The San Francisco Earthquake commenced at five thirteen o’clock in the morning, with the epicenter offshore of San Francisco. The city carried more than 400,000 people during this event (Earthquake of 1906, 1). Most of the
There was a massive earthquake in San Francisco during the year of 1906. The country of United States went through great loss because of this massacre. Nearly 250,000 people had become homeless as the result of this great earthquake. Winchester pointed out the question: How unprepared was America when this disaster hit? He compared the San Francisco earthquake to the Katrina hurricane in 2005.
San Francisco was a very opulent city during the 19th century due to the gold rush, the city was thriving and booming and more than 400,000 people residing in this area but the dynamics of this change when at 5:12 am April 1906.1 Powerful devastation ultimately gripped California in April 1906. The Great San Francisco Earthquake is number as one the most powerful devastation in the United Sates.2 On this despondent day many lives were taken and the costs of damages were very exorbitant. The implications were very profound and tumultuous. A forceful seismic shock ripple through San Francisco at the magnitude of 7.8. Some researchers claim that the magnitude of this earthquake could possibly up to 8.3. 3 There were two earthquakes that occurred on this day, the first one was not as potent as second one causing unprecedented damages. This earthquake was one never seen before one and people were indeed flabbergasted by its power.
Both Twain and London explain two dreadful San Francisco earthquakes that took place in 1865 and 1906. However, they target different aspects of the destruction the earthquakes caused. As Twain’s focus’ on the destruction of the people during the 1865 earthquake, London focus’ on the destruction of the city in the 1906 earthquake.
In the early twentieth century, San Francisco, a bustling city full of people with diverse cultures, stood in the midst of the Second Industrial Revolution. At this time, the brilliant inventions of airplanes, automobiles, and radios were changing the everyday lives of many. San Francisco had just recovered from the four-year burden of the bubonic plague (“Bubonic”). However, right when things were getting back to normal, a destructive earthquake hit the city on April 18, 1906. Although the shaking lasted for less than a minute, the devastated city had crumbled buildings and a substantial loss of lives. The San Francisco Earthquake of 1906 had a lasting effect on the city and its people, and it proved to be one of the most catastrophic disasters in history.
study of the San Andreas fault system." (USGS) When the 1906 earthquake struck scientist set
April 18, 1906 was a devastating day in San Francisco, California. At 5:12 AM, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck the city and shook it for an agonizing sixty seconds. Collier's, a recognized magazine at the time, whose headquarters were located in Ohio, telegraphed Jack London after their immediate receipt of the news and asked him to go to San Francisco and write the story of what he saw. London used vivid language that descriptively portrayed the events of what happened. The emotions the victims went through as they fled for their lives could be felt as well as the chaotic disaster that was unfolding before them. The reader could even experience the longing for the destruction to end--just as the victims did--by London’s repetitive mentioning of what was being destroyed and where new fires had sprung.
In the early twentieth century, San Francisco, a bustling city full of people from diverse cultures, stood in the midst of the Second Industrial Revolution. At this time, the brilliant inventions of airplanes, automobiles, and radios were changing the everyday lives of many. San Francisco had just recovered from the four-year burden of the bubonic plague (“Bubonic”). However, right when things were going back to normal, a destructive earthquake hit the city on April 18, 1906. Although the shaking lasted for less than a minute, the devastated city had crumbled buildings and a substantial loss of lives. The San Francisco earthquake of 1906 consisted not only of earthquakes, but also of even more destructive fires; it had a scarring effect on the city and its people, yet it gave much of the knowledge that seismologists have today and allowed San Francisco to stand as a place of intriguing buildings and structures.
of a great economic boom and almost all was lost on that day. The old buildings
At 5:12 a.m. on April 18, 1906, the people of San Francisco were abruptly awaken to one of the world’s most expensive and impacting earthquakes of the 20th century. The magnitude of the earthquake is debatable, ranging from 7.7 to as high as 8.2. However, the most accepted measurement is 7.9. The main shock epicenter occurred offshore 3.2 km from the city, near Mussel Rock. It ruptured along the San Andreas Fault northward and southward for 476 km (296 miles). The quake was felt from Oregon to Los Angeles, inland as far as Nevtada. Though the earthquake was impacting in itself, it lasted less than a minute and the most damage was done by the resulting fire that lasted 4 days. The earthquake bears inexhaustible remembrance as one of the worst
The 1906 San Francisco earthquake was one of the largest earthquakes in the United States. Even though it only lasted less than a minute, the damages and aftermath of the earthquake were disastrous. These damages were not just from the earthquake, but also from other hazards that occurred because of it. It also had a huge effect on the people living in San Francisco. Many people, the government, and other countries helped the city of San Francisco with relief goods like food and clothing. The city used up their resources in order to rebuild the city and spent a lot of money. This earthquake also started a scientific revolution about earthquakes and its effects.
"The Most Terrible Was Yet To Come": San Francisco Earthquake and Fire of 1906." Map of Time A Trip Into the Past. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 May 2014.
Hazards pose risk to everyone. Our acceptance of the risks associated with hazards dictates where and how we live. As humans, we accept a certain amount of risk when choosing to live our daily lives. From time to time, a hazard becomes an emergent situation. Tornadoes in the Midwest, hurricanes along the Gulf Coast or earthquakes in California are all hazards that residents in those regions accept and live with. This paper will examine one hazard that caused a disaster requiring a response from emergency management personnel. Specifically, the hazard more closely examined here is an earthquake. With the recent twenty year anniversary covered by many media outlets, the January 17, 1994, Northridge, California earthquake to date is the most expensive earthquake in American history.
Starr, Kevin. “The Great Earthquake and Firestorms of 1906: How San Francisco Nearly Destroyed Itself.” University of California Press. 83:3 (2006): 45-61. Web. 16 April. 2014. http://www.jstor.org/stable/25161821