[10], A strong foreshock preceded the main shock by about 20 to 25 seconds. [79] Vivian Illing (December 25, 1900 – January 22, 2009) was believed to be the second-oldest survivor at the time of her death, aged 108, leaving Herbert Hamrol (January 10, 1903 – February 4, 2009) as the last known remaining survivor at the time of his death, aged 106. Finally, in April 1907, one of the buildings was renovated for outpatient care with 75 beds. [12], Analysis of triangulation data before and after the earthquake strongly suggests that the rupture along the San Andreas Fault was about 500 kilometres (310 mi) in length, in agreement with observed intensity data. The most widely accepted estimate for the magnitude of the quake on the modern moment magnitude scale is 7.9; values from 7.7 to as high as 8.3 have been proposed. [6] This is equivalent to $11.4 billion in 2020 dollars. [9] Shaking was felt from Oregon to Los Angeles, and as far inland as central Nevada. Violent shocks punctuated the strong shaking which lasted some 45 to 60 seconds. [71], The 1906 Centennial Alliance[73] was set up as a clearing-house for various centennial events commemorating the earthquake. "[51], The earthquake was crucial in the development of the University of California, San Francisco and its medical facilities. Reconstruction was swift, and largely completed by 1915, in time for the 1915 Panama–Pacific International Exposition which celebrated the reconstruction of the city and its "rise from the ashes". [28] Within three days,[29] over 30 fires, caused by ruptured gas mains, destroyed approximately 25,000 buildings on 490 city blocks. In 2005, the city's Board of Supervisors voted unanimously in support of a resolution written by novelist James Dalessandro ("1906") and city historian Gladys Hansen ("Denial of Disaster") to recognize the figure of 3,000 plus as the official total. Unlike Los Angeles, which lies some way to the east of the main fault zone, San Francisco sits directly above the fault and it was this that explained the extreme devastation of the earthquake. [15] The shaking intensity as described on the Modified Mercalli intensity scale reached XI (Extreme) in San Francisco and areas to the north like Santa Rosa where destruction was devastating. The destruction of City Hall and the Hall of Records enabled thousands of Chinese immigrants to claim residency and citizenship, creating a backdoor to the Chinese Exclusion Act, and bring in their relatives from China. border. The Call-Chronicle-Examiner. The 1906 San Francisco earthquake struck the coast of Northern California at 5:12 a.m. on Wednesday, April 18 with an estimated moment magnitude of 7.9 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of XI (Extreme).High-intensity shaking was felt from Eureka on the North Coast to the Salinas Valley, an agricultural region to the south of the San Francisco Bay Area. The quake ruptured 296 miles of the San Andreas Fault and shook for 45 to 60 seconds. [53] City fathers likewise attempted at the time to eliminate the Chinese population and export Chinatown (and other poor populations) to the edge of the county where the Chinese could still contribute to the local taxbase. Explosives were ferried across the bay from the California Powder Works in what is now Hercules. 1906 San Francisco earthquake: About 430 kilometers (270 mi) were ruptured in Northern California. Dam Is Badly Damaged Oakland Tribune April 18, 1906 For a list of these companies see Tilmann Röder, deadliest earthquakes in the history of the United States, 1915 Panama–Pacific International Exposition, San Francisco Earthquake and Fire, April 18, 1906, List of disasters in the United States by death toll, "Where Can I Learn More About the 1906 Earthquake? San Francisco was better prepared when the next notable earthquake struck in 1989. Nor was it one of the strongest. En Español. 2. An insurance industry source tallies insured losses at $235 million, the equivalent to $6.69 billion in 2020 dollars. The Bank of Italy had evacuated its funds and was able to provide liquidity in the immediate aftermath. There were decades of minor earthquakes – more than at any other time in the historical record for northern California – before the 1906 quake. An Unusual Tsunami. (Thanks to ABAG - Association of Bay Area Governments - for this table.) p.225. And by April 1908, San Francisco had already been rebuilt. 