Liberty High School - Lion Yearbook (Brentwood, CA)

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8 Tllli IIIGII SCHOOL ANNUAL THE CONFLAGRATION OF OUR METROPOLIS. Contlagration it was for the most part though its origin was an earth- quake! Only forty-three seconds of shaking caused the ruin of the finest city on the Pacific Coast. The quake alone did not do the entire damage but. within ten minutes after. twenty fires were seen in the various districts of the city. The water pipes were wrenched and twisted and many burst: for this reason the water supply was gone. Thus the fire had full sway and swept away nearly everything from the ferry building to Van Ness avenue. north of Market street. where by the use of dynamite fthough in some places it crossed and destroyed a block or twoj, the tire-fighters saved most of the city beyond. South of Market the fire reached as far as Townsend. The streets. especially those close to the water front. were sunken and upheaved in such manner that in some places it was impossible to cross. Street car tracks were torn from the earth and ben-t just as if they were nothing more than mere wires. The entire business part of the city is gone. VVhere once there were large buildings filled with wares. now lies a mass of bricks and steel. The Chronicle building. which is an old landmark. was ruined so completely that the wall, which is standing. is being torn down. The Spreckels building. more commonly known as the Call. still stands though the entire furnishings have been burnt. The Palace hotel. which at Easter en- tertained some uf the wealthiest of the Wfest. leaves nothing to tell of its festivities. but a few walls. which look like ghosts 'f --'ering in the air. The Grand hotel. an annex to the Palace. leaves llul. even a wall to tell of its existence. The St. Francis, which of late has been one of the most fashionable of hotels. was badly damaged by the tire. The Fairmount yet stands. The Mark Hopkins ln- stitute. which crowned Nob hill, is no more. The beautiful Hibernia bank may still be repaired. The Ex- aminer is a heap of stone. brick and steel. The Mint was saved only by hard work. The new Postoftice still stands. though considerably damaged. There are so many buildings with which one is familiar that it is im- possible to mention all here. Thou- sands and thousands are in the same pitiable condition. But two more buildings of importance l wi-ll men- tion now. These are the City Hall and the Ferry building. The former is an entire wreck and little does it look like the beautiful City Hall of old. The latter, fortunately, was only somewhat damaged and can be re- paired. Now for a brief description of the resident portion of the city. and brief it must be for it would take volumes to tell of the ruins of the -Queen of the Golden Gate. Ma-ny of the beautiful homes on Van Ness avenue were utterly destroyed. Some were dynamited. others shaken so badly that they are unsafe to be tenanted. Many homes were thrown Hat on the ground. ln one block that l partic- ularly uoticed, the houses. which were built up off the ground about four or five feet. and under which were base- ments. sank to the very ground, and one house in particular. fell into an- other. The stairs. which before had twelve or fourteen steps. now. in- stead of reaching to the bottom door sill. reach the top sill. Another house on this same block fell entirely to pieces but the lumber did not crack. It 'looked more like a pile of lumber than a wrecked house. The beautiful

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e PROGRAM Invocation ............................. Oration, The Crisis.. .................... . . . Oration, Non Scholae Sed Vitae Discimus .... Piano Solo ......... Oration, The Influence of Reading ..... Oration, The Press ................... Volcal Solo ................ ....... Oration, Ideals .................... Oration. Evolution of the Drama .... Cornet Solo ....... Valedictory ,,...... Presentation of Diplomas ............... President of Board of Trustees. Class Song ........ Remarks by the Principal ......................... Orchestra .... ...... Address to Graduates .... Orchestra .......... Eden Plain .... Iron House .... Deer Valley. . . Sand Mound ..... Brentwood . . . Oakley ....... Lone Tree ..... Excelsior . . . Liberty . .. Hot Springs . . Byron . . . .. jersey .... Geo C. Russell TRUSTEES. TEACHERS. Marion A. Herr . . .Rev. J. Telfer . . . .Bertha Sanders . . . .EFIie Chadwick . . . . . .Edith Sellers ...Fern Cummings .........Roy Heck O. Meese . . ..... Pearl Grove . . . . .Hattie Russell Prof. G. A. Wright . . . . .Annie O'Hara ... . . . .Wm. Shafer . . Q fdggf e.'ii13gg41'1 Prof. P. M. Fisher Wm. Shafer, Pres. O. C. Wristen, Clerk Smith .. . .J. J. Eppinger . . .. .Hans Bonnickson P. Horr . . . . .Fred Heidorn Allen . . . .A. Humphreys 'nkiiliii .. R. McCoy Virginia N. Klenck

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THE HIGH SCHOOL ANNUAL 9 homes, which had -narble steps and fancy tiling look like uncompleted buildings. because the bricks and tiles lie on the sidewalk in heaps and noth- ing but rafters are seen in the base- ments. The people who still have their homes are not allowed to have tire in their houses. Passing along the street at meal time is a sight to behold. Men, women and children running down stairs tif stairs they have! and back again with kettles and pans. Some have stoves on the street, others have bricks covered with a grate on which they cook. One clever invention met my eye as ' passed down Devisadero street. Some one had found an old sink and had turned it upside down. cut three holes in it and used it for a stove. ln one hole was placed a chimney and over the other two were placed the lids of an ordinary kitchen stove. The people pull shutters off their lio-ises to put around their stoves to protect them from the draft. In all this calamity, the people have not f' l'f OltC1'l the St. Francis. Palace, Crand, VVinchester and Golden VVest hotels because their signs are seen fn every stove house as the people ca'l them. Now for the refugees themselves and that is all l will speak of, for l fo not intend to write a book. Pefugees are to be seen on every hill or place they can stay. Golden Gate Park and North Beach being the principal camps. Some of thc refugees saved a little furniture and clothing, others barely escaped with what they had on. Many people, who read the papers say they have exaggerated. Nothing can be exaggerated and I think in many cases. half is not told. And now as we bid adieu to the ruins it seems hard to think where once everything was splendor, there lies nothing but a mass of ruins. Oh! such a state! For the Queen of the Golden Gate For hfty years or more Men have been telling what was in store For the city which was the best ln this great Golden NVest. Not such a fate NVas predicted for the Queen of the Golden Gate. VVho on Easter morn did think That her streets would rise and sink And that fire would destroy The city which to Californians XVas their pride and joy? Like a huge grate Lies the Queen of the Golden Gate. Nothing but ashes and bricks to tell Of the city, which was, before it fell. Yothing but toppling walls. No grand parks or halls. They will build it up again. but it will not lie the old familiar Garden Spot. llere's to the girl trim and neat. .X vision to make one sighg llfre's to the girl pretty and sweet- The girl from Liberty High. x She cr mes to schrvl so early , .Xnd stufies until nine: X llrrs a sn'i'c for everyone, And gets her lessens line.