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 April 34tl|. 19Dr 
 
 BUREAU OF GOVERNMENTAL RESEARCH 
 
 LIBRARY 
 44 LIBRARY BUILDING
 
 REPORT 
 
 of the 
 
 Sub-Committee on Statistics 
 
 To the Chairman and Committee on Reconstruction, 
 Gentlemen : 
 
 The Sub-Committee on Statistics submits the following 
 report. Owing to the strenuous duties of each one of itg 
 members and the difficulty of getting detailed statistics 
 of accuracy without a large force of reliable clerks, the 
 data collected are not as extensive as is desirable. The funds 
 at the disposal of the committee have been small; $150.00 
 made available on September 5th, 1906, and $75.00 made 
 available on April llth, 1907. 
 
 The shock occurred early in the morning of April 18th, 
 1906. The number of 'breaks in the water mains was over 
 300 and more than 23,000 service pipes were broken at once 
 or by the subsequent fire. (Map 11 of the Report of the 
 Chief Engineer of the Spring Valley Water Works, July 
 23rd, 1906), and all of the supply mains leading into the 
 city from storage reservoirs and the distributing mains 
 from service reservoirs were ruptured. (See Report of the 
 Sub-Committee on Water Supply, pages 4-5). These dam- 
 ages, coulpled with the fatal injury of the Chief Engineer 
 of the Fire Department, entirely crippled that department. 
 The consequent losses by fire far exceeded the damages by 
 earthquake. 
 
 BUREAU OF GOVERNMENTAL RESEARC 
 
 i IRRARY
 
 The Sub-Committee prepared the following outline of 
 its investigations, which was approved by the General Com- 
 mittee : 
 
 OUTLINE OF STUDIES FOR COMMITTEE ON STATISTICS. 
 
 (A) Extent and Losses by Fire. 
 
 (B) Earthquake effects on. 
 
 (1) Small frame 'buildings, wooden underpinning. 
 
 masonary foundation. 
 
 (2) Large frame -buildings, wooden underpinning. 
 
 (3) masonary foundation. 
 
 (4) Brick and wood buildings, Class "B." 
 
 (4a) " " " " "in process of 
 
 construction. 
 
 (5) Brick and wood buildings, Class "C." 
 
 (5a) " " " " "in process of 
 
 construction. 
 
 (6) Steel cage buildings, 
 
 (6a) " in process of construction. 
 
 (7) High chimney stacks. 
 
 (8) Chimneys, 
 
 Lime mortar. 
 Cement mortar. 
 Cement-lime mortar. 
 
 (9) Retaining walls, 
 
 (9a) Surcharged retaining walls. 
 
 (10) Miscellaneous structures. 
 
 GENERAL REMARKS AND SUGGESTED CORRECTIONS 
 IN CONSTRUCTION AND BUILDING LAWS 
 
 In presenting data the Sub-Committee feels justified in 
 adding general remarks and suggestions based upon its 
 Observations under each sub-heading. 
 
 The suggestions and recommendations are submitted 
 with the hope that they will be fully considered by owners, 
 and that they may result in the most scrupulous regard of 
 all provisions of the architect ani engineer when stability 
 and safety are concerned, whether as regards fire or earth- 
 tfuake. With the lessons before us it is the unanimous
 
 opinion of your Sub-Committee that the greater portion of 
 the loss sustained cou'ld have been prevented by a clear 
 interpretation and regard for the lessons of 1868 and the 
 fires which have devastated tihis and other cities. 
 
 Even in the destruction of water mains it is apparent 
 that with mains 'Constructed on solid ground or adequate 
 foundations over 'critical ground and with ample service 
 reservoirs and fire cisterns, and with well equipped fire-tug 
 service having shore connections to mains, our disastrous 
 losses of hundreds of millions of dollars would have been 
 measured by tens of millions and probably by a less sum. 
 