18 On April 1906, the earthquake struck at 5:12 am local time without warning (Zoback, 2006). San Francisco earthquake of 1906, major earthquake with a magnitude of 7.9 that occurred on April 18, 1906, at 5:12 am off the northern California coast. Displays at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Museum in Sausalito, California, Double Cone Quarterly, Fall Equinox, volume VII, Number 3 (2004). The greatest damage of the 1906 earthquake occurred when many of San Francisco's water and gas mains were ruptured. He also made it clear that the majority of soldiers served the community well. Every one is talking of it this afternoon, and no one is in the least degree dismayed. Web. Though the quake lasted less than a minute, its immediate impact was disastrous. [55][56][57], While the original street grid was restored, many of Burnham's proposals inadvertently saw the light of day, such as a neoclassical civic center complex, wider streets, a preference of arterial thoroughfares, a subway under Market Street, a more people-friendly Fisherman's Wharf, and a monument to the city on Telegraph Hill, Coit Tower. Newspapers described Golden Gate Park, the Presidio, the Panhandle and the beaches between Ingleside and North Beach as covered with makeshift tents. All residents were eligible for daily meals served from a number of communal soup kitchens and citizens as far away as Idaho and Utah were known to send daily loaves of bread to San Francisco as relief supplies were coordinated by the railroads. Another event of this type occurred at 12:31 PST on April 19, 1906, with an estimated magnitude of about 5.0 MI , and an epicenter beneath Santa Monica Bay.[16]. This was a foreshock, an overture to a terrible symphony of destruction. The most powerful on record was the Chilean earthquake of May 1960, magnitude 9.5. [61] London raised hundreds of thousands of dollars. The famed 1906 San Francisco earthquake ranks as the most lethal earthquake in California history, with over 700 official deaths and likely many more. According to findings published in the Journal of Geophysical Research, severe deformations in the earth's crust took place both before and after the earthquake's impact. Around 500 city blocks with 28,000 buildings were destroyed during this devastating natural catastrophe. Constructing new mansions without reclaiming and clearing old rubble simply sped attaining new homes in the tent city during the reconstruction. April 19, 1906. Print. I believe these people would more than half like the situation. [citation needed], The Army built 5,610 redwood and fir "relief houses" to accommodate 20,000 displaced people. San Francisco Earthquake, 1906. Clutching an autographed photo of President Theodore Roosevelt, Caruso made an effort to get out of the city, first by boat and then by train, and vowed never to return to San Francisco. Over 80% of the city was destroyed by the earthquake and fire. [63], Insurance companies, faced with staggering claims of $250 million,[64] paid out between $235 million and $265 million on policyholders' claims, often for fire damage only, since shake damage from earthquakes was excluded from coverage under most policies. On July 1, 1906, non-military authorities assumed responsibility for relief efforts, and the Army withdrew from the city. One of the modest 720 sq ft (67 m2) homes was purchased in 2006 for more than $600,000. Nor was it one of the strongest. The great earthquake broke loose some 20 to 25 seconds later, with an epicenter near San Francisco. "1906 Quake Shook Up Insurance Industry Worldwide." At 5:12 a.m. on April 18, 1906, the people of San Francisco were awakened by an earthquake that would devastate the city. Over 80% of the city of San Francisco was destroyed. By July 1906, San Francisco issued an ordinance (see image below) to landowners to remove all debris. Brady, Matt. some, Steinbrugge The USGS Earthquake Hazards Program issued a series of Internet documents,[76] and the tourism industry promoted the 100th anniversary as well. On April 18, in response to riots among evacuees and looting, Mayor Schmitz issued and ordered posted a proclamation that "The Federal Troops, the members of the Regular Police Force and all Special Police Officers have been authorized by me to kill any and all persons found engaged in Looting or in the Commission of Any Other Crime". This created the need to train nursing students, and, in 1907, the UC Training School for Nurses was established, adding a fourth professional school to the Affiliated Colleges. Montréal: Canadian Centre for Architecture, 1993. 