work of burying the dead was begun Friday for the first time. Out
at the Presidio soldiers pressed into service all men who came near
and forced them to labor at burying the dead. So thick were the
corpses piled up that they were becoming a menace, and early in the
day the order was issued to bury them at any cost. The soldiers were
needed for other work, so, at the point of rifles, the citizens were
compelled to take the work of burying. Some objected at first, but the
troops stood no trifling, and every man who came in reach was forced
to work at least one hour. Rich men who had never done such work
labored by the side of the workingmen digging trenches in the sand for
the sepulcher of those who fell in the awful calamity. At the present
writing many still remain unburied and the soldiers are still
pressing men into service.
The Folsom street dock was turned into a temporary hospital, the
harbor hospital being unable to accommodate all the injured who were
brought there.
About 100 patients were stretched on the dock at one time. In the
evening tugs conveyed them to Goat Island, where they were lodged in
the hospital. The docks from Howard street to Folsom street had been
saved, and the fire at this point was not permitted to creep farther
east than Main street.
The work of clearing up the wrecked city has already begun at the
water front in the business section of the town. A force of 100 men
were employed under the direction of the street department clearing up
the debris and putting the streets in proper condition.
It was impossible to secure a vehicle except at extortionate prices.
One merchant engaged a teamster and horse and wagon, agreeing to pay
$50 an hour. Charges of $20 for carrying trunks a few blocks were
common. The police and military seized teams wherever they required
them, their wishes being enforced at revolver point if the owner
proved indisposed to comply with the demands.
Up and down the broad avenues of the parks the troops patrolled,
keeping order. This was difficult at times, for the second hysterical
stage had succeeded the paralysis of the first day and people were
doing strange things. A man, running half naked, tearing at his
clothes, and crying, "The end of all things has come!" was caught by
the soldiers and placed under arrest.
Under a tree on the broad lawn of the children's playground a baby was
born. By good luck there was a doctor there, and the women helped out,
so th
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