 AREA BURNED AND LOSSES BY FIRE 
 
 The area of the burned district is estimated by the City 
 Engineer at four and seven-tenths square miles (4.7 sq. m.). 
 This area 'comprised 521 blocks, of which 13 were saved and 
 508 burned. A careful classification and count of the build- 
 ings in these 'blocks was made from the block books of the 
 Norwich Union Insurance Co., under the direction of this 
 Sub-Committee. This count shows that the following num- 
 bers of buildings were burned : 
 
 Wooden framed buildings 24,671 
 
 Brick-^Classes C and B 3,168 
 
 Brick and wood (unclassified) 259 
 
 Fire proof Class A 42 
 
 Stone 15 
 
 Corrugated iron (wooden frame) 33 
 
 Total* 28,188 
 
 *An independent estimate by the Fire Underwriters Bureau gave 
 several thousand less. A comparison of the bases of the two 
 counts showed that the Sub-Committee estimated each separate 
 building with independent entrance as a building. The insurance 
 rules, however, classify several such structures as one. When this 
 was compared the above was adopted, by the Fire Underwriters 
 Bureau. 
 
 3
 
 ESTIMATE OF THE LOSS IN BUILDINGS 
 
 A careful compilation from the books of the Assessor's 
 Office shows that at the assessment prior to the fire these 
 buildings were assessed at $52,504,240.00. As the assess- 
 ment on this class of property is generally 50% of its market 
 value, the loss in this class of property may be safely put 
 at $105,008,480.00. In addition, 39 buildings owned as 
 church property and non-assessable were burned; also 
 municipal and buildings used for public purposes, such as 
 the California Academy of Sciences, Libraries, etc. 
 
 No estimate can be made by the Committee, with the 
 means at its disposal, as to the value of merchandise, per- 
 sonal property, records, libraries, scientific collections, etc. 
 These properties were in some instances inestimable. 
 
 Every public and nearly all private, professional and 
 general libraries were destroyed. All public records of 
 property which, with the pu'blic utilities, stocks of mer- 
 chants and manufactures, must have aggregated an equal 
 sum. 
 
 BLOCKS AND BUILDINGS IN THE BURNED DISTRICT 
 WHICH WERE SAVED 
 
 Within the burned district 13 blocks were saved. The 
 buildings in these blocks are as follows: 
 
 Wooden 283 
 
 Brick Classes B and C 13 
 
 Brick and wood (unclassified) 4 
 
 Iron (wooden framed) 3 
 
 Total buildings saved 303 
 
 The notable instances of these blocks were : 
 (1) Masonry warehouses and wooden buildings on Tele- 
 graph Hill and at its east base, covering about 11 blocks of 
 land bounded by Kearny, Lombard, Montgomery, Chestnut, 
 The Seawall, Filbert, Sansome, Green, Montgomery and Fil- 
 bert to Kearny. These were saved principally by water 
 
 4
 
 pumped by tugs from the bay and by the pumps of the 
 cold storage plant. 
 
 (2) About two blacks of frame and plastered buildings 
 on Russian Hill at Jones and Green streets, saved by reason 
 of isolation and a small local supply left in the service 
 reservoir. 
 
 (3) The U. S. Custom House and the block immediately 
 west thereof, three brick buildings on the north and one on 
 the south, the Montgomery Block all Class C buildings, 
 but the U. S. Customs House is very massive. 
 
 (4) The U. S. Mint, at Fifth and Mission streets, saved 
 by its lo-cal well and pump and by the efforts of the mint 
 officials and employees and U. S. troops. Class C. 
 
 (5) The U. S. Post Office at Seventh and Mission 
 streets. Class A. (Badly damaged by the shock, being on 
 a thin sand layer overlaying a marsh.) 
 
 (6) The buildings on the east side of Guerrero street, 
 near Ridley street. 
 
 BOUNDARY OF THE BURNED AREA 
 
 The burned area is bounded as follows : The waterfront 
 of the bay from Townsend to Taylor street, thence obliquely 
 and along intervening streets southwesterly to Van Ness 
 and Filbert; thence along Van Ness to Clay street, along 
 Clay to Franklin, along Franklin to Sutter, and thence to 
 Van Ness; along Van Ness to Golden Gate, along Golden 
 Gate to Fell, along Fell and Oak to Gough and Market, out 
 'Market south side to Ridley, Ridley to Dolores, Dolores to 
 Twentieth, Twentieth to Valencia, obliquely across blocks 
 and streets to Howard and Eighteenth, along Howard to 
 Fifteenth, obliquely across blocks and intervening streets to 
 Bryant and Eighth, along Eighth to Townsend, and thence 
 to the Bay. 
 
