JOHN HENRY NASH SAN FRANCISCO IN RUINS A PICTORIAL HISTORY OT EIGHT SCORE PHOTO-VIEWS cf the EARTHQUAKE EFFECTS FLAMES" HAVOC RUINS EVERYWHERE RELIEF CAMPS THE PHOTOGRAPHS BY J.D. GIVENS. PRESIDIO, SAN FRANCISCO. CAL. Copyright. 1906. hy A. M. Allison and J. D. Given. PUBLISHED BY LEON C. OSTEYEE 1370 SUTTER STREET. S^N FRANCISCO, CAUFORNIA 11 14 \ » J l I I I -\ \^ 1. Brig. Gen.^ Frederick Funston, commanding Department of California. 2. Col. Wm. .\. Simpson, military secretary. 3. Lieut. Col. George M. Dunn, judge advocate. 4. Col. Jolni L. Clem, chief quartermaster. 5. C.l. Edw. K. Dr.ivo. chief commissary. Col. Chas. I.. Heizmann. chief surgcn. Capt. Frederick R. Day, paymaster. Capt. A. P. Bufiington, paymaster. Capt. Francis G. Irwin, paymaster. Capt. Leonard I). Wildman. chief signal Mstani lo chief ij. Caiit. L.iwrcncc ['.. Sinionds, assistant to chief commissary. 14. First Lieut, liurton .1. Mitchell, Twelfth Infantry, aid-de-camp. iv First Lieut. Oliver P. 11. llazzard. Second Cavalry, aid-decamp. i6. Second Lieut. Samuel F. Patterson, I'liil- •S-T5'. ,,. Capt. VVm. C. Wren, assista i|uarterniaster. ippme ^conts. CU^1M.^NDLNG GE.\ER.4.L At^Y) ST.AFF, DEPARTMENT OF CALIFORNLV, U. S. A . Headnuarters, Presidio, San Fran GIFT THE FINISH OF THE FIRST EPOCH IN THE HISTORY OF F^b SAN FRANCISCO Thf i0ueen City of the Pacific Slope, Guardian of the Golden Gatenvay to the Far Easty the Islands "^^n of the Southern Seas, the Frozen Northland and the Sunny Ports of our Sister Continent By a. M. Aluson 1HE historians of modem or ancient times have never re- corded such a maelstrom of terrified, horror and panic- stricken human beings as awoke to the realization of ihc master seismic tremblor, in the City of San Francisco at 5 : i 3 on the morning of April i8th, 1906. The initial quake, being followed by many of less seventy, tumbled chim- neys, large and small buildings of poor or faulty construc- tion, broke water mains and ruptured electric light and ctors, causing many conrtagrations in a few moments. Then Acd a catastrophe unparalleled in modern times, a disaster beside which, for property losses, the Chicago fire, the Johnstown flood, the Galveston tidal wave, the Mont Pelec eruption, Vesuvius' spoutings and the Baltimore fire, fiide into infinitesimal disturbances on the records of Father Time. In three days, which seemed only as so many hours, there faded out of existence noble business blocks, grand and imposing structures, beautiful and supcil) residences the homes of the Argonauts, the sea kings, mining barons and merchant princes, together with the marts and dwellings of those who toil and delve and go down to the sea in ships, completely desolating and razing by fire three-fourths of this once beautiful metropolis of the whole Pacific Coast on either the northern or southern continents. Nor was the City of San Francisco alone in its extremity, for many smaller and populous towns within a radius of sevenry-rivc miles were subjected to the peril oi the mighty corkscrew quakings, Santa Rosa being entirely shaken down J Salinas, San Jose, Palo Alto, Santa Cruz, Berkeley, Alameda and Oakland all suffering great property losses and some human lives. The beauti- ful structures i)( the Lcland Stanford, Jr. , University, at Palo Alto, all erected and endowed to a sum in excess of $40,000,000 by the late Senator Lcland Stanford and his philanthrophic wife, were almost completely wrecked, in- cluding the Memorial Cathedral, which contained the largest and finest collection of mosaic pictures on the Western Hemisphere. At no point in the affected area were the earthquake shocks so severe and destructive as in the down town district, south oi Market and east of Kearny streets, where were the large office buildings, newspaper offices, banks, whole- sale stores and warehouses, the occupants of which conducted the business, commerce and financial engagements of not only the major portion of the