melted and buckled like a watch's freed mainspring; where cobble-stones scaled and chipped off and marble slabs disintegrated and became as bone-dust to the touch. No computer or statistician lives who could accurately arrive at the monetary loss, variously estimated at from three hundred and fifty to four hundred millions of dollars. Nor will the loss of human life ever be known, said to be from fifteen hundred to two thousand; many more are known to have perished in the lodging houses and cheaper hotels located in the district south of Market street, as well as in the poorer districts, of which no returns will or can ever be made; many identities were lost both in and out of unidentified graves. On the cessation of the first quake and the breaking out of the flames all means of surface transportation was rendered useless, except the automobile, which did good and swift work in rescuing the wounded and carrying the living to places of safety, as well as transporting dynamite and other high explosives to the busy fire-fighters, also rendering invaluable aid in getting food and water to the refugee camps in the parks, when the relief trains, so generously and beneficiently forwarded by all the cities of the land, began to arrive laden with provisions and clothing for the hungry and the destitute. The sister city, Los Angeles, which by her nearness was enabled to supply physicians, nurses and medical supplies, as well as foodstuffs, getting the first relief train to the stricken city on the night of the first day. Congress appropriated money, private citizens throughout the broad land gave of their wealth. Army and navy stores and the cargoes of many merchantmen in the harbor were all made available, and thus famine and disease were prevented and lives which would have flickered and then passed out were saved, encouraged and strengthened for the monumental task of raising a grander, greater, safer and more beautiful New San Francisco phoenix-like from the ashes of the City of the Forty-Niners. These are the words; the pictures tell the tale much better; pictures the like of which, it is earnestly hoped, will never be presented by any camera again while the earth rolls around. [Illustration: Section of the Union Street Cable Line, Between Steiner and Pierce Streets, Distorted by the Earthquake.] [Illustration: Break in the Asphalt Paving on Van Ness Avenue, Near Vallejo.] [Illustration: Break and Two-foot Sink in East Street, Near Ferry Building.] [Illustration: Break and Sink in Capp Street, Between Seventeenth and Eighteenth Streets, in the Mission District.] [Illustration: Effects of Shock on Hahnemann Homeopathic Medical College, on California Street, Near Maple.] [Illustration: Effects of Shock on Newly-Constructed Temple Beth-Israel, 1817 Geary Street, Western Addition.] [Illustration: Effects of Shock on One-year-old Albert Pike Memorial Temple, A. A. S. R., 1825 Geary Street, Western Addition.]