 A fire front of 49,305 feet or 9.34 miles. 
 Waterfront " 9,510 " " 1.80 " 
 Total 58,815 " "11.14 "
 
 Confronting this line on the unburned side were 527 
 buildings, of which 
 
 506 are wood 
 18 " brick 
 1 is stone 
 1 " adobe 
 1 " corrugated iron. 
 
 The fire was thus stopped against a wall of buildings, 
 94 per cent of which are wood. 
 
 Of this 49,305 feet of frontage, 9,540 feet are on the 
 wide streets or avenues Van Ness avenue, Market and 
 Dolores streets. The remainder, 39,765 feet, are on ordinary 
 streets, across blocks, etc. ; or about 20% of the total front- 
 age is on wide streets, and the remainder, 80%, on ordinary 
 streets, etc. 
 
 FIRE EFFECTS 
 
 In wooden and Class "C" buildings, absolute destruction 
 by fire was the universal rule except in a few notable in- 
 stances mentioned, where service reservoirs and pipes on firm 
 ground enabled the Fire Department to work effectively. 
 Very remarkable and effective work in extinguishing fires 
 was noted in the following instances: 
 
 Wooden buildings on the northwest corner of Golden 
 Gate avenue and Buchanan street, covering a 50 vara lot 
 and surrounded on all sides with wooden buildings, caught 
 fire, and were 'burned on the morning of April 18th, adjoin- 
 ing buildings put out and saved. The two-story building on 
 the northwest corner of Laguna and Hayes streets was set on 
 fire by upsetting drugs and chemicals, and nearly entirely 
 burned; adjacent wooden buildings were saved. A large 
 wooden building on the corner of Mission and 22nd streets 
 was entirely burned, but immediately adjacent wooden 
 buildings were saved. These instances show that with an 
 adequate water supply, the effective suppression of incipient 
 fires would have been passible. 
 
 Class "B" buildings failed in the fire from inadequately 
 protected girders and posts and a lack of window protec-
 
 tion. Fire shutters, properly constructed, and wire glass 
 would have saved many of these building's and their eon- 
 tents. The fire gained access to these buildings through in- 
 adequately protected openings, and the posts and girders 
 collapsed for lack of protection. The fire softened inade- 
 quately protected iron work; as this collapsed, the walls, 
 in many instances, were damaged or destroyed. This should 
 be prevented by heavier and better covering, even at the 
 expense of room. 
 
 Class "A" buildings suffered less severely, although 
 most of the fire damage to these buildings was also due to 
 inadequate protection of posts and girders and to thin parti- 
 tions. An instance of total collapse of this class of build- 
 ing was on the southeast corner of Jones and Turk streets. 
 Here the steel work was barely inside the limit of strength 
 required, and the fire protection to posts and girders was 
 flimsy; consequently the entire structure collapsed when 
 the contents were burned. 
 
 Partial collapse of columns, in individual instances, was 
 also found to have taken place. 
 
 GENERAL OBSERVATIONS ON THE EFFECTS OF EARTH- 
 QUAKE AND FIRE UPON CLASSES OF BUILDINGS, ETC. 
 
 Under headings approved by the committee, its investiga- 
 tions covered buildings of all classes used throughout the 
 city, and each type has been examined. For prudential 
 reasons, it is considered best to cite typical cases rather than 
 specific instances. The committee will deal first with earth- 
 quake effects on each type of structure, and when consider- 
 ed necessary will cite typical examples. 
 
 EFFECTS OF EARTHQUAKE UPON 
 
 (1) Small frame buildings, wooden underpinning: In 
 general, these buildings suffered severely owing to the rotten 
 condition or original weakness of the underpinning. The 
 mud sills and adjacent parts of posts and braces had in many 
 instances rotted, and the buildings settled vertically, as in 
 a row of frame buildings on the west si3e of Webster street, 
 
 7
 
 between Eddy and Turk streets ; or they settled laterally, as 
 in the case of one-story frame 'buildings on the southeast 
 corner of Bush and Steiner streets, and on the south side 
 of O'Farrell, near Devisadero street. In most instances of 
 this kind very flimsy construction was originally permitted. 
 The damage to the upper parts of these buildings was at 
 times so severe as to totally wreck the buildings. 
 