Pacific Slope, but a large and constantly-growing Oriental trade as well. The opportune hour of the morning was all that saved the lives of the untold thous- ands who labored there, but had not as yet left their homes in the residence sections of the ill-fated city. Hardly had the mighty tremblor ceased Its gj'rations when innumerable fires broke out among the chaotic ruins, having caught from engine furnaces, broken electric wire conduits and spontaneous combustion, fed by the most inflammable of materials and fanned by a stiff" breeze from the bay, grew and spread into what shortly became the most stupendous and widespread, as well as awe-inspiring conflagration, which any people of the eighteenth or nine- teenth century h.ivc ever as yet looked upon or flown from. Had the water mains not li.:ve been ruptured, the splendid San Francisco fire department might have been able to cope with these many outbursts of flame at their in- ception, but deprived of water in the mains, they nobly fought the appalling 239 [III] flames by pumping water from the bay at as many places as length of hose and their engines' ability would permit ; but their efforts to stay the onrushing, wide-spreading flames proved as a match's flicker before a whirlwind. It being quickly seen that the panic-stricken people would soon become a fleeing, dazed and terror-awed multitude, General Frederick Funston, com- manding the Department of California, United States Army, with headquarters at the Presidio, immediately ordered out the cavalry, infantry and artillery forces under his command, who aideJ and directed the fleeing populace, gath- ered up and succored the wounded, established emergency hospitals, and policed the city. At the same time men-of-wars-men from the Mare Island Navy Yard, consisting of the battleship Ohio, the cruiser Chicago, and the torpedo boat destroyer Paul Jones, together with the ships of the United States Army Transport Service, and all available steam craft, attacked the flames along the water front and succeeded in saving much wharfage and the Ferry building, which is the principal gateway from the mainland. Aided, ordered and guarded by the United States Army and Marine forces, assisted by the California National Guard, who were at once called out by the Governor, George C. Pardee, the excited and frenzied San Franciscans made their way to squares, parks and the open hills, over two hundred thousand fleeing to these places of refuge and another hundred thousand making their way by ferry-boats and other craft across the bay to the cities of Berkeley, Oakland and Alameda, caring for naught except to get away from the awful havoc and destruction of the place they once proudly called their City. In untiring efforts to stay the flames the army, navy, marine corps and police used artillery fire, gun-cotton, dynamite and rhyoHte in back-firing, sacrificing whole blocks of splendid residences and other structures to retard the unquench- at' • ever-advancing line of fire, which at times extended unbroken for over thiee miles in length. At last, at the dawn of Saturday, April 21st, after three days and nights of valiant effort, the wind subsided and the flames died down to rise no more; tut not until after they had swept the once proud and majestic city from the Ferry bu Iding to Van Ness avenue, ruining all the residences on the west side of that broad, stately boulevard, to Twentieth and Guerrero streets in the Mission, and from the waters of San Francisco bay to the Golden Gate itself. Not in all this vast section, measuring over sixteen square miles, did one single habitation escape the shock of the giant tremblor or the all-devouring flames, with but a few exceptions, viz.: the United States Mint, the United States Custom Houec, the United States Postoffice, which was damaged one- half a million dollars' worth by made-land sinking away from it, the new un- finished newspaper building of the Chronicle, and