Thursday, April 19, 1906 front page: Earthquake in San Francisco

Download a PDF that you can enlarge for easier reading

DESTROYED

San Francisco's Appalling Catastrophe

EARTHQUAKE AND FIRE.

California's Metropolis Almost Wiped Out By Fire After an Earthquake Shock ─ Water Supply Cut Off and Dynamite Used ─ United States Troops Assist City Officials. Other Cities and Palo Also Meet With Disaster ─ Loss of Life Terrible.

Wholesale destruction by earthquake and fire in San Francisco, San Jose, Sacramento, Salinas, Hollister, at Stanford University and other towns ─ Fire Losses beyond computation ─ Hundreds of millions wiped off the earth ─ Loss of life, especially in San Francisco in the thousands and list increasing every hour ─ U.S. troops on duty.

(Special to the Star.)

San Francisco, 4 p.m. [April 18]─ The fire is still burning. Buildings in the heart of the business section are being destroyed to stop the flames from spreading. The number of killed will reach two hundred, injured two thousand. Experts estimate financial loss from fire at more than one hundred million dollars. The city is under martial law and precautions have been taken to prevent disorder and looting tonight. Four thieves were shot by the soldiers and the soldiers have orders to shoot without warning any persons acting suspiciously. City Hall is burning and many principal blocks are doomed. The Hall of Justice is threatened.

Measures have been taken to relieve the destitute. They are to be fed and protected at Golden Gate park.

The latest reports show that the entire district bounded by Vallejo, Howard, Post and Sansome st., embracing practically the entire wholesale section of the city has been swept clean by the fire. Also the district bounded by Second, Market, Eighth and Folsome streets have been devastated, in the latter district is included most of the city's finest business stores.

The area covered by the flames up to the present time is about eight square miles or several hundred city blocks. Very little, if any, water is available and buildings are being blown up by dynamite as the only means of checking the flames. Most of the buildings untouched by flames have been greatly damaged by earthquake shocks.

Supervisor Fred Horner, of Oakland, who has returned from San Jose by automobile, states that the Agnews hospital of that city is an entire wreck and many inmates were killed. The remainder running loose are terrorizing the community. The superintendent and wife were killed.