 Small frame buildings with masonry foundations stood 
 well, the damages being generally restricted <to loss of chim- 
 neys and consequent injuries to roofs, walls and gutters. 
 
 (2) Large frame buildings, wooden underpinning: In 
 general, a stronger original construction and broader base 
 enabled these structures to stand well. Damages to roofs 
 and sides by falling of chimney tops from the building itself 
 or from adjacent buildings constituted the major portion of 
 the damage. In some instances, the roofs were not able to 
 withstand massive chimneys with high fall. 
 
 When masonry foundations were provided, these build- 
 ings suffered less, and numerous instances were observed 
 where no damage whatever was done, notably the three- 
 etory frame building on the northeast corner of Washington 
 and Gough streets, where the chimneys, by reason of first- 
 class construction, remained intact, and the building itself 
 shows no evidence of strain. It may be here observed that 
 buildings of this type, we'll constructed, diagonally boarded 
 and braced, metal or wire lathed, and with chimneys of re- 
 enforced concrete or brick, well laid in cement mortar, are 
 perfectly safe in a severer shock than that of April 18, 1906. 
 
 (3) Class "C," brick walls, wooden partitions, floors 
 and posts: This class -of structure has quite a variety of 
 applications, being used for dwellings, stores, storehouses, 
 churches, libraries, etc. When properly constructed they 
 stood the shock well, particularly if the walls were tied and 
 bonded and the mortar good. 'Some, however, had two 
 fatal defects, one, weak or badly laid mortar, the other, an 
 inherent defect unsupported gable ends. Churches, large 
 storehouses, earhouaes, barns, etc., were injured, the gable 
 ends being especially weak. This defect has been brought 
 
 8
 
 out prominently in this, as well as in higher classes of 'build- 
 ings. Notable instances are on the northeast corner of 
 California and Webster streets, the south end of the Ferry 
 Building (Class "A"). Numerous other instances were 
 observed, especially where lime mortar had been used, not 
 at all or but slightly strengthened by the addition of Port- 
 land cement; and where fairly good mortar had been badly 
 used or the bricks laid dry, instead of soaking wet, as they 
 should be in good work. 
 
 A marked instance of failure from poor mortar is on 
 the south side of Geary street, near Fillmore, wh^re well 
 bonded 'brickwork fell to pieces, and stone veneer, without 
 bond, scaled off the lower story. This scaling is frequently 
 the case in the pressed Roman used as face brick, without 
 b'ond, or fastened against wooden buildings with weak metal 
 ties. Failures from these causes have been so general that 
 they have caused universal comment, and it is hoped that the 
 lessons will result in the thorough testing of all cements 
 and other materials and their proper use, as a matter of 
 safety, not only to the owner 'but to the public in general. 
 
 Equally notable cases of the standing of well-built 
 structures are frequently noticed. The U. S. Appraisers' 
 Building on Sansome, Washington and Jackson streets, 
 although partly on made ground, did not suffer the slight- 
 est injury, due to the excellent quality of mortar and good 
 workmanship. A seven-story building on the south side of 
 Eddy street, one hundred feet east of Jones, although sub- 
 sequently burned, its walls of well-bonded brick, with good 
 mortar, stand intact. Other instances are the Jewish Taber- 
 nacle on the north side of Sutter street, between Stockton 
 and Powell streets, the church on the northwest corner of 
 Fillmore and Jackson streets, and the one on the southeast 
 corner of Fillmore and Fell streets. 
 
 (4) Class "B," brick or masonry walls, steel or cast 
 iron posts, and steel girders protected against fire, metal 
 lathed partitions, etc.: The damage to this class of build- 
 ings by earthquake was, in general, light; no instances of 
 well-constructed buildings of this type were observed which 
 
 9
 
 suffered more than a small percentage of damage. A not- 
 able instance is the re-enforced and well-built walls of the 
 Palace Hotel, which withstood both fire and earthquake. 
 
