Summary
April 18, 1906 - San Francisco, CA. At 5:10 on Wednesday morning April 18, 1906, a massive earthquake shook San Francisco for less than one minute but its impact was devastating.
Fires around the city burned for three days and nearly 500 city blocks were destroyed. About 3,000 people were killed and 300,000 residents were left homeless.
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| San Francisco Earthquake Headlines |
Although the Richter Scale would not come into existence for another 30 years, analysts estimate the magnitude would have been about 7.9 with an intensity of "Extreme" and the aftershocks were near 4.9 magnitude.
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| Status report |
Summary
Loss of life reported great. No water all over the city. City Hall in ruins. Terror and excitement is indescribable. Most people asleep and rushed into the streets undressed.
People flocked to the telegraph offices to send messages to friends and were frantic because there were no wires.
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| Early reports were ominous |
In newspapers, they reported that the quake lasted three minutes. History book have downsized that time to less than one minute.
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| The earthquake was devastating |
Summary
300,000 homeless people camping on the hills - Brave and by no means discouraged.
Warnings regarding stealing met with threats to be shot down. City under Martial Law.
People cooked on fires in front of their houses until police ordered them to put out the fires. No one was allowed to pass from one block to another except by written permission of Chief of Police.
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| Looters threatened with consequences |
Summary
8:50am - Fire broke out on South Side of Market Street and is now within one block of the Palace Hotel. Utmost confusion exists. Postal building is damaged and there are no lights, gas or electric.
Every kind of power is gone.
Residents are safe, so far as heard from.
The employees of the Postal Telegraph Company had to leave their office on account of the fire.
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| Water mains burst; fire dept. helpless |
Summary
9:10am - Fire is in vicinity of the Palace and Grand Hotels and rapidly approaching them. The Examiner and The Call buildings are also in danger.
10:15am - The fire extends from Ferry to Front Streets on one side and all south of Market Street to about Seventh Street. Sporadic fires in the park and western divisions.
No way to estimate the number of dead.
Second shock at 8:15am intensified the panic.
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| Second Shock of 1906 Earthquake |
The employees of the Postal Telegraph Company had to leave their office on account of the fire.
The militia is in charge of the town.
Summary
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| Fire Updates |
Summary
At 10:00am, a correspondent for the Oakland Tribune wrote from San Francisco that there was no hope of saving any of the city. "Many people are being burned alive as they are imprisoned in the doomed buildings where rescuers could not reach them."
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| No hope |
Summary
April 19, 1906 - The town of Brawley, 120 miles south of Los Angeles, has been wiped out by the earthquake. It is the only town in Southern California known to have suffered from the shock. All brick structures were destroyed and dozens of adobe houses were razed. No fatalities.
The town is only two years old and had a population of about 500 people.
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| Brawley lost |
Summary
April 21, 1906 - People are being supplied with food and a small amount of water soon to be provided. Status report about the buildings that are left standing and people living in tents in the parks.
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| Better news on April 21, 1906 |
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