Supplementing my rcj)ort published 

 last week, which gave full details of 

 the losses sustained by the florists of 

 San Francisco, it only can be said that 

 tlie flower stores to escape were those 

 of the Park Floral Co., Anderson ct 

 • 0. and Serveaii Bros. These nro far 

 lomoved from the business ccntei, and 

 ;is a consequence they are still in exist- 

 ence. The combined losses of the re- 

 tailers will amount to from $7r)0,000 to 

 $850,000. None of the nurseries in 

 town is damaged to any extent. Sievers 

 iV; Co. were on the edge of the burned 

 area, but escaped completely. Chas. 

 Abraham and F. Lmlem;uin were well 

 outside of the stricken territor\. 



All the seedsmen in town were cuni 

 pictely wiped c)IV the map cxicjit \ iiHint. 

 J.tnin (k; < n.. of ():jl Sansonir street. 

 Tiie losses to the other houses, the • ux 

 Seed ('()., ( '. ( '. Morse iV < 'o.. 'rriiiiilMill 

 \- Beebe, Thos. Meherin niid the Lilly 

 ('o., will easily foot ii|i to ;U leiist .■^L'oo.- 

 00(t, makirij; a loss of o\ei- *1 .iHKi.onii 

 to the whole-^;ile ninl retail llorists :iihl 

 seeilsnicn. 



Florists Have Gone. 



There is not ;i \estiye of a ^reeu leaf 

 to lie sei'ii in San fin ni-i^eo, exrepi a 

 I'ew palms around (ity llall S(|uare. ainl 



\\itli the diwa |i|iearan<-e of green ^ Is 



the florists likewise have taken to tli;^ht. 

 Some ^>i' them barely eseaped with 

 their lives, and a few of the more for- 

 tunate saved theii- books and personal 

 beloiigines. 'I'll,, town has di'ereas(.'il in 

 poiinlati<in I'roni the Iod.immi ,,t' a week 

 ao,) to about ir.(i,(iuii at presrni. Ai 

 least lOn.niiii are ijiiin-tei-ed in Oakland 

 and vicinity, and about lifly florists and 

 assistants are oxer there, many oi' them 

 with their families. 



The Future. 



It is too soon to venture jneiliii ions 

 as to what will be done in the matter 

 of re-establishing permanent (lower 

 stores in town. Already many of the 

 largest general stores li.ave ojieiiecl 

 oflices in Oakland and will continue to 

 direct business from there until they 

 can be accommo(lated with i|uarteis at 

 home. But this is not practictdile for 



the lloiist, as it IS ]ilainly shown that 

 at this time the piililie is not buying 

 llowers to any extent. ,ini| Utikland al- 

 ready has all the stores that can be SUJ)- 

 |iorie.l. even with an extra hundred 

 thoii-,;ind I'efugees oil hand, 



I have seen probably twenty of the 

 unfortunate letaih'rs, and all of them 

 are eom|iletely at sea leearding their 

 inieiiiions in the future. The sudden- 

 ness ,,f ihe Mow and the awful experi- 

 ence jiasseil throneii has left everyone 

 IN a (la/ed eondition, ami none knows 

 wlieji- hi' stamls. 



Where the Grower Stands. 



I'rom coiiv ersal loiis I have liad with 

 the Lirowcrs I think there is |irobably 

 ■ Ine ;iKoul +.')0.uon aito^eiher to them 

 from the retailers for M.'ister goods. 

 This re|iiiseiiis (jiiite an item in the 

 \i;ir"s reeei[its ami it is [U'obablo that 

 ;i .■..iisiileiaMe poriioii of ir will never 

 lie paid, lieing that I'oih Hie retailers 

 and, in a iiia/|oiity oi' rases, all their 

 iMisiiiiiiers are liiinieil out. The chances 

 an not \ryy brigiit J'or a speedy settling 



of .•eroll Ills. 



The all absorbing- cpit-st ions with the 

 wholesale j^rowers .Ml jiresi'iit .-ire: IIow 

 tar shall 1 keep up tiie cultivation of 

 mv plant .' Will ii pav iin' to hire the 

 nil, -vary help to ke.p it iii ojicrationf 

 Shai' I eoiiliiiiie to r.-iiry a lug lot of 

 vmiiiil; si,M-k for t'a II repla in inn .' Would 

 ii iioi lie .-heajier to iet tiiv earuations 

 ami los, s (lie and e|,is,. u|i ilie houses! 

 Siiall I ram-el my fall ordi-r for bulbsf 

 I womler how l,.ii^ it will be before I 



ra n sell ;i II \ til I no .' 



In ihe meanwhile humlieil-. ot' thou- 

 samis lit' the liiiesi. si.irk c'Ver ^rown is 

 ilailv roiisi^ned to the lubbisli Iieap, 

 ami ;;reatly to the ereilii of both whole- 

 saler- and retaile|s_ tiny have ^otie long 

 ilisiaiires ill iiiaiiv iiisiaiires aTid do- 

 nati i| \vaL;on loads oi ihiweis ,,f all de- 

 sriipiiiuis to the suffering ill the vari- 

 <ius hosiiitals. 



The Burning of San Francisco, Photographed for the Review, Friday, April220. 