 (5) Class "A," steel frame, non-combustible floors and 
 partitions: The thoroughness with which these structures 
 withstood the earthquake has 'been so frequently recorded 
 that it is not necessary for the committee to farther note 
 the facts. The most severe injury was to the slim and heavy 
 tower of the Ferry Building, and the south unsupported 
 gable end. This structure stands entirely on piles, eighty 
 to ninety feet long, driven into harbor mud some fifteen to 
 twenty feet below city base. Yet it withstood the shock, 
 wih the exceptions above mentioned and a few minor inju- 
 ries to marble wainscoting. Another instance of damage to 
 this class is the north wall of the building on Sacramento 
 and Mason streets. Buildings of this class, in process of 
 construction, were injured whsre mortar had not yet set, 
 but hardly a joint was sprung in those which were caught 
 with the frames partly constructed. 
 
 With corrections as to fire coverings of posts and beams 
 and the use of metal frames for doors and windows, with 
 wire glass and proper window protection, it 'has been demon- 
 strated that this class of buildings will withstand both fire 
 and earthquake, and, with a local supply of water, can be 
 made absolutely safe, even in a general conflagration. But 
 no building in which combustible material is stored will 
 escape a general conflagration, unless an adequate water 
 supply and men to use it are available. Inferior buildings, 
 under these conditions, were saved, and superb class "A" 
 buildings, without water, were totally destroyed. This lesson 
 cannot be too thoroughly impressed upon owners and 
 officials. 
 
 (6) Effects of earthquake on high stacks and chim- 
 neys: These structures were generally severely damaged 
 or broken. They are of several cross sections, circular, 
 square, polygonal, and intersecting squares. Those having 
 square sections appeared to stand best. The percentage of 
 stacks escaping injury is so small that your committee 
 
 10
 
 recommends that in future these be entirely of metal or 
 of heavily re-enforced concrete or re-enforced brick-work; 
 in these two latter cases that only cement mortar of the 
 highest strength be used. 
 
 Chimneys: Chimneys suffered proportionately more sev- 
 erely than anything else. This was 'due to three causes: 
 (1) worthless mortar; (2) bad workmanship, and (3) unusual 
 strains at the joints of roofs with the chimneys where weak- 
 ened further by flashings. To overcome these defects will 
 be simple 'but will require good materials and first-class 
 workmanship. Chimneys stood where well constructed, 
 proving that well selected materials and good workmanship 
 are proof against severer shocks than that lately experienc- 
 ed. To accomplish this result, your Committee recommends : 
 first, that either lime mortar of standard proportions, re- 
 inforced with one-third PortlanI cement, or Portland cement 
 mortar be used with reinforcing steel rods at roof joint and 
 above ; or, second, that reinforced concrete of the best qual- 
 ity be used. 
 
 Flue linings have resulted in placing reliance upon thes3, 
 and using flimsy brickwork on the outisde. The 'brick chim- 
 neys properly built are safe and strong under any condi- 
 tions yet experienced, and the linings serve as a subterfuge 
 to lessen the cost and efficiency of one of the best materials 
 of Which chimneys can be built, namely, good brickwork. 
 
 Mortar: The results warrant the absolute rejection in 
 the future of lime mortar unless well seasoned and reinforc- 
 ed with Portland cement, and the most stringent supervision 
 be had over the testing and use of this latter. Inferior 
 cement and poor workmanship will make weak structures 
 ready to fail when the test of actual strain or use comes. 
 Every yard of concrete and every brick laid in the future 
 should be mixed and laid with scrupulous care. Concrete 
 can be made as worthless as much of the brickwork was in 
 this city. Hence it must be made of the best materials, 
 properly mixed, laid and rammed to secure good results; 
 and bricks must be sound and well made, carefully laid 
 
 11
 
 when soaking wet in the best lime-cement or cement mortar. 
 These classes of work will insure safety in earthquake shocks 
 of greater severity than that exprienced in April, 1906, 
 and with the added security of an ample water supply, 
 proper protection of posts and girders, and guarded openings 
 to all masonry buildings, will make such general and wide- 
 spread disasters as that following the morning of April 18th, 
 1906, absolutely impossible. 
 