the new building of the California Casket Companyjust erected, but not wood-finished. Every other building, of whatsoever class, kind or construction, was tumbled, crumbled, shaken down, or absolutely gutted by the fierce flames in which granite dissolved to powder and steel beams melted and buckled like a watch's freed mainspring; where cobble-stones scaled and chipped off and marble slabs disintegrated and became as bone-dust to the touch. No computer or statistician lives who could accurately arrive at the mone- tary loss, variously estimated at from three hundred and fifty to four hundred millions of dollars. Nor will the loss of human life ever be known, said to be from fifteen hundred to two thousand ; many more are known to have perished in the lodging houses and cheaper hotels located in the district south of Market street, as well as in the poorer districts, of which no returns will or can ever be made; many identities were lost both in and out of un- identified graves. On the cessation of the first quake and the breaking out of the flames all means of surface transportation was rendered useless, except the automobile, which did good and swift work in rescuing the wounded and carrying the living to places of safety, as well as transporting dynamite and other high explosives to the busy fire-fighters, also rendering invaluable aid in getting food and water to the refugee camps in the parks, when the relief trains, so generously and beneficiently forwarded by all the cities of the land, began to arrive laden with provisions and clothing for the hungry and the destitute. The sister city, Los Angeles, which by her nearness was enabled to supply physicians, nurses and medical supplies, as well as foodstuffs, getting the first relief train to the stricken city on the night of the first day. Congress appropriated money, private citizens throughout the broad land gave of their wealth. Army and navy stoies and the cargoes of many mer- chantmen in the harbor were all made available, and thus famine and disease were prevented and lives which would have flickered and then passed out were saved, encouraged and strengthened for the monumental task of raising a grander, greater, safer and more beautiful New San Francisco phoenix-like from the ashes of the City of the Forty-Nlners. These are the words; the pi^'tures tell the tale much better; pictures the like of which, it is earnestly hoped, will never be presented by any camera again while the earth rolls around. [IV] " "'■■ '"'■•" ■■^"■'-■^■^ ^^'^l'-- Liuc. betwt-eu bR-.ner aud Pur.e t,trc-et8. DisU.rM by tlu- f..rthqu«ke. Ilii'nk ill tlu" Asiiliiilt Paving on A^•ln Ness Aveimc, iioar Vallc.io Stroot. Bleak and Two tuui t^iiik in Kast Street, near Ferry iluililini;. View of the Cit\ lI Sdu 1 nueiM ^S }' '%ri One yi-ar .iM Allnrt I'ikr M.iiiorial T(m|.l.-, A. A. S. I!.. 1 sj.". {;,.;,iv Smr^i, W.sl.-iii A.lilil icm. Break and Siuk iu Capp Street, between Seventeenth and Eighteenth Streets, in the Mission District. ! ' S KlTects of Shock ou Western Side uf .Memorial Museiiiii, Golden Gate Park, u Structure of the Mid-Wiuter Exiiositiou. Effects of Shock: Total Wreck of tlie ChiUlron 's Play-IIoiisc, in Clol.leu Gate I'ark ; a City Duil'ling. Eft'eets of .shock on Dolores Mis«(tn, the Ohlest Biiihliiig in the City; Tower of the New (Jliiuch, wliieh Will Have to be Rebuilt. l-.ii.'iTs ..t sho.'k .,11 Ta., I'iMii.r l;.- Il^u.ir.l Strci^l. near Kiyliin ju I., iji ilir Mi.s.si.iii. Kil' cu ul Shock uu Frame Residence ou Sliotwell, near Filteei.th Street, iu the Jlissiou. Effects u» Shock ou tlic Pii-rwKuilulpli Stoiam' \V.iich.)use. Etrei"ts tu Potrero HeisMs, Second Day. Fire Knveloping Potrero Heights, Second Day. Entire District Burned Over Latoi 33 II '-. 1 1 Day. Pire Line South of Market. Karly on First Day. Ijpft to Right. Shows Palace Hotel. Xew Chronicle. Ex:imiiier. ami fall XowspMper P.nil. lilies, MiiIikiI S.