History of Oakland, California, USA

Oakland, a beautiful city, capital of Alameda co., Cal., is pleasantly situated on the E. shore of the Bay of San Francisco, 7 miles E. of the city of San Francisco. It is connected with Sacramento by the Central Pacific Rail "d, and is 133 miles S.W. of that capital. It has a healthy and pleasant climate. It was the original seat of the University of California, which has been removed to Berkeley, about 4 miles distant. Large steam ferry-boats ply frequently between Oakland and San Francisco. The *y is well lighted, and has wide, well-paved streets. It contains 16 churches, the California Military Academy, the Golden Gate Academy, a convent, a high school, the Female College of the Pacific, the Pacific Theological Seminary (Congregational), an institution for the deaf, dumb, and blind, a court-house which cost $200,000, 2 national gold banks, 2 savings-banks, first-class hotels, and numerous elegant and expensive dwellings. Three daily and 4 weekly newspapers are published here. The...

Oakland, a city, capital of Almeda co., Cal., is pleasantly situated on the E. shore of the Bay of San Francisco, 6 mile E. of the city of San Francisco, on the Southern Pacific R. and the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Coast Lines. It has a healthy and pleasant climate and is a favorite place of residence of San Francisco merchants. It was the original seat of the University of California, which has been removed to Berkeley, about 4 miles distant. Large steam ferry-boats ply frequently between Oakland and San Francisco. The city is the seat of the California Military Academy, California College, Pacific Theological Seminary (Congregational), and various other collegiate institutions. It has numerous elegant mansions. The streets are provided by nature with a profusion of majestic live-oaks, which are covered with foliage all year round. The environs are adorned with gardens, vineyards, and picturesque drives. Oakland has a good harbor and great advantages for a commercial city. Among...

Oakland, August 7. - The steam schooner Wasp, heavily lumber-laded from Eureka crashed bow-on into the Southern Pacific drawbridge at Harrison street, in this city, while a narrow gauge train with hundreds of passengers was crossing. A panic ensued among the frightened passengers, who believed that the bridge with the train would be wrecked and toppled into the Oakland estuary.

The bridge wavered and trembled. With the creaking of the iron girders were mingled the cries of frightened passengers. For a moment it seemed that a terrible catastrophe was impending, but most fortunately the steel structure held firm.

NARROW ESCAPE.
The train sped over the bridge and escaped from the dangerous position, but not before women had fainted, and the faces of the men were blanched when the train arrived at the mole.

Only for the presence of mind of the bridge-tender, J. F. Braswell, an appalling wreck would have occurred. Seeing that the collision of the boat with the bridge was...

Two Firemen Injured; Flats and Stores Destroyed; Loss $50,000.

Three flats, a coal, wood and feed yard, and three stores were destroyed, two stores and three flats were badly damaged and two firemen were overcome in a general alarm fire which broke out at Telegraph avenue and Thirty-fourth street yesterday morning. and caused damage estimated at more than $50,000.

A blind man, proprietor of one of the stores, was trapped in the fire and was rescued by his wife, who led him through smoke-filled rooms to safety.

Practically half a block of frame buildings were wiped out by the blaze.

So many engines were used to pump water that the pressure was reduced, necessitating the running of hose lines five or six blocks to unaffected plugs.

FIREMEN ARE INJURED.

Fireman F. J. CROWLEY, Engine Co. 21, and Hoseman JOHN D. TERRANCE, Truck Co. No. 5, received burns and were overcome by smoke fumes. They were given first aid treatment by CLARENCE JOHNSON, a druggist at Thirty-fouth...