San Francisco before the earthquake

TENNESSEE HEADQUARTERS [at the Presidio] April 19. " No story will ever be written that will tell the awfulness of the thirty-hours following the terrible earthquake. No pen of the most powerful description the world ever saw could ever place on paper the impression of any one of the hundreds of thousands who felt the mighty tremble. No pen can record the sufferings of those who were crushed to death or buried in the ruins that encompassed them in an instant after 5:13 o�clock Wednesday morning."
Fred J. Hewitt "San Francisco is gone. Nothing remains of it but memories and a fringe of dwelling-houses on its outskirts. Its industrial section is wiped out. Its business section is wiped out. Its social and residential section is wiped out."
Jack London "Everything had succumbed; even massive blocks of granite had been burned almost through, as though chiseled. A bare half-dozen buildings yet stood in all those miles, and they [were] badly defaced externally; within, completely gutted. These, and a lone pillar here and there, the leaning fragments of a wall, mounds of melted iron, networks of twisted steel and a chaos of brick and stone were all that was left of the innumerable imposing structures which once made up our magnificent city."
Charles Sedgwick

"In conclusion, let me say that this stupendous disaster leads a thoughtful person to two conclusions: viz., faith in humanity; and the progress of the human race. All artificial restraints of our civilization fell away with the earthquake's shocks, Every man was his brother's keeper. Everyone spoke to everyone else with a smile. The all-prevailing cheerfulness and helpfulness were encouraging signs of our progress in practicing the golden rule, and humanity's struggle upward toward the example of our Savior."
Emma M Burke

This web site was done as a class project.
Quotes were taken from the eyewitness accounts in the Museum of San Franciso's website.
Credit for the pictures goes to both the Museum of San Francisco and the papers of Charles Derleth.
Links to both sites can be found on the following page.
Thomas Franklin Barnard was my great-great uncle.

For links to other sites about the 1906 Earthquake

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San Francisco before the earthquake
TENNESSEE HEADQUARTERS [at the Presidio] April 19. " No story will ever be written that will tell the awfulness of the thirty-hours following the terrible earthquake. No pen of the most powerful description the world ever saw could ever place on paper the impression of any one of the hundreds of thousands who felt the mighty tremble. No pen can record the sufferings of those who were crushed to death or buried in the ruins that encompassed them in an instant after 5:13 o�clock Wednesday morning." Fred J. Hewitt	"San Francisco is gone. Nothing remains of it but memories and a fringe of dwelling-houses on its outskirts. Its industrial section is wiped out. Its business section is wiped out. Its social and residential section is wiped out." Jack London	"Everything had succumbed; even massive blocks of granite had been burned almost through, as though chiseled. A bare half-dozen buildings yet stood in all those miles, and they [were] badly defaced externally; within, completely gutted. These, and a lone pillar here and there, the leaning fragments of a wall, mounds of melted iron, networks of twisted steel and a chaos of brick and stone were all that was left of the innumerable imposing structures which once made up our magnificent city." Charles Sedgwick