This statue of the great French naturalist Louis Agassiz at Stanford University took a tumble.
William James, the pioneering American psychologist, was teaching at Stanford at the time of the earthquake and traveled into San Francisco to observe first-hand its aftermath. He was most impressed by the positive attitude of the survivors and the speed with which they improvised services and created order out of chaos.[42] This formed the basis of the chapter “On some Mental Effects of the Earthquake” in his book Memories and Studies.[43]
…..The beautiful old SF
Music pavilion at Golden Gate Park
The Cliff House hotel
The SF US Mint Building (still standing today)…
LOL — its huge swastika
The destruction was massive and tragic, destroying 80% of a truly beautiful city AND KILLING THREE THOUSAND, including even the fire chief.
Very interesting German video of the city, shot just before the tragedy: .https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEvB_ZIWtAg
..Video on what happened next .https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdcjaLcfJUI
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1906_San_Francisco_earthquake
Excerpt:
The 1906 San Francisco earthquake struck the coast of Northern California at 5:12 a.m. on April 18 with an estimated moment magnitude of 7.8 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of XI (Extreme). Severe shaking was felt from Eureka on the North Coast to the Salinas Valley, an agricultural region to the south of the San Francisco Bay Area. Devastating fires soon broke out in the city and lasted for several days. As a result, about 3,000 people died and over 80% of the city of San Francisco was destroyed. The events are remembered as one of the worst and deadliest natural disasters in the history of the United States. The death toll remains the greatest loss of life from a natural disaster in California’s history and high in the lists of American urban disasters. […]
Fires
As damaging as the earthquake and its aftershocks were, the fires that burned out of control afterward were even more destructive.[22] It has been estimated that up to 90% of the total destruction was the result of the subsequent fires.[23] Within three days,[24] over 30 fires, caused by ruptured gas mains, destroyed approximately 25,000 buildings on 490 city blocks. One of the largest of these fires was accidentally started in a house on Hayes Street by a woman making breakfast for her family. This came to be known as the “Ham and Eggs Fire”. Some were started when firefighters, untrained in the use of dynamite, attempted to demolish buildings to create firebreaks. The dynamited buildings themselves often caught fire. The city’s fire chief, Dennis T. Sullivan, who would have been responsible, had died from injuries sustained in the initial quake.[25] In all, the fires burned for four days and nights.
Due to a widespread practice by insurers to indemnify San Francisco properties from fire, but not earthquake damage, most of the destruction in the city was blamed on the fires. Some property owners deliberately set fire to damaged properties, in order to claim them on their insurance.
SF City Hall — BEFORE
AFTER
The US Army built thousands of “relief houses”. The great Italian opera singer Enrico Caruso was in town with the Metropolitan Opera, but freaked out and vowed never to return to the city, nor did he.
and Municipal records of the Greatest Catastrophe
in American History.
Captain of Police, San Francisco
Board of Police Commissioners of San Francisco
1910
As this great disaster has been the theme of numerous able historians, the main events will be but briefly dealt with, and we will then pass to the events known only to those who for three days and nights battled “amid the crash and roar of the burning city,” constantly risking their lives to rescue others and to procure provisions from burning stores in order to prevent a famine.
The great earthquake occurred at 5:14 a. m., April 18, 1906. As the shock shattered the principal water mains, the fire department was practically helpless and as a result, the fires which were started by the overturning of stoves, crossing of electric wires, the liberation of chemicals by breakage of containers, etc., rapidly spread until a territory of 4.7 square miles in the heart of the city was burned, and a loss approximately estimated at $275,000,000 was incurred. [$7 billion in today’s money]
The City Hall was a mass of ruins after the earthquake, so Mayor E. E. Schmitz proceeded to the Hall of Justice, where his first orders were issued.
As the earthquake rendered the jails unsafe, he ordered that all petty offenders be released, while those charged with more serious offenses were sent to San Quentin State Prison.
Reports reached headquarters that thieves were burglarizing wrecked stores and deserted homes, and it was also learned that in the Mission district the body of a woman was found, the finger upon which she wore several valuable rings having been amputated, evidently by some thief.
The next report was to the effect that rowdies were breaking into saloons and helping themselves to liquor.
