The Great San Francisco Earthquake and Fire of 1906
By: Penelope Banchit

On the morning of April 18, 1906, the city of San Francisco was shaken to the very core by a phenomenally strong earthquake. It reduced many buildings to rubble and the fire caused by the ruptured gas lines continued to destroy the city for three days after the quake.

The 1906 earthquake would measure 8.25, on the modern Richter scale. It was substantially more powerful than the 1989 quake that rocked the city at 6.7 on the scale. It struck at 5:15 am, when many of the city’s residents were asleep in their beds. The violent shaking threatened to swallow the whole city. It crippled the city’s transportation, communication, power, sewer, and water systems, thus leading to fires breaking out all over San Francisco.

Due to ruptured gas lines, fires erupted all over the city and engulfed the Northern California town in flames. Skyscrapers, hotels, schools, houses, offices, and even the streets burned, many of them crashing to the earth as nothing more than charred hulls of buildings. Even the city’s brand new Fairmont Hotel suffered damage before the first guest even had the chance to check in and stay the night in its luxury rooms.

Nearly 490 city blocks were completely destroyed by the earthquake and the fire. The city was totally ruined and the helpless citizens struggled to find family members, neighbors, and friends who were lost in the rubble. Doctors and nurses worked day and night to take care of the wounded in damaged hospitals without power and facing shortages of critical medications, bandages, and other tools.

At the end of the three day stretch of destruction, once firefighters and common citizens worked together to douse the flames, the city was forced to evaluate the damage. A total of 25,000 buildings were completely destroyed, with twice that number structurally damaged and requiring a great deal of time and money to rebuild and reconstruct. The damages topped over $350,000,000 in cost, a phenomenal price considering the turn of the century dollar rates. The city took many years to rebuild, with many businesses and homeowners abandoning their dreams to relocate and rebuild in an area considered safer.

The earthquake and the fires left more than 250,000 men, women, and children homeless. However, the silver lining was that these bleak times brought out the true human spirit, as citizens came together to welcome friends, family members, neighbors, and even strangers into buildings that were not destroyed during the devastation. The San Franciscans quickly began rebuilding their city and even created shelters for those left out in the cold.

In those three days 450 to 700 individuals lost their lives. There were many horror stories that came to light when men, women, and children recounted the terrible sights of humans burning alive in the streets. Entire families were killed, and many children became orphans due to the disasters. However, the city got together to work and 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.

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