San Francisco, a history of the Pacific coast metropolis, Volume II, Part 55

Author: Young, John Philip, 1849-1921
Publication date: 1912
Publisher: Chicago, The S. J. Clarke Pub. Co
Number of Pages: 738


USA > California > San Francisco County > San Francisco > San Francisco, a history of the Pacific coast metropolis, Volume II > Part 55


Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).


Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73


The United States geological survey in a report made to congress described the origin of the earthquake "as wholly or chiefly in a new slipping on the plane of an old fault. The trend of this fault is NW. and SE., and it is known through a distance of several hundred miles. It has been traced from San Juan on the south to Point Arena on the north a distance of about 180 miles. Altogether it has a length of 300 possibly 400 miles. Nothing is known of its depth." The report recites that "a rupture of this sort may be a mere pulling apart of the rocks so as to make a crack, but examples of that sort are extremely rare. The majority of ruptures include not only the making of a crack, but the sliding of the masses on the two sides of the crack; that is to say instead of a mere fracture there is a geological fault. After a fault has been made its walls slowly become welded or cemented together; but for a long time it remains a place of weakness so that subsequent strains are apt to be relieved by renewed slipping on the same plane of rupture and many earthquakes may thus originate in the same place."


These geological facts are very generally understood by the people of San Francisco, and account for what seems to people who live in regions not affected by these natural phenomena an extraordinary fearlessness. But what seems a reckless disregard of danger is really the result of an intelligent appreciation of the situation and knowledge of the ease with which its more serious consequences can be guarded against. Lack of apprehension is also accounted for in part by observation of the fact that the rest of the world has drawbacks which more than offset any threatened by seismic disturbances. The number of deaths from cyclonic visitations in the Eastern states every year is much larger than the most severe earthquake of which we have knowledge in California has caused, and the value of property destroyed annually greatly exceeds that caused by the temblor of April 18, 1906, in San Francisco, the chief loss in that catastrophe being due to fire whose spread might have been arrested had the City been provided with


Facts Familiar to San Franciscans


Investigation Made by U. S. Geological Survey


851


SAN FRANCISCO


an adequate water system. In short, while it is impossible to ward off earth- quakes in a fault region it is possible to guard against disastrous effects from their occurrence. Considerations of this sort have divested San Franciscans of fear. To them the earthquake seems a natural phenomenon to be guarded against as man guards against all possible or probable dangers, and by a process of com- parison they have convinced themselves that their City, despite its spectacular experience is safer than any other on the globe. It has never experienced a de- structive windstorm; it does not know the horrors of a blizzard; it absolutely es- capes the decimating effects of extreme summer heat; lightning is a phenomenon so rare that years often pass without a flash being seen by its inhabitants and such a thing as a flood is unknown. As a matter of fact the inquiries of the geo- logical survey and other scientists have absolutely determined that there is no natural visitation to which San Francisco is subject the evil consequences of which cannot be wholly averted, or at least reduced to a minimum; for their re- searches have shown that proper construction and adequate protection against fire will make the City practically immune to disaster.


Among the discoveries made by the investigators was the important fact that buildings can be made perfectly secure if they are constructed with a proper regard for safety. The postoffice and the Ferry building, although erected on ground peculiarly susceptible to earthquake shocks stood the ordeal because they were provided with good foundations. The only injury sustained by these structures was of the sort that can be easily overcome by a resort to methods which eschew gimcracks. The modern class A buildings, with steel frames, went through the disturbance so satisfactorily that no architect hesitates to advise a client to build as high as he cares to, or as his capital will permit; and there is no hesi- tation on the part of investors to follow this advice. A considerable part of the area of San Francisco is made ground, and there are other portions which may be described as alluvial soil. In these places, if proper precautions are taken in building, the effects of the wrenching which accompanies a shake due to a geo- logical fault can be minimized to such an extent that the consequences will not be serious.


That the fire evil may be completely warded off there is little doubt. The tre- mendous destruction of April, 1906, was found to be due to disregard of a danger concerning which the company supplying water to the City was not wholly ignor- ant. The geological survey in making its investigations discovered that one of the principal sources of supply had been disabled by the shock through the faulty construction of its pipe line across the region of the fault, the existence of which was known to the officers of the company. The City was supplied "prin- cipally by gravity from three main distributing reservoirs, viz .: University Mound, College hill and Lake Honda; there were also two supplementary sources, Alameda creek on the east side of the bay and Lake Merced. University Mound reservoir had a capacity of 33,000,000 gallons and was supplied from Crystal Springs lake through seventeen miles of forty-four inch wrought iron pipe, carried for a considerable distance on trestles over the marshes. The Lake Honda reservoir with a capacity of 31,000,000 gallons was fed from Lake Pilarcitos through six- teen miles of conduit one and a half miles of which was wooden flume and the re- mainder cast iron and wrought iron pipe. Of the two supplementary supplies the water from Alameda creek was carried twenty-seven miles, crossing San Fran-


Building to Guard Against Tremors


Water Company Neglects Precautions


852


SAN FRANCISCO


cisco bay through submarine pipes and thence passing through the Crystal Springs conduit to the City.


