House and Garden 
Down-town District of San Francisco before the Fire. K is the Crocker Building. C the Palace Flotel, D the New 
Chronicle, E the Old Chronicle, F the Monadnock, next to it the Examiner, G the Mutual Savings Bank, H the Call Building 
loss of something like $175,000,000 and when 
even that sum is paid, what are the owners of 
the property henefited ? The insurance money will 
but apply on the mortgage and the owner will 
still find himself, in nine cases out ol ten, with but an 
equity in his property and a debt upon a building that 
no longer exists. What shape is he in to rebuild 
The people felt that they were guaranteed against fire 
and furthermore had had the foolish notion pounded 
into them that wood was earthquake-proof; so they 
built on “ in the same old way,” sowing the wind, 
and have now indeed reaped the whirlwind. 
A few, perhaps fifty of the newer and larger build¬ 
ings, were built of what is popularly known as “fire¬ 
proof construction.” That is, they put up a steel 
frame, incased it more or less imperfectly with fire¬ 
proof material, but built them in all other respects 
just as inflammably and foolishly, as they did their 
wooden buildings. Even the tile and concrete fire¬ 
proofing, the construction of the actual floors, was 
generally flimsily done; it was all that was demanded 
but it was far inferior to the best Eastern work. 
They built everything from 15 per cent to 50 per 
cent less thoroughly than we do here in the East, 
while, in view of the fire hazard and the earthquake 
possibilities—of which they must certainly have been 
aware—they should have built from 15 per cent to 
30 per cent better. Except that their steel frames 
were a little more rigidly braced, there was absolutely 
not one thing more done in the masonry, the fire¬ 
proofing, or the finish of the building, to counteract 
the effects of earthquake than we do who build on 
what can reasonably be expected to remain the firm 
and level bed of old Mother Earth. The fire-proof¬ 
ing of the most essential part of the structure, the 
steel framing, was indifferently done, not tied to and 
bonded with that frame in any way, and the parti¬ 
tions, etc., were generally built on top of the finished 
wood floor, or, in some cases, on top of the wooden 
strips in the concrete base of the floor. Of course, 
when these strips burned, down came the partitions. 
We in the'East build a little better, but still we have 
i34 
West Gate Apartments. Stonework completely 
ruined, enameled brick above, intact 
St. Paul’s Building. Average condition of 
stone-veneered and stucco-faced buildings 
