The city of San Francisco suffered tremendous disaster in the morning hours of April 18, 1906 when a phenomenally strong earthquake shook the California city to its core. The natural disaster was enough to reduce the city and many of its buildings to rubble, but the fire that resulted from ruptured gas lines continued to ravage the city for three days after the quake.



The earthquake of that year would measure 8.25 on the modern Richter scale, and thus would be even greater than the 1989 quake measuring 6.7. The earthquake struck at 5.15 in the morning, a time when most of the city's residents were fast asleep- and the ground beneath them shook in a way that would seem to devour the city as a whole. The quake destroyed the city's infrastructure- transportation, communication, power, sewer, and water systems and this acted as a catalyst to the fire that raged on for three days.

The fires resulting from the ruptured gas lines soon engulfed this Northern Californian town in flames. Government buildings, hotels, schools, offices all burned to their complete destruction and all that was left of them was the charred remains. The Fairmont Hotel, which had been just constructed, was totally destroyed in the fire before it could start business.

The earthquake and fire conspired together to char approximately 490 city blocks. The distressed citizens fought with their misfortune to try to find their relatives, friends and family members lost in the rubble. The doctors and nurses of the city worked 24 hours and took care of the injured, often without medications and other tools as the hospitals were also in ruins, many without power for days.

The estimation of the damage caused by these twin disasters could take place after the firefighters and the common citizens worked together to douse the flames engulfing the city. 25,000 buildings were completely destroyed, with twice that number structurally damages and requiring great deal of time and money to reconstruct. The damages were a whopping $350,000,000, astounding considering the value of the dollar at that time. The time to rebuild the city was prolonged and painful, and many owners and businessman unwilling to relocate to safer areas.

The homeless men, women and children were around 250,000. But the San Franciscans rose above their sorrows and bandied together to give shelter to the homeless in buildings that were not destroyed in the quake or fire. The San Franciscans worked hard and quick to rebuild, creating shelters to the homeless.

Tragically, between 450 and 700 individuals were killed in that three day period. Horror stories emerged as the days went on, with men, women, and children recounting the terrible sights of humans burning alive in the streets. Entire families were killed, and a substantial number of children were left orphans due to the disasters. Again, the city banded together and worked as one to help the survivors.

The people of San Francisco remember this tragedy to this day. It is part of their history, and perhaps their courageous spirit is a result of those memories.