The Earthquake and Fire of 1906 in San Francisco
By: Penelope Banchit
The city of San Francisco suffered tremendous disaster in the morning hours of April 18, 1906 when a phenomenally strong earthquake shook the California city to its core. The natural disaster was enough to reduce the city and many of its buildings to rubble, but the fire that resulted from ruptured gas lines continued to ravage the city for three days after the quake.
On the modern Richter scale, the 1906 earthquake would measure a whopping 8.25, making the quake substantially more powerful than the 1989 quake that rocked the city at 6.7 on the scale. Striking at 5:15 am, many of the city’s residents were asleep in their beds when the ground started shaking and threatened to swallow the city whole. The quakes crippled the city’s transportation, communication, power, sewer, and water systems, leaving it vulnerable to the fires that sprouted all over San Francisco.
The fires resulting from the ruptured gas lines soon engulfed this Northern Californian town in flames. Government buildings, hotels, schools, offices all burned to their complete destruction and all that was left of them was the charred remains. The Fairmont Hotel, which had been just constructed, was totally destroyed in the fire before it could start business.
The earthquake and fire conspired together to char approximately 490 city blocks. The distressed citizens fought with their misfortune to try to find their relatives, friends and family members lost in the rubble. The doctors and nurses of the city worked 24 hours and took care of the injured, often without medications and other tools as the hospitals were also in ruins, many without power for days.
The estimation of the damage caused by these twin disasters could take place after the firefighters and the common citizens worked together to douse the flames engulfing the city. 25,000 buildings were completely destroyed, with twice that number structurally damages and requiring great deal of time and money to reconstruct. The damages were a whopping $350,000,000, astounding considering the value of the dollar at that time. The time to rebuild the city was prolonged and painful, and many owners and businessman unwilling to relocate to safer areas.
Over 250,000 men, women, and children were left homeless after the phenomenally destruction earthquake and fires. The true human spirit was shown during these bleak times for San Francisco, as citizens banded together to welcome friends, family members, neighbors, and even strangers into buildings that were not destroyed during the devastation. The San Franciscans quickly began the rebuilding process, even creating shelters for those left out in the cold.
Tragically, between 450 and 700 individuals were killed in that three day period. Horror stories emerged as the days went on, with men, women, and children recounting the terrible sights of humans burning alive in the streets. Entire families were killed, and a substantial number of children were left orphans due to the disasters. Again, the city banded together and worked as one to help the survivors.
The great earthquake and fire of 1906 will forever be etched in the memory and history of San Francisco. This event shaped the city’s mindset and will certainly never be forgotten.
Article Source: http://www.ezarticles.info
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