1906 San Francisco earthquake

The 1906 San Francisco earthquake struck the coast of Northern California in the early morning before dawn on April 18th. The earthquake destroyed nearly every chimney in San Francisco. Huge fires soon broke out in the city and over several days destroyed over 80% of the city, leaving more than a quarter of a million people homeless. More than 3,000 people died, mostly from the fires. Shaking was felt as far north as Oregon, as far south as Los Angeles, and as far east as central Nevada. The main shock was followed by many aftershocks. Some secondary fires were started when San Francisco Fire Department firefighters, most of whom were untrained in the use of dynamite, demolished buildings to create firebreaks. Dynamited buildings often caught fire.The fires raged for three days. By the morning of April 21th, the devastating fires had consumed most of the city, and stockpiles of coal and oil in the North Beach neighborhood were still burning.

Quotes

• The steel railroad bridge across the Pajaro River, having five spans resting on concrete pillars, was directly on the line of the fault, crossing it obliquely. It affords a striking example of the power of the temblor. Here one side of the river bank moved away from the other eighteen inches. As a result the bridge was pulled apart at one end, the concrete abutment sliding away beneath the tremendously heavy plate girders which rested upon it, so far that the latter had little more than the edge to support them. Beyond, one of the massive concrete bases of the bridge spans—some fifteen feet through in either direction—was cracked from side to side and the truss resting on it shifted, and the whole bridge was twisted out of alignment.
  • Frank W. Aitken and Edward Hilton, A History of the Earthquake and Fire in San Francisco: An Account of the Disaster of April 18, 1906 and Its Immediate Results. E. Hilton Company. 1906. p. 47. 

• On the third day after the shock Governor Pardee appointed a State Earthquake Investigation Commission, naming as its chairman the head of the geological department of the State University, Professor Lawson, and including in its membership Professor Branner, of the Stanford University, Professors Davidson and Leuschner, of the State University, Professor Campbell, of the Lick Observatory, Mr. Burckhalter, of the Chabot Observatory, Professor Reid, of Johns Hopkins University, and Mr. Gilbert, of the Unites States Geological Survey.
  • Grove Karl Gilbert, (August 1906)"The investigation of the San Francisco earthquake". Popular Science Monthly 69: 87–115. (quote from p. 99)

• The line of the fault of the earthquake which visited the California coast on April 18, 1906, extends from a point below Chittenden, Santa Clara County, in a northwesterly direction, touching the coast at Mussel Rock on the western boundary of the San Francisco peninsula, and thence follows the coast line to Point Arena, a total distance of approximately 200 miles. The area affected comprises a strip on both sides of the fault line averaging 30 miles in width, or about 10,000 square miles. Within this area all structures and public works were more or less damage, the injury varying from a few cracks in the plaster finish to total collapse and destruction. The effects of the earthquake were most violent in close proximity to the fault line and decreased in intensity in proportion with the distance from it. The city of San Francisco occupied a central position on the fault line and consequently felt the maximum effect.
  • Abraham Lincoln Artman Himmelwright, The San Francisco Earthquake and Fire: A Brief History of the Disaster; a Presentation of Facts and Resulting Phenomena, with Special Reference to the Efficiency of Building Materials, Lessons of the Disaster. New York: Roebling Construction Company. 1906. p. 14. 

• A steam schooner was taking refugees from the water-front by means of a gang-plank of two rough boards. A mother with her baby in arms was stepping cautiously down when a burly Swede behind gave her an impatient push. She lost her balance and fell, drowning with her baby before help reached her. Without an instant's delay, a soldier shot the Swede dead in his tracks.
  • Charles Keeler, "Chapter. The Second Day". San Francisco through earthquake and fire. San Francisco: Paul Elder & Company. 1906. pp. 20–28.  (quote from p. 24)

• Why not quench the fire at its start with water? Alas! there was no water, and this expedient was a hopeless one. The iron mains which carried the precious fluid under the city streets were broken or injured so that no quenching streams were to be had. In some cases the engine houses had been so damaged that the fire-fighting apparatus could not be taken out, though even if it had it would have been useless. A sweeping conflagration and not an ounce of water to throw upon it!
  • Charles Morris, "Chapter II. The Demon of Fire Invades the Stricken City". The San Francisco Calamity by Earthquake and Fire: A Complete and Accurate Account of the Fearful Disaster which Visited the Great City and the Pacific Coast, the Reign of Panic and Lawlessness, the Plight of 300,000 Homeless People and the World-wide to the Rescue. W. E. Scull. 1906. p. 39-56.  (quote from p. 39; eyewitness accounts edited by Charles Morris)

External links

• Encyclopedic article on 1906 San Francisco earthquake on Wikipedia
• (January 18, 2020)"1906 San Francisco Earthquake Documentary". wcolby, YouTube.