 (7) Retaining walls: Retaining walls have long been 
 a source of expense and danger in San Francisco, the per- 
 centage of these failing from various causes has always been 
 large. In a city of such variations of level they are neces 
 sarily much used. Both ordinary and surcharged walls fail- 
 ed from lack of sufficient gravity section and inadequate 
 footings. An instance of both of these deficiencies is in the 
 overturned surcharged wall on the west side of Gough street, 
 between Pacific street and Broadway. Instances of each 
 were noted. As examples of well-constructed retaining 
 walls, the committee notes those on Pine, Powell and Mason 
 streets, and on the south side of California street, west of 
 Presidio avenue, which, with others, withstood the shock 
 without injury, proving that properly constructed retain- 
 ing walls can be relied upon with confidence. 
 
 (8) Monuments and Statuary: These slender structures 
 withstood the shock well. In cemeteries, some were over- 
 thrown. The Dewey Monument in Union Square was re- 
 ported "standing at an angle of ten degrees." An inspec- 
 tion shows that the sections were barely displaced and the 
 pedestal very slightly spalled at a few joints, and that, to 
 the ordinary eye, the monument stands unscathed by either 
 earthquake or fire. Monuments and groups of statuary in 
 other portions of the city were uninjured. 
 
 In conclusion, the Sub-Committee on Statistics finds : 
 
 (1) That well-built structures of all classes, generally 
 withstood the earthquake without serious injury, and that 
 the majority of these structures were unharmed. 
 
 12
 
 (2) That the principal damage by earthquake was due 
 to inferior workmanship, worthless mortar, or faulty design. 
 As instances the City Hall, in which the design of the build- 
 ing is radically unsuited both to the requirements and to 
 the strains liable to occur. Immense gable ends and cornice 
 resting upon massive columns, not well tied to the remainder 
 of the 'building, were the cause of damage to a far greater 
 extent than inferior mortar and workmanship, as has been 
 alleged. The fragments of masonry lie in large masses 
 rather than in individual bricks, as in many other fallen 
 walls. The same is true of the church on Bush and Pierce 
 streets, and other instances. These are defieiences which 
 can be remedied in the future. 
 
 (3) That losses by fire were in the greater part due: 
 (a) to the utter failure of the pipe system, as made mani- 
 fest by the extinguishment of fires where a meagre water 
 supply was available; (b) to lack of protection to openings 
 in masonry buildings, and, in the burned buildings of classes 
 "B" and "A," to the additional lack of adequate fire cov- 
 erings for posts and girders, causing collapse of these mem- 
 bers in class "B" and in some instances in class "A" build- 
 ings. These are also defects which can be remedied so as 
 to lessen insurance risks and rates and ultimate damage in 
 case the contents of these structures should burn. 
 
 (4) That class "C" buildings constitute the poorest 
 and most dangerous structures, and should 'be restrictad in 
 use, steel framed and galvanized iron sides and roofs being 
 preferable. Also that a greater use should be made of non- 
 combustible materials, steel, concrete, galvanized iron, metal 
 lathing, etc., than the present fire and building laws admit. 
 This will be to the advantage of owners and the greater 
 safety of the city. 
 
 (5) The members of this Sub-Committee feel that too 
 great importance cannot be laid upon the thorough inspec- 
 tion and testing of cement and other building materials and 
 upon the most conscientious workmanship, and are assured 
 that craftsmen of all branches cannot render a greater ser- 
 vice to the community nor to themselves than by refusing 
 
 13
 
 to do work of any kind which is not up to a high standard 
 of workmanship; for neither themselves, their families, nor 
 any one else will be safe, nor -property secure, with such 
 flimsy work as has characterized many buildings of all 
 classes of structures in this city. 
 
 Streets and lots graded with waste and loose materials 
 of all kinds are not suitable foundations on which to make 
 sewers amd pavements nor erect homes or buildings for 
 human occupation and use, nor are sewers and buildings 
 with inferior mortar and poorly laid brick on filled areas 
 of this kind more likely to stand in the future than in the 
 past. 
 
