San Francisco 1906 Earthquake Essay

The San Francisco earthquake on April 18, 1906 was one of the most devastating earthquakes felt by a lot of states. At 5:15 am, this earthquake which registered at 8.25 on the Richter Scale shook San Francisco, California. The earthquake lasted less than a minute and it did a lot of destruction in that period of time. The most destructive part during the San Francisco earthquake was the fires which began after, as a result of the earthquake. The fires killed about 3,000 people and left 400,000 homeless (San Francisco Earthquake). The San Francisco earthquake epicenter was located near San Andreas fault and as a result, the damages caused by the earthquake was felt many miles along the San Andreas fault line. The city of San Francisco was known for its culture and economy, and because of the impact of the earthquake and fire, the city was in total disaster. Because of the magnitude of the earthquake and the amount of damage it did to the city of San Francisco, a lot of data and digital images have been collected so that it can be used for references and be displayed at its anniversary.

It’s 5:15 AM, and the streets are quiet. By 5:30, the streets are torn apart, and rubble is strewn everywhere. What happened in those fifteen minutes was the San Fransisco earthquake. When you look at “Comprehending the Calamity” by Emma Burke and Laurence Yep’s Dragonwings, you can truly imagine the extent of the damage and fear, even though Burke’s purpose is to inform, while Yep’s is to entertain.

On August 24, 2014 a magnitude 6.0 earthquake occurred in and around the city of Napa, CA. The earthquake killed one person and injured over 150 people. And these people were treated at Queen of the Valley Medical Center in Napa [1]. More and more earthquakes occurred on this earth. So this grasps people’s attention.

George Heinrich Crist, a resident of Kentucky, was settled with his family in a well-built house when the New Madrid Earthquake of 1811 came across their path, unlike a storm this “thing” had no warnings. He chose to share his account of this quake, or quakes. This was part of his life and also a part of history in the making so that is why I believe he shared his personal essay. It’s not an argumentative account but rather short entries from 5 months from his life. Kentucky wasn’t the only state that was hurt, 6 other states were involved. The term “New Madrid Earthquake” refers to portions of Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee and Mississippi. This was the biggest earthquake (series of earthquakes) as it changed the course of the Mississippi river.

The Earthquake shook buildings and walls to the ground. But, what came after the quake was much more devastating. Fires broke out in every direction and this thriving city became mostly ashes. People became curious and gracious in this time of turmoil and that has never before been seen in San Francisco. When all hope was lost the firefighters made a great stand putting out the fire and ending the turmoil.

On April 18, 1906, an earthquake occurred in San Francisco with a magnitude of 7.9. The earthquake was caused by the San Andreas Fault since the San Andreas Fault slip over a segment. The earthquake could be felt from Oregon to southern California. Buildings in San Francisco was destroyed by earthquake and fires. Fires started after the earthquake occurred and firefighters were not able to stop the fire because the water mains were broken and because of this, firestorms started to develop around San Francisco. Then, the San Francisco Mayor E.E. Schmitz called the U.S. Army troops to shoot anyone that is found looting. While the army was doing that, firefighters and U.S. troops tried to fight the fire by dynamiting the city to create firewalls.

The pictures from the L.A. Times are a snap shot of the devastation that occurred in San Francisco on April 18, 1906, and they are riveting. There are men and women in period dress standing in the streets surrounded by swirls of water, and looking ahead down a hilly street to the plumes of smoke overtaking the city. It began with an earthquake between 7.8 and 8.3 magnitude on April 18, 1906 at around 5:12 to 5:13 AM, and ended in three days of fires with 90 percent of the city in ruins and an estimated 3,000 lives lost. After several days of fires, building and houses laid gutted and in ruins. Why was the earthquake so deadly and how could it cause such devastation?

On April 18, 1906 at 5:12 a.m. an earthquake of an estimated moment magnitude of 7.8 hit

What did the people of San Francisco suffer after the earthquake of 1906? In order to answer this question, we need to know what the San Francisco earthquake was. The San Francisco earthquake happened in 1906 with a magnitude of 7.8 and caused a fire that burned for 7 days. This was the biggest recorded earthquake in San-Francisco. The foreshock started at 5:12am and 25 seconds later the earthquake started that lasted 40 to 60 seconds, with most San-Franciscans asleep in rooms, they became trapped with only their hope to save them. The earthquake and fire of San-Francisco in 1906 will go down as one of the worst earthquakes in the United States’ history. It’s after affects can still be felt in the California area.

Fourteen years since 9/11, the attack has retained its place in history as the greatest loss

”- Emma Burke. This proves that Emma Burke has a more optimistic view on the 1906 San Francisco earthquake than Fred Hewitt because in both of the quotes from Emma Burkes story, Comprehending the Calamity she tries to help others before

This detail shows that Emma Burke was curious and cared to see if people near the business section were okay. Both of these details show that Emma Burke was curious about the earthquake.

Have you ever experienced horrific hurricanes like the one in 1906 in san francisco not only did it have a earthquake it also had a fire. Although we know tt earthquakes and fires are very dangerous. THese two short stories have two different point of views such as “ Comprehending the Calamity” By Emma Burke she thinks that the earthquake brings out the best in people whereas article“ The Horrific Wreck in the City by Fred hewitt” he thinks the earthquake brings out the worst in people. In 1906 when the horrific hurricane and fire hit san francisco it was 5:12 in the morning nowon had any idea on what was happening the hurricane was at a magnitude of 7.8 magnitude about 700 people died.

“You can no more win a war than you can win an earthquake” - Jeanette Rankin. On a website called SF Tourism Tips, the author states, “At 5:12 am (pacific time), the earth began to shake and the San Francisco 1906 Earthquake began to rattle the city. According to the US Geological Survey, it was measured at a magnitude of 7.8.” In the eyewitness accounts “Horrific Wreck of the City” by Fred Hewitt and “Comprehending the Calamity” by Emma Burke they both talk about their experiences in the earthquake, some having differences and others similarities. Some of these include the tone and others.

Jack London writes in a very serious way. He personifies the city in his writing and writes as though the earthquake injured the city and caused it to die. The personification causes the city to feel desolate and alone as he does not write in other people into the writing. The language that London uses to describe the earthquake describes it in a way that