San Francisco in Ruins: A Pictorial History of Eight Score Photo-Views of the Earthquake Effects, Flames' Havoc, Ruins Everywhere, Relief Camps
History
San Francisco in Ruins: A Pictorial History of Eight Score Photo-Views of the Earthquake Effects, Flames' Havoc, Ruins Everywhere, Relief Camps
San Francisco Earthquake and Fire, Calif., 1906 -- Pictorial works
The deeds of heroism and the courage displayed by regulars, militiamen,
police, firemen, and civilian volunteers on the 18th and 19th will never
be told; they can not be. They were occurring constantly, a dozen in a
block, throughout the city, and there was no time for names or details.
Firemen, regulars, police, and civilian volunteers worked in the heat and
smoke and noxious gases until they were overcome and fell in their tracks.
They were dragged back and others stepped into the breach, to be dragged
back in turn when they fell. Firemen fought with the determination of
despair and cried like children when the failure of water deprived them of
their weapon.
Before the hour set for the meeting of the Citizens' Committee the entire
city was threatened with destruction. The sky was obscured with a pal of
smoke through which swung the sun like a blood-red ball; great sheets of
flame writhed and swirled through the smoke, and underneath all 300,000
men, women and children fled for their lives, tottering under their most
valuable possessions, while 100,000 more were preparing for flight. That
was the situation when the above named citizens met at the Hall of Justice
at the call of the Mayor at three o'clock on the afternoon of the 18th.
They assembled first in the office of the Chief of Police, but another
shock threatened to bring the tower down on their heads and drove them to
the office of the central station, in the basement, and it was not long
before they were driven from there to Portsmouth Square. There in the open
air surrounded by thousands of frightened Chinese and residents of the
district, was the seat of municipal government during the late afternoon
and early evening. Then a dynamited building cast its debris of bricks,
mortar and broken glass over the square, and government and advisory
committee hastily adjourned to the Fairmount Hotel on Knob Hill.
Headquarters had been established there but a short time when it was
driven back by the advancing wall of fire and an adjournment was taken
until Thursday morning at 9 o'clock, to meet at the north end police
station, 1712 Washington street.
When the Mayor, Police Commission and Citizens' Committee of One Hundred
met Thursday morning, the following sub-committees were appointed and
immediately commenced work:
_Resumption of Civil Government, not including Judiciary_--Garret
McEnerney, chairman.
_Resumption of the Judiciary_--Charles W. Slack, chairman.
_Resumption of Transportation_--Thornwall Mullally, chairman.
_Automobile Committee_--R. B. Hale, chairman; Gavin McNab, I. W. Raphael,
George Smith, Robert Park, Michael Casey, J. R. Howell and Mr. Harris.
_Transportation of Refugees_--Thomas Magee, chairman; George A. Hensley.
_Restoration of Water_--Frank B. Anderson, chairman; George L. Dillman,
secretary; A. S. Porter, A. H. Payson, H. Schussler, and Mr. Lane.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account