As the police were busy conveying the wounded to the temporary hospitals and had no time to arrest thieves even if caught in the act, and no place to incarcerate them if arrested, the Mayor issued his first order to Chief Dinan under the “law of necessity,” which was substantially as follows:
“Apr. 18, 1906.“As it has come to my attention at thieves are taking advantage of the present deplorable conditions and are plying their nefarious vocations among the ruins in our city, all peace officers are ordered to instantly kill any one caught looting or committing any other serious crimes.
“E. E. SCHMITZ, Mayor.”
Refugees leave the city in what then was still an age of horses…. Every man and woman wore a hat back then, or you were not properly dressed. Note the soldiers, lower left, with very long rifles and fixed bayonets. Shockingly, some soldiers actually looted. 300,000 of the 400,000 residents left the city.
US Army soldiers actually looting; during WWII in Germany, with all the many bombing raids, there was no looting because 1) there was the feeling of the folk community — and 2) the death penalty without mercy for looters.
About 8 a. m. Brigadier General Frederick Funston, U. S. A., called at the Hall of Justice, and after a conference with Mayor Schmitz, he placed his troops at the disposal of the Mayor. From that time until conditions became normal, the soldiers worked in conjunction with the police, either in preserving order or distributing provisions.
Shortly after the troops began patrolling the streets the first looter was caught while he was making an attempt to burglarize Shreve’s jewelry store at Post and Grant avenue. He was turned over to a soldier who killed him and left his body to be consumed by the fire.
The Morgue, which was only constructed for ordinary occasions, was soon filled to overflowing with the bodies of victims of falling walls, etc., so the target range of the Central Police Station was turned into an emergency Morgue for the time being. But as the fire was rapidly approaching that building, the twenty-eight bodies placed there were temporarily buried in Portsmouth Square.
Of the 478 bodies finally recovered a great number were unrecognizable because of their mangled condition. It will never he known how many were killed, as the heat of the fire was so intense that the bodies were reduced to ashes in many instances, but judging from reports of persons missing and other circumstances, the number has been estimated at between 1,000 and 1,500.
Mission District fire… All the water mains burst and so there was no water to stop the fire from spreading. The Army then began dynamiting rows of houses, which was drastic, but it worked. SF was the New York of the west coast until then; afterward, Los Angeles became the main west-coast city.
On Third street near Mission, a building collapsed in such a manner as to pinion an unknown man to the ground. His cries attracted people on the street, who attempted to rescue him, but at that time the fire had reached the rear end of the building. Realizing that he would soon be burned to death he begged the bystanders to kill him. After some hesitancy, a large, middle-aged man stepped forward, and after a few words with the unfortunate prisoner, he whipped out a revolver and shot him through the head, killing him instantly. He then requested the witnesses to accompany him to the Hall of justice, where the Mayor, who after hearing the circumstances and seeing the man’s distressed appearance, commended him for his humane act.
Among those killed was Dennis Sullivan, the able Chief of the Fire Department, who was asleep in his room at the Engine House adjoining the California Hotel on Bush street.
The engine house was a two-
The greatest damage done by the fire was in the Harbor Police district, commanded by Captain John Martin; the Southern district, commanded by Captain Henry Colby; the Central Police district commanded by Captain Thomas Duke and the Mission district, commanded by Captain M. O. Anderson.
As it seemed that the fire would sweep the entire city, about 200,000 panic stricken people took advantage of the free transportation furnished by President Harriman of the Southern Pacific Railroad and left the city. Another hundred thousand, who lost their homes, camped in the public parks and graveyards, many gladly taking advantage of the shelter afforded by the vaults for the dead, especially during the rainstorm beginning on April 23. Because of this storm the police took possession of all vacant buildings and placed as many families in each as the building could comfortably hold. It is estimated that about 2,000 families were provided for in this manner.
Famous photo by Arnold Genthe of the fire coming up Sacramento Street
Genthe was a PhD in languages and very great photographer in San Francisco, born in Berlin, Germany: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnold_Genthe
His studio was totally destroyed by the fire after the quake, but he, being a German, of course rebuilt. 😉 He did portraits of Presidents Teddy Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson.
A famous nude by Genthe, shot in SF, using early color, “autochrome”
Genthe: Greta Garbo
On the morning of the earthquake it became apparent that immediate steps must be taken to prevent a famine. Police officers were therefore detailed to seize all suitable conveyances and remove the contents of all grocery stores which were in danger of being burned. This work was kept up for three days and nights, and as a result the contents of 390 grocery stores were delivered to the refugees.
