California History: Earthquake of 1906 Thesis

Geologists describe the San Andreas fault as right-lateral strike-slip, which means that the Pacific side of the fault is slowly moving horizontally northward, usually by an inch or two per year. At times, however, the fault may suddenly lurch as much as several feet. Such movements deep in the earth produce earthquakes -- and such movements along the San Andreas fault and its branches have produced most of the largest earthquakes in American history." (Cherny, 2007)

It is reported that new buildings with steel frames during the 1906 San Francisco earthquake "held up quite well. Buildings of brick or other masonry construction, without steel or iron reinforcement, were most likely to be damaged. Some lost entire walls. Brick chimneys collapsed all over the city. The fire chief was killed when a chimney fell into his bedroom. The most dangerous parts of the city were areas that had once been lakes, creeks, marshes, or branches of the bay, and that had been filled in to create solid ground for construction. Such areas tend to liquefy in an earthquake. Structures on such fill land suffered the most. Some wood-frame buildings, especially on fill land, were knocked off their foundations, but most other wooden structures held up reasonably well. "(Cherny, 2007)

Fires in the city were fueled by gas due to broken gas lines and the broken water lines rendered the fire hydrants useless in fighting the fires spreading throughout the city. Cherny states that the "...densely populated wooden buildings south of Market Street and home to the city's working class, were the first to burn. The first burned for three days and became a firestorm with intense heat and significant winds arising from the firestorm." (2007)

The army troops commanded by General Frederick Funston at the Presidio were ordered to assist in keeping order in San Francisco and to help fighting the fires. Meanwhile "...donations poured in from individuals, organizations, and governments, some $9 million in all. Mayor Schmitz, suspected of corruption, appointed a special committee of 50 prominent citizens, led by former mayor James Phelan, to distribute the funds and plan relief and recovery.The Army set up twenty refugee camps, some on Army land and some in the city's parks, which remained for a year or more. The Army and the city's public health officials quickly restored sanitation and thereby averted a potential public health disaster. "(Cherny, 2007) There was an urgency among business leaders in San Francisco to quickly rebuild out of the fear that "...any delay would endanger their place as the financial and commercial center of the West. Business leaders and leaders of the construction unions, who had been warring for years, declared a truce." (Cherny, 2007)

It was suggested by some civil leaders that the rebuilding plan should take a "careful planned approach...that would include...new boulevards, wider streets, and other civic amenities, but in the haste to rebuild few people were willing to wait for new street plans, and, in the end the city was rebuilt with virtually the same street plan as before." (Cherny, 2007) Cherny reports that the same "...political fragmentation that prevented planned approach to rebuilding also hindered reconstruction of public buildings -- not until 1916 did the doors open on a new city hall." (2007)

SUMMARY & CONCLUSION

The earthquake of 1906 in California rendered massive destruction in California and resulted in the loss of many lives and millions in property however, resilient individuals in the state of California began rebuilding almost immediately. The positive aspects of the earthquake can be attributed to the knowledge gained in regards to architectural and engineering construction improvements to safety of dwellings in earthquake zones. This specific earthquake in 1906 resulted in a great deal of knowledge being added to what was known at the time about earthquakes.

Bibliography

Fradkin, Great Earthquake and Firestorms of 1906, 246

Hull, Elizabeth….....