-ivii]),'« li:nik :n..l New Slir.'vc Oliii-r llniLliiisx 1... .kiig ,i|. K'.Miiiy Sir. .1 low.-.r.ls Murk !,.■ I.'iyht I'nn-rnuu.l Littl.. lt;ily. ij-h Hill, OvprlnokirfT tlip 'VVhnlr'saV Distri.-t; in Right fVn'.fr thp Appraisers P.iiil.IiT';;. T Unscathud liy Kitlier Kartlii|naki' or Flames. ,:A ^ M i. I i^ J- I Kuiiis of the Palace Hotel, from in Front of the Chronicle Office, Unfinished Mouadno.-k BuiWing at Right, Market Street. Another View of the Palace Hotel; Ruins of the Grand Hotel in Forogrouml; Taken from the Corner of Montpomery Street. 61 ^^B* Vipw of the fify Hall from tlip f.arkinStrpet Side, with llio Site of tli.' ^r(■l•l):lni<•3• liistitulp in tlH> liniii.Mliate Forc'roiiii.l. View of the Ht. Frilncis Hotel, Corner of Geary and Powell Streets, Shows Ruins of the John Bhiiiht iimi ./ (!o.s' Bnihlings at Left; Part of ITniou Square and New Addition to the Hotel on Right. I^ooking Wi'st fn.iii rnioii S-iiian- Hffori- tin- I'ir'-. Slio«ir;>; St. Fniiicis Hotel. Union Trust < 'u. Crcn'ker-Woolworth Bank. Shreve Bnililin. (■Iiidniclf. ('a]l BuiMins. Monaihiock Bl.lg. Whitt.-ll BuildiiifC. Mutual Bank. City of Paris, A Wew of tlic Retail ami Iloti'l Districts, from ,lones an.l Bush Strt Newman iil ( lu cona 'VU18U11. Itioii.) St. Fluiicia llwttl. Gol.len Ci:itc Hall Jaii.ts l'l..o.J JJuildiiig. VVestgatc A|iartiiiPiit.s. Ilixl Pot»ro IleiglitH, ami from Market ami Sansome to Market ami Sixth Stre.is California (:iski/t Co. 's Building. Hall of Justice, Kearuy Street aud Portsmouth Square, Showing Shattered Tower and Gutted Floors. Market Street. Jn.ni VAuMk Looking to the Call Building, Showing the Grant BuUding, in Which W.-r.- IK-a,lH..arters Division iif the Pacific; Ruins of Odil Tollows' Building on Bight. Alarkcl Shr.,-t. Kast towar.ls the Ferry, (Sliciwii Biiililing, tlio Kni|i(iriuiii, g the Ponoluie Biiililirijj; and James Flood Building iiid Hale Brotlier.s' l>c|iiirtiiieiit Store on Soutli Side .11 North Side, C'al llalo r.nitlii'rs' llppaitineiit Store, Sixth and Market Streets From Geary Eight; iiid Stockton Streets to Market, Showing the City of Paris Department Store and Mutual Batik Building Marcband's Cafe, the Spauldiiig Building, the Graystone Hotel, and the Old Chronicle Building on Left. i ..okiin: \V-^l. MiTclwints' Excliangij on L.l't. '^.^^'"^^■r^J^-^ i.i Cable Puwcr -Uguae Ruius, Comer California aud Ilyile Streets. to Warket, Showing on Left Euins of the Savoy Hotel, Union League Club, Pacifie-Union Club, Shreve Building, Bohemian Club, and Union Trust Banls Buildings. ■■■■■I Out Kcurny from Corner Union Square Avenue towarils Tele({r:ij 67 ,.Tl mmjtr townr.l Ti'ligrnpli Hill cm Koar s." ' ""^ ■ : "- .»«* ■ te.- . "• » . ■ j ly Street before the Fire. From Corner M;irkct 1 llai.k, Ruins of Occidental Uotel, Mills Building, and Stock Excli.mge; Site of Masonic Temple and Bullock-Joucs Building on Left. Looking North up Stockton Street from Geary, Showing Dana Building and Vanm, ui i'anlit liih.ji ( liil,, I'nion Square at Left. Mill: showing the Tivoli Theater o|.| i I'noille Dog, at the Corner of hJdy Ciirutl, ulao iSative bons' Hall uiiJ the Fairuiout Hotel iu Dislauee. 71 This View Shows the Top of Nob Hill, and the liniTis of the Miuiy Klrgruit Kcsiilciiccs Theio on Mason, Taj-lor, and trocfs Olio Wnv. .iml .1 Jackson Streets, Uinmiiif; tlie fit her W: -Htm The Orpheuni Tbcatcr, on O'Farrell Street, High class Vaudeville; the San Francisco House of the Orplicum Cirmit. ^asmri-&.VHS. '-.<:J. 1 Muaou aud Eddy; the Uome of tbe Tivoli I'omic Ujura Stuck Comj.any. Fisch.n's -niriiin , I l,r A lai M II Slrcrl. ■:gK Panorama View. Lookint; South from Nob Hill at the Corner of .Tones and California Streets; Showing to the Bav and Potr jhts; the TmmpflintP Forcfn-oiiml was the Sito of Miiny Ifiinilrcds of Good Family Hotels for Which the City Was Notiil. Simth of Market, Taken from tlie Coriipr of Seventh and Polsom Streets. Sliowiiit; the U. S. I'ostuffiee, Left Center, an. I Noli Hill, Bight Distance. MilliMii-liMiLii I l.iiirli anil College of A'an Ness Avenue. At tW Coruer of Diipont an.l Clriy Streets, in niinatuwn, Slinwing tlir Crumi.IciI Tuuxr ul' ihr Hall „f .lu-;icL in l.rft l.VuUr. View Over CIiiuatoHK to Telegraph Hill ami the Water Front, from the Corner of California and Powell Streets. All tliat is Loft (if Tflogniph Hill District, frciii I; I'lir Famous Pacific Street and Barljary Coast, the Bnwcry nl' S:iii !