On April 19 it was learned that several large ships, which had been heavily loaded with provisions previous to the disaster, were about to leave for foreign ports. To prevent this a police guard was placed on board the vessels, and as an extra precaution Lieutenant Frederick Green was instructed to procure the tug “Sea Rover.” With a squad of eight officers on board this vessel, the exit from the harbor was blockaded from April 19 to 24 inclusive. By this time provisions were arriving by the trainload and the danger of a famine had passed.
For many weeks after the earthquake all saloons in the unburned district were kept closed by order of the Mayor. In some instances a disposition was shown to ignore this order, and the result was that every ounce of liquor in the establishment was turned into the sewer.
When it became apparent that the Hall of justice would be destroyed by fire, all valuable police records were removed to Portsmouth Square and left in charge of a detail of officers, consisting of Detectives Charles Taylor, George McMahon and others. These officers were provided with provisions but no water was obtainable. The fire rapidly surrounded the square and the officers became prisoners. The heat was terrific and the cinders, which were falling like hail, were constantly igniting the canvas spread over the records. As there was a saloon across the street which had not at that time caught fire, a raid was made on the place, and for the next wenty-four hours bottled beer was used to keep the canvas from igniting, and thus the records were saved.
Several insane patients were confined in the Receiving Hospital in the City Hall building on the morning of the earthquake, and when the building began to rock and the walls began to fall, their condition can be better imagined than described. Officer Frank Parquette made his way through the wreckage to their rescue, and by the use of much tact succeeded in getting them into the Mechanics’ Pavilion, which was utilized as a general hospital, until the fire drew near.
Patrolman Max Fenner, known as the Hercules of the Police Department, was standing opposite the Essex Lodging House, a seven-
He tried to warn her of her danger, but as she did not move he rushed over toward her. just then the whole front of the building fell out, and while the woman ran inside the doorway and was unharmed, Fenner was instantly killed and his mangled body was buried in Portsmouth Square until the fire subsided.
As has been previously stated, no water was available for fire-
During the height of the conflagration, Officer Edward Leonard, accompanied Deputy L. K. Jones into the City Tax Collector’s office in the ruins of the City Hall, and records were saved which enabled Tax Collector J. F. Nichols to collect over $1,000,000 in taxes.
A volume would be required to record the many heroic deeds performed by the firemen and police during those three eventful days and nights. And it must he remembered that the majority of them labored with little nourishment and no sleep, and with the knowledge that their homes were destroyed and the fate of their families unknown. Officer James Connolly had concluded that his entire family had been killed, but a week later he located them in Vallejo, Cal.
On the evening of April 19, Officer T. Flood was about to enter his home at 1722 Hyde street with the intention of saving some articles from the fire which was fast approaching. The officer’s uniform was burned and he was in civilian clothes. Just as he was about to go up his front stairs, two men came out of the front door. Flood demanded that the strangers state what business they had there, but the only answer he received was a blow on the jaw which knocked him down. Flood’s assailant then kicked him on the side of the head, splitting his ear. The officer drew his revolver and killed him but the other man escaped. The body was taken to Portsmouth Square for temporary burial, but the dead man’s identity was never learned.
As there were only a very few pipes in the city from which water could be obtained for many days after the fire, it was distributed for cooking purposes by means of the street sprinkling wagons.
For several days after the earthquake the city was in absolute darkness at night time, as no lights were permitted in houses; but on April 22 Mayor Schmitz issued the following order:
“Lights are permitted in houses between Sunset and 10 p. m. only, unless sentinels are convinced that some latitude should be allowed in case of sickness.“As all chimneys were more or less injured by the earthquake, no fires will he permitted in houses in grates, stoves or fireplaces unless the occupants hold a certificate issued by an authorized chimney inspector. Said certificate to be posted in a conspicuous place in front of the building.
“The importance of this provision is emphasized by the fact that no effective means are at hand for stopping fires.
“Our greatest danger in the immediate future may be expected from unavoidable unsanitary conditions and every person is cautioned that to violate in the slightest degree the instructions from the officers will be a crime that cannot be adequately punished,.
“All persons, except suspicious characters, will be permitted to pass sentinels without interruption.
“E. E. SCHMITZ, Mayor.”
The order prohibiting persons from building fires in houses resulted in all kitchen stoves being moved into the street, where cooking was done for many weeks.
After the fire the streets in the burned district were covered with debris, and instructions were issued to force all idle and dissolute men to assist in clearing the streets.
On April 26, Major-
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