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Abstract
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The city of San Francisco was awakened on the morning of
April 18, 1906, by one of the most remarkable seismic disturb-
ances which the North American continent has experienced in
modern times. The earthquake, which happened about 5.20 a. m.,
had scarcely ceased when fire broke out in three different locali-
ties, and for two days a conflagration raged which threatened to
annihilate our fair Franciscan sister. Water mains were broken,
reservoirs disabled, and the usually efficient modern means of
fighting fire were practically put out of commission, leaving dy-
namite the only remaining agent with which to check the pro-
gress of the flames.
Whole blocks of buildings lining long streets and avenues
were razed by the explosive before the mad march of destruction
could be arrested. When the end had come it was found that
upwards of 300 lives were lost, more than $200,000,000 of
property had been destroyed and two-chirds of the great metropo-
lis of the Pacific slope had been wiped out, rendering 300,000
people homeless. A great nation was in sympathetic mourning
for this striven people and within a week contributed more than
$20,000,000 to the temporary relief of a suffering community.
But above and beyond all. the San Franciscans themselves im-
mediately arose to the occasion and began to reconstruct their
almost ruined city. It is pleasant to help those who help them-
selves. In spite of the discouraging outlook, there can be no
doubt that San Francisco will rebuild itself on a scale of unsur-
passed splendor, and in five years scarcely a trace will be left to
indicate the devastation of 1906.
It is far from our purpose to describe in detail the circum-
stances of this unparalleled disaster, but simply to give a synop-
sis of its leading features for the purpose of pointing out one or
two facts of importance connected with the horror. The first is,
that despite the liability to pestilence of which there was great
danger, none has followed in the wake of the catastrophe. It
must not be forgotten that sewers and drains have been put out of
commission and that 200,000 people have been living for a fort-
night (at this writing) in improvised camps and other temporary
shelter. Only the exercise of great vigilance could avert the
ravages of pestilence in the presence of these conditions...
Language: en |