Interruption of the Water Supply


"On the San Bruno marsh the forty-four inch line to University Mound had been thrown off the trestle for a distance of 1,300 feet, and while the pipe was readily repaired the trestle had to be rebuilt because many of the timbers had rotted. Near Baden the line had been telescoped, and an eight-inch gate valve was sheared off. The reservoir was undamaged yet its three days' supply was rendered useless by the breaks in the cast iron distributing mains. . The principal breaks in the Pilarcitos conduit which was so badly damaged that the Spring Valley Water Company decided to abandon it were examined. This con- duit had been located for convenience in one of the long narrow valleys and therefore along the line of the old fault. It was evident that it would have been futile to attempt to build this conduit strong enough to stand a slip on the fault line. The breaks in this thirty inch wrought iron pipe ranged from thirty inches to six feet in length. At other points it was twisted and telescoped beyond repair. The San Andreas dam lies across the fault the crossing being about one hundred feet from the east end, and the dam showed a disturbance for more than 100 feet. . The concrete dam near San Mateo, at the lower end of Crystal Springs lake, parallel to the fault line, and a few hundred yards east of it was undamaged. This dam was built of large blocks of concrete thor- oughly keyed together, and molded in place, each block containing 200 to 300 cubic feet. The dam is 680 feet long and 146 feet high. When completed it will be 170 feet high, 176 feet thick at base and 25 feet thick at the top. It is arched up stream to a radius of 637 feet."


After reciting these facts the makers of the geological survey report concluded with these observations: "The water supply of San Francisco as compared with that of other cities is fairly good and had a rated capacity of 36,000,000 gallons per day. The failure to control the fire by reason of the crippling of the water supply was not due to the failure of the system outside the City, but the breaks in the distributing mains within the City which rendered unavailable 80,000,000 gallons of water stored within the city limits. These breaks occurred wherever the pipes passed through soft or made ground. No breaks occurred where the cast iron pipe was laid in solid ground, or rock. It is evident that in earthquake countries water supply pipes, at least, should be so laid as to avoid the action of slips, settling and ground movements of all kinds. The pipe lines should also be arranged with gates and by passes making it possible to cut out any portion of the system which may be crippled. There should also be some means of pre- venting loss of water which is occasioned by breaks in the house service pipes." These suggestions have been acted upon in the construction of the high pressure system provided since the fire, and there is reasonable ground for the belief that no disturbance could occur which would seriously impair the supply of water for fire-fighting purposes. In describing the physical peculiarities of San Francisco the report dwells on the fact that many of the most important buildings in the City were built on made ground, among them the Union Ferry building, the post- office, the mint and the custom house. All of these escaped, and the inference is fairly drawn from the survey's conclusions that "weak and flimsy framing were the cause of most of the failures (of buildings) in San Francisco," and that "brick curtain walls of buildings well braced diagonally, brick walls reinforced with band


Geological Survey Makes Suggestions


853


SAN FRANCISCO


iron and well buttressed walls as in such old structures as the Palace hotel, Sailors Home, St. Mary's Hospital and the Synagogue Emanuel" successfully sustained the shock. In short the report virtually declared that honest and sub- stantial methods of construction would give nearly perfect assurance against serious injury from future seismic troubles.


There were many valuable recommendations in the report suggested by the related experiences of sufferers. The dependence on safes was particularly re- ferred to. The survey estimated that "over 80 per cent of the so called fireproof safes failed," and as a consequence many valuable records and much other prop- erty loss resulted. An ordinary safe proved of no value whatever. Those in office buildings with imposing iron doors were worse than any. Only brick vaults passed the test. Vaults whose walls were of hollow tiles furnished no protection against heat which reached 2,200° Fahrenheit. The financial institutions of the City were all provided with the old fashioned solidly constructed brick vaults, and those in charge of them profiting by the experience of Baltimore a year or two earlier, refrained from opening them until nearly the end of May, and then the greatest precautions were taken to ascertain whether there was any danger menacing the process. The care was not misspent. There were a few cases of the destruction of valuable documents resulting from inconsiderate haste, but none of the im- portant institutions suffered in this regard. The general knowledge concerning the danger from premature opening of vaults, together with the prompt action of the governor in declaring legal holidays contributed greatly to the easy acquies- cence of the people in the new financial conditions created. One of the most striking features of the disaster was the intelligent appreciation of the situation which exhibited itself in the perfect confidence of the people in the banks. Al- though they held hundreds of millions of the people's money and securities no uneasiness was betrayed at any time, and absolutely no adverse criticism of the methods adopted was heard and the capable were permitted to work out the prob- lem of restoration unhampered. Thus it happened that an apparently desperate situation was met without serious embarrassment to the banks or their depositors.


Despite all these exhibitions of confidence, fear and necessity resulted in a great exodus from the City. During the eight days following the earthquake the Southern Pacific transported out of San Francisco and Oakland by rail 216,- 000 people of whom nearly 100,000 were carried free. The superior organization of the company and the excellent discipline of its employes enabled it to get its trains in motion at an early hour. Although the city water supply was cut off, every water tank of the company for miles in every direction thrown down; and despite the fact that every switch had to be overhauled, and without the aid of telephone or telegraph, ferries were running as early as 7 o'clock on the morn- ing of the 18th, and by noon the suburban trains were in motion. The day fol- lowing the shock witnessed the greatest flight, 1,073 cars of refugees being moved out, and the exodus was nearly as great on the 20th and continued heavy until the 26th of the month. The fortunate escape of the city water front property made the Southern Pacific the most important factor in the work of relief. The entire facilities of the company were unstintedly placed at the service of the com- munity. The refugees who fled to the transbay region were transported without charge, and thousands were furnished with passes to points within the state. Those who desired free transportation to Eastern states received it, and this liberal policy


Ordinary Safes Prove to be Valueless


The Exodus from the City


854


SAN FRANCISCO


was continued until the army authorities and the mayor suggested the revocation of the order, after which the Red Cross Society assumed charge of the destitute. The company was equally generous in the matter of bