1906 Earthquake

thickly peopled, humanity camping out in all sorts of ways, and then very uncomfortable and frightened. Two huge columns of smoke, one toward the Union Iron Works, and the other in the Western Addition told of fires still raging, and the boom of dynamite came at short intervals. Unchallenged I started out up Guerrero St. (parallel and one block above Valencia) about four blocks and I came over a hill and at the edge of the burnt area. Never could forget the impression that sight made - nor can I describe the desolation of blocks of foundations full of little bonfires - gaunt chimneys rising like tombstones at the head of each pile of ashes - broken charred wire poles - a maze of wires on the streets - trucks of trolley cars standing askew on warped and buckled rails. Sidewalks littered with shells of trunks, sewing machine iron, and perambulator wheels - iron bed steads and heaps of springs - all black.

So near in this shortened perspective that it seemed but a few rods distant rose the tower of the City Hall all its encircling columns gone, and most of the main buildings a ruin.