The San Francisco calamity by earthquake and fire eBook
Charles Morris
As for clothing, it was in many cases of the scantiest,
while numbers of the people had brought comfortable
clothing and bedding. Many others had fled in
their night garbs, and comparatively few of these had
had the self-possession to return and don their daytime
clothes. As a result there had been much improvisation
of garments suitable for life in the open air, and
as the days went on many of the women arrayed themselves
in home-made bloomer costumes, a sensible innovation
under the circumstances and in view of the active
outdoor work they were obliged to perform.
The grave question to be faced at this early stage
was: How soon would an adequate supply of food
arrive from outside points to avert famine? Little
remained in San Francisco beyond the area swept by
the fire, and the available supply could not last
more than a few days. Fresh meat disappeared
early on Wednesday and only canned foods and breadstuffs
were left. All the foodstuffs coming in on the
cars were at once seized by order of the Mayor and
added to the scanty supply, the names of the consignees
being taken that this material might eventually be
paid for. The bakers agreed to work their plants
to their utmost capacity and to send all their surplus
output to the relief committee. By working night
and day thousands of loaves could be provided daily.
A big bakery in the saved district started its ovens
and arranged to bake 50,000 loaves before night.
The provisions were taken charge of by a committee
and sent to the various depots from which the people
were being fed. Instructions were issued by Mayor
Schmitz on Thursday to break open every store containing
provisions and to distribute them to the thousands
under police supervision. A policeman reported
that two grocery stores in the neighborhood were closed,
although the clerks were present. “Smash
the stores open,” ordered the Mayor, “and
guard them.” In towns across the bay the
master bakers have met and fixed the price of bread
at 5 cents the loaf, with the understanding that they
will refuse to sell to retailers who attempt to charge
famine prices. The committee of citizens in charge
of the situation in the stricken city proposed to
use every effort to keep food down to the ordinary
price and check the efforts of speculators, who in
one instance charged as much as $3.50 for two loaves
of bread and a can of sardines. Orders were issued
by the War Department to army officers to purchase
at Los Angeles immediately 200,000 rations and at
Seattle 300,000 rations and hurry them to San Francisco.
The department was informed that there were 120,000
rations at the Presidio, that thousands of refugees
were being sheltered there and that the army was feeding
them. One million rations already had been started
to San Francisco by the department. But in view
of the fact that there were 300,000 fugitives to be
fed the supply available was likely to be soon exhausted.