•' the Seamen of all Nations. Riiiiis of the Large :in.l iJuautiful Teiiiplu Eiiiauucl, ou Sutter Street, Near I'uwell Street, KITeels of the Harlli.iuake an. I I'la ^ L'ar Van Ness Avenue; the Eunning-gears of the California-Street Cable Cars, Which Were Burned Where They Stood. On Market Street at Nintli, One Week After the Fire; Refugees En Route to the Ferry; Men of the Board of Public Works Repairing the Water Mains. The Brea.l I.mk , mi, \ im \. -■ \ :>\ M. \l;n> '.^ > :i Relief btations. As the Wliulesak- Mun-s Worr lie: for a General and Equitable Distribution to All. :d, tliL- Slui;k: 11- Daily Rations from the Army and Red Cross the Retail Stores Were Seized by the Authorities Uit'u|,'ce Food anj Coffee Statiou in UnioD Square, Dewey MoDument and Office Building Corner of Powell and Geary Streets. -J Kstablisljinij Kefiigee Cauip Arrliliishop MniitgiiniiTy Iliilflinjr tlir Only Ri-ligious Servici's in tlio 'ity of San l"ra Sunday, April 22, lilUli. in till' I'n'sMi.i 1! J Kefugees Quartered in Army Dog-teuts, on Kefiigees Quartered iu Armj- TVall Tents on the I'residio licservation. 102 Kofugce Camp on lias-House Flats, at Lombard Street, near Fort Mason. Los Angeles Kelief Committee's l-'ooil Station in Oolilen (iate I'ark; First Hot Meals in Three Diiys for Hich ami Fuor Hefugees Alike. Panorama View from Sutter and Jones Streets; the Center of tlie Family Hotel and Boardi 104 ? Pistrict; Showing Wreck anrl Ruin of Many I'inr .\]partni('nt Houses and llotrl BuiMings. Kifugics Oceu|iying A'acant Lots .it lort Mason in tlio Onter Ilistanci' i.uing tlie I'aiitiiiiim'iit dm the I'lcsi.lio Krsrivatiiin, (.'uvalrv .-111(1 Artillery Barraeks, ,ii trains Used by tlie Army to Transport the Relief Committee's Supplies to Different Lii Unitfil States Ti>r|ici>iii^ ami Wlinrfagi". Same Refugee ( r.nUj Park, Two Weeks Ol.l ; Boara Barracks Takiug the Place of the Teuts. 110 The Largest Rcfngeo (.'nnip, on the Prosidio Rpscnation ; Unitcl States Army (icneral llnspital Showirp. HI Refugee Camp on Bush Street, near the St. Dominic Churct 'niteU Stales Battlesliii) Oli... .••.,■„ , n,i,islic.i Muuy ilarincs for Patrol Duty, and \V1.„.,. ....^ i^mi.c.l Much Water for the Fire Department, Saving Wharfs and Shipping. '''^^!lf:Hi?BS't'thl"p "I 's"'' ''' ""rr ""T^ ^'-^^ ^'^^'"^ °^^^- ^^^ ^--^ ^™- "^'^ Ear&quake Wrecks V\e,e Hastilj Bnied n the Parks, Squares and Vacant Lots, Some in Known, but Many More in Unidentified Graves Those Who Perished m the Flames Were Lost, Never to be Found, and Their Number Will Never be Known 1-, IM l;...l,lu.^, S:m. l-..i,.,.„cu. Looking up Kearny Street from Tliird and Market Streets. Telegraph Hill iu the Distance. . • m ii:^'^->)^.»i. ^^^'' »fe.., l-'»rt Masdii, San rraiii-isr . Cliff House, San Fraueisco, (Burnoil Recently). S,-.,\ It.M'ks. S;iii I'n, Looking down Market Street Before the Fire. Alcatraz Islaixl, San trancisco Kay. Chinatuwn In Looking down Xlarkt-t Street before the Fire. r:u"ific Street, known as " Barbary Coast," Before the Fire. SAN FRANCISCO'S HONOR ROLL BRILLiANT AM) SKU -SACRIFICING WORK OF THE COMMITTEE OF ONE MLTNDRED WHO STOOD BV rilEIR BELOVED CITY IN THE HOUR OF HER DARKEST PERIL MAYOR SCHMir/ AND HIS COWORKERS, GENERAL FUNSTON AND THE HoYS IN BLUE, THE SALVA riON OF A STRICKEN CITY I FTER the Earth jumped back on its track at 5:13:47 on the mnming oC Wednesday, April i8th, 1906, the citizens t' San Francisco came down on their feet in fighting mood, ^5^ GENERAL LIBRARY U.C BERKELEY BDDD7'llQlt.