We're close to the anniversary of one of the most famous disasters in
American history. No, I’m not
talking about the birth of Kanye West. I’m speaking of the Great San
Francisco Earthquake and Fire, which struck at 5:13 a.m. on April 18,
1906.
Which was way too early to be waked up that way, or any way.
We seem to be in the age of disasters, so it might be worth remembering
that bad things have been happening to good people for a long
time, not just since the Kardashians went on the air. One thing that remains the same is human nature: No one wants to think about
disasters until they happen, and then their primary mission is to avoid
responsibility. This is followed by a building period of
forgetfulness, and then the cycle begins anew.
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| "Gesundheit." |
Just as the Great
Chicago Fire was accompanied by forest fires that killed thousands in
the Midwest, and Hurricane Katrina devastated areas far from New
Orleans, the 1906 quake shook up much more than San Francisco. In fact,
it was felt from Oregon to Los Angeles, and as far east as Nevada. Two
minor earthquakes even hit Las Angeles at about noon that day, probably
caused by the earlier shaking. A line of trees two hundred feet wide
were smashed along the fault line; small towns along the way were
flattened, and any building actually built on the fault found itself at
fault.
At least 3,000 people died, and a half million dollars in damage resulted – 1906 dollars. It was … well, it was a disaster.
Many people don’t know that most of San Francisco was not
flattened by the earthquake; it was destroyed by the fire that followed.
A rattled homeowner, glad to be alive, got hungry after the
earthquake and decided to cook up some ham and eggs, without bothering
to check on whether their home’s chimney had been damaged. The resulting
blaze, called the “Ham and Egg” fire (naturally), later joined up with
other fires to destroy most of the city. Whether that resident actually
got to eat the ham and eggs wasn’t reported.
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| "Pass the orange juice." |
So, where the heck was the fire department?
Well, Station #4 wasn’t there anymore: A hotel collapsed on it. The
Chief of the San Francisco Fire Department, Dennis T. Sullivan, threw
himself out of bed and dashed through the door of his quarters, which
was located at the top of another firehouse on Bush Street. (No
relation to G.W.)
Unfortunately, the dome of a theater next door
had just brought down the rest of the Chief’s fire station, and he
dashed into mid-air. He died later that week, leaving the SFFD without
its leader.
But Chief Sullivan had built a good department, and
the men and equipment still standing dashed into
action. Sullivan had recommended the building of a special
water system, which could provide water from San Francisco Bay in case
an earthquake sheared through regular water mains.
Unfortunately, the City Council refused to fund the system. The regular
mains were, indeed, shattered, leaving most of the city dry. U.S. Navy
personnel, always ready to help, laid a long fire hose from the bay and
put it into action. But the tactics of operating a fire hose aren’t as
easy as they appear, and the hapless sailors were outmaneuvered by the
flames. They had to retreat, leaving the hose behind.
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| Steam fire engines generated almost as much smoke as the fires. |
That
morning a telegraph station in San Diego sent reports of the disaster
to the ship “U.S.S. Chicago”, which immediately steamed for San
Francisco. It was the first time a wireless transmission was ever used
during a disaster. Later the fire alarm and telegraph
offices in the city had to be abandoned to the approaching flames,
making communications more difficult. It became impossible to coordinate firefighting efforts.
By
that time word had gotten out, and Secretary of War Taft ordered all
available relief supplies and military units to San
Francisco. He later became president, so Taft must have done an okay
job.
Less helpful individuals began looting the city, and the
Mayor declared open season on such lowlifes. Several were shot; none
were missed.
Eventually, with the assistance of volunteers,
firefighters, military personnel, and demolition of buildings to create
fire breaks, the blaze was controlled. It was time to take stock, and to
determine what to do to prevent such a calamity in the future.
No need, according to Father Ricard of the University of Santa Clara, who wrote to a newspaper: “Never mind foreboders of evil: They do not know what they are talking
about … those who venture out with predictions of future earthquakes
when the main shock has taken place ought to be arrested as disturbers
of the peace.”
In other words, don't worry – it won't happen again.
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| San Francisco City Hall has looked better. |
What have we learned from this?
Well,
be careful before running through doorways after an earthquake, of
course. Good communications are vital. You can’t put out a fire without water.
Shooting looters is worth a bullet. Courage alone doesn’t make up for a
lack of training and preparation. Don’t cook breakfast until after
you’ve started your brain up in the morning.
Finally, and most
importantly: Hiding from reality doesn’t prevent anything except being
prepared. If somebody tells you “It won’t happen here”, hit them.
Preferably in the mouth, so they don’t keep spouting nonsense.
Because it could happen tomorrow.
Some of our books cover fires and disasters, and others are just escapism:
· Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B0058CL6OO
· Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/"Mark R Hunter"
· Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4898846.Mark_R_Hunter
· Blog: https://markrhunter.blogspot.com/
· Website: http://www.markrhunter.com/
· Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ozma914/
· Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarkRHunter914
· Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markrhunter/
· Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarkRHunter
· Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@MarkRHunter
· Substack: https://substack.com/@markrhunter
· Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/ozma914
· Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/ozma914
· Audible: https://www.audible.com/search?searchAuthor=Mark+R.+Hunter&ref_pageloadid=4C1TS2KZGoOjloaJ&pf
Remember: In a disaster books might be the only entertainment left.