 The causes of our great losses may therefore be briefly 
 stated : 
 
 (1) Failure of water supply, due to insufficient number 
 of service reservoirs and cisterns, and to fractures of the 
 mains and connections where constructed over made ground 
 and marshes and over or immediately adjacent to faults. 
 Mains should be altogether on solid ground, or on the 
 heaviest of masonry and pile foundations, and service reser- 
 voirs and cisterns should be more numerous and larger. 
 
 (2) Flimsy construction, and, in some instances, im- 
 proper design. 
 
 (3) Absence of adequate door and widow protection for 
 masonry buildings. 
 
 (4) Lack of efficient covering for posts and girders in 
 classes "B" and "A." 
 
 The necessity for constructing buildings of incombustible 
 materials has been made fully apparent. These buildings 
 must meet all requirements, from the costly and elaborate 
 steel cage concrete walled and floored structure with metal 
 doors, windows and finishings, to the cheap steel framed 
 shed, covered and roofed with galvanized iron. To meet 
 these requirements, the following sub-classes of class "A" 
 are suggested : 
 
 14
 
 Class "A" 1 
 
 Steel cage construction concrete brick or tile walls and 
 
 floors, 
 Metal framed doors, windows and finishings, plate wire 
 
 glass windows, asbestos curtains inside. 
 
 Class "A" 2 
 
 Concrete or brick walls, 
 Steel posts concrete or tile covered, 
 Concrete steel or tile floors, 
 Steel framed metal covered roof, 
 Fire shutters. 
 
 Class "A" 3 
 
 Re-enforced concrete walls, steel framed roof metal 
 covered. 
 
 Class "A" 4 
 
 Light steel frame, 
 
 Walls metal lathing or expanded metal, plastered with 
 
 cement mortar on one or both sides of framework, 
 Concrete, steel or tile floors, 
 Metal roof, 
 
 Metal framed windows and doors, 
 Plate wire glass, 
 Asbestos curtains, for light stores or dwellings, etc. 
 
 Class "A" 5 
 
 Steel frame, corrugated iron sides and roof for sheds 
 and lightest buildings. 
 
 If more than one story, upper floors of steel and concrete 
 or tiles. 
 
 Class "A" 6 
 
 Any combination of the above classes which are struc- 
 turally sound. 
 
 15
 
 It will be observed that each of these classes is composed 
 of incombustible materials, that they vary in cost from the 
 costly sky-scraper to a cheap steel framed galvanized iron 
 shed, and will thus meet the wide requirements of cost, and 
 at the same time afford a reasonable but imperative safety. 
 
 Mortar to be either lime cement mortar or cement mortar. 
 
 If the radical deficiencies above outlined be remedied, 
 San Francisco will have but little to dread from even a more 
 serious earthquake than that of April 18th, 1906 ; and if, in 
 rebuilding, we make stability and thoroughness the prime 
 essentials of all work, these characteristics will mark our 
 recovery and development in every line to the remotest 
 future. 
 
 LOSS OF LIFE 
 
 Loss of life, lamentable as it was, was by reason of the 
 earliness of the hour comparatively slight. That such im- 
 mense property loss should be incurred with so slight a 
 death-list, is a noble testimony to the spirit of the people and 
 to the directing forces brought to bear upon the catastrophe. 
 Killed outright and accounted for at the Coroner's office: 
 
 Killed 315 
 
 Shot for crime 6 
 
 " by mistake 1 
 
 322 
 
 Reported missing and not 
 accounted for. . 352 
 
 Total 674 
 
 There are many who have stated to the Sub-Committee 
 
 that the loss of life was greater, but such statements are 
 
 founded on belief not fact. The Sub-Committee, therefore, 
 
 do not feel justified in going beyond the figures above given. 
 
 Respectfully submitted, 
 
 Edwin Duryea, Jr., 
 Virgil G. Bogue, 
 James W. Reid, 
 Maj. C. H. McKinstry, 
 Wm. Curlett. 
 
 Marsden Manson, Chairman. 
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