22, no. The 1906 San Francisco earthquake, despite its immediate horrors and long-term miseries, was not among the worst quakes of all time in terms of either casualties or property damage. ", Location of the Focal Region and Hypocenter of the California Earthquake of April 18, 1906, "Surface Displacements in the 1906 San Francisco and 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquakes", 10.1130/0091-7613(1999)027<0015:aottgb>2.3.co;2. April 18, 2011. [27] It has been estimated that up to 90% of the total destruction was the result of the subsequent fires. The most powerful on record was the Chilean earthquake of May 1960, magnitude 9.5. Good Question: How Did Oakland Help Out In The 1906 Earthquake? It’s estimated to have been a magnitude 7.8 quake. Del Monte attended the event at Lotta's Fountain on April 18, 2010 and the dinner at John's Restaurant the night before. Chinatown was rebuilt in the newer, modern, Western form that exists today. For comparison, the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake had … [citation needed], For example, real estate investors and other land owners were against the idea due to the large amount of land the city would have to purchase to realize such proposals. On April 18, 1906, At almost precisely 5:12 a.m., local time, a foreshock occurred with sufficient force to be felt widely throughout the San Francisco Bay area. 1). These include San Jose and Santa Rosa, the entire downtown of which was essentially destroyed.[24][25][26]. The dynamited buildings themselves often caught fire. It was constructed in 1875 primarily financed by Bank of California co-founder William Ralston, the "man who built San Francisco". The earthquake in San Francisco on the morning of April 18th, 1906, started more than fifty fires. Capt. Some were started when San Francisco Fire Department firefighters, untrained in the use of dynamite, attempted to demolish buildings to create firebreaks. 1906 San Francisco Earthquake on April 18, 1906. (From "The 1906 California Earthquake", David Starr Jordan, Editor, 1907, A.M. Robertson, San Francisco.) Strobridge,William. [citation needed]. We conducted a study to locate and to estimate magnitudes for the largest aftershocks and triggered events of this earthquake. "[60], During the first few days after news of the disaster reached the rest of the world, relief efforts reached over $5,000,000. At 5:12 a.m., Wednesday, April 18, 1906, San Franciscans were rudely awakened by a sharp jolt that lasted about 45 seconds. The only aftershock in the first few days of near M 5 or greater occurred near Santa Cruz at 14:28 PST on April 18, with a magnitude of about 4.9 MI. The magnitude was estimated to be 7.8. The available seismological data support a significantly shorter rupture length, but these observations can be reconciled by allowing propagation at speeds above the S-wave velocity (supershear). Shortly after the Great San Francisco earthquake of April 18, 1906, a sea level disturbance (tsunami) was recorded at the Presidio tide gauge station in San Francisco (the station is now located nearby at Ft. Point). 1906 Earthquake: How long was the 1906 Crack? Earthquake Days: The 1906 San Francisco Earthquake & Fire in 3-D. San Bruno, CA: Faultline Books, 2005. On April 20, the U.S.S. The main temblor, having a 7.7–7.9 magnitude, lasted about one minute and was the result of the rupturing of the northernmost 296 miles of the 800-mile San Andreas fault. Award presentations, religious services, a National Geographic TV movie,[74] a projection of fire onto the Coit Tower,[75] memorials, and lectures were part of the commemorations. [19][20] Most of the deaths occurred in San Francisco itself, but 189 were reported elsewhere in the Bay Area; nearby cities, such as Santa Rosa and San Jose, also suffered severe damage. 100th Anniversary 1906 San Francisco Earthquake Conference, 2006, "The Great 1906 Earthquake & Fires of San Francisco", NY Times Obituary for Heinrich Conrad, April 27, 1909, The Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry, The Bear Flag, The Virtual Museum of the City of San Francisco, "Mayor Eugene Schmitz's Famed "Shoot-to-Kill" Order", "Looting Claims Against the U.S. Army Following the 1906 Earthquake", Baseball in the Garden of Eden: The Secret History of the Early Game, "The Myth of the Panicking Disaster Victim", "1868–1898 – Introduction – A History of UCSF", "Relocation of Chinatown Following the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake", Great Earthquake and Fire of 1906: Its Effects on Chinatown, The Great 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and Fire, "Dealing with Disaster: The San Francisco Earthquake of 1906", The role of Lloyd's in the reconstruction, "How the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake Shaped Economic Activity in the American West", "1906 earthquake survivor Irma Mae Weule dies", "Libera Era Armstrong (1902–2007) – Hayward, California", "SF remembers great quake on 103rd anniversary", "Rose Cliver Obituary: View Rose Cliver's Obituary by San Francisco Chronicle". 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