AS DAWN APPROACHED SAN FRANCISCO on this date in 1906, the city expected another wonderful day.  The weather in April is the best of the year and the residents were enjoying a prosperity better than they had ever imagined.

The economic boom fueled by the seaport that was now connected to the entire continent with railroad lines, and the continuing influx of minerals from the great western mines brought great wealth to the city.  The Federal government had even constructed a large and permanent mint to assay the valuable metals and strike eagerly needed coinage.

The modern city had electricity, street cars and wide, paved roads.  Large department stores and luxury hotels were landmarks in the city and helped make it famous.

This movie below was taken from the front window of a cable car as it traveled down Market Street, the main downtown artery that leads from Twin Peaks to the Ferry Terminal with its distinctive clock tower.  Click to play the video.

Note the many large, modern commercial buildings,
and notice too the driving practices in the days before
traffic laws and established “rules of the road.”

5:13 am the whole world changed for San Franciscans.  A massive earthquake struck the West Coast that was felt from Coos Bay, Oregon, to Los Angeles and inland to central Nevada.

South of Market St. the ground liquified and virtually every building collapsed and fires broke out in dozens of places.

Fire Chief Dennis Sullivan was mortally injured when the dome of the Palace Theater and Hotel fell onto the firehouse where he lived at 410-412 Bush St.  Fireman James O’Neill was drawing water for the horses at fire station 4 on Howard St. and was killed when the wall of the American Hotel collapsed onto the firehouse.

 6:30 am General Funston at Fort Mason ordered all available troops to Mayor Schmitz.  By 7 am the first soldiers began arriving.  Contrary to popular belief, martial law was NOT declared in the city, but all U. S. Army troops were at the disposal of the mayor for domestic peacekeeping.

8:13 am A major aftershock hit, bringing more collapses and by 11 am scores of downtown buildings were burning.

1:00 pm The Central Fire Alarm Station, located in Chinatown, was ordered to be abandoned.  Shortly after, the Postal Telegraph operators were ordered to shut down and move out, effectively cutting off all communication with the outside world.

As some residents started rioting and large-scale looting began taking place, Mayor Schmitz issued a “shoot-to-kill” proclamation.

Within the next two days about 500 to 1,000 people were shot dead in the streets for looting.  It was later estimated that nearly half of those casualties were not looters, but only people who were trying to save their own belongings from the approaching fires.

This photograph below attests to the fact that some of the looting was carried out by the soldiers themselves.

2:30 pm The army begins dynamiting buildings around the U. S. Mint in an attempt to set up a fire break.

8:00 pm  The mayor believes that the downtown can now be saved.  But he was wrong.  As the fire department attemped to make a stand at the foot of Nob Hill, the residents began torching their own homes and belongings in the belief that their home insurance only covered fire loss and not earthquake damage.

These next two videos show much of the fire and quake damage in the downtown area.  Click to play each.

Tomorrow:  The fires continue out of control throughout the city. (HERE)

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