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San Franciscos population was approximately 410,000 people at the time of the earthquake, so this Southern Pacific evacuation, noted below, alone would account for the movement of more than fifty percent of the population by rail. Given that an additional 20- to 30-thousand were evacuated by the Navy from the area of Fort Mason, this may be one of the largest evacuations in history. It should be noted that these figures do not account for passengers fleeing the city from the Ferry Building on the ferries to Oakland. An August 1906 Southern Pacific news release placed the total number evacuated by the company at 300,000. SOUTHERN PACIFIC ALONE HAS TAKEN AWAY OVER 225,000 REFUGEES The number of people carried exceeded 225,000. The value of the transportation issued free by the Southern Pacific at San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, Santa Rosa, Sacramento and Vallejo to people has, at a rough estimate, to date, exceeded $400,000. The free freight transportation cannot be estimated at the present time.
The eight information bureaus established in different sections of San Francisco by the Southern Pacific are now being supplied by automobile service every two hours with the latest information concerning transportation. Two agents are in charge at each place. Destitute people desiring free transportation or reduced- TRAINS ON THE COAST LINE Train service on the Coast division was resumed yesterday. Coast line trains 21 and 22, which have been operating between Third and Townsend street, San Francisco, and Los Angeles via San Jose, will be resumed, but the northern terminal will be at Oakland pier instead of Third and Townsend streets, running via Niles and San Jose. Creek route ferry service will be established tomorrow with boats leaving from the foot of Broadway, Oakland, and from San Francisco, every hour. The Southern Pacific and the California Northwestern have established ferry service between Sausalito in the morning, touching Tiburon and going directly to Oakland pier. It will leave Oakland pier for return trip in the afternoon. Schedule will be announced later. Service between Alameda mole and Wrights Station [in the Santa Cruz Mountains], on the narrow- A military train arrived Wednesday from Philadelphia with three tourist sleepers, having 100 men with officers. A medical special is due tonight from Chicago with seventy- The Eastern lines will today establish offices in the Union Ferry building, each having been granted 100 feet of space. San Francisco Chronicle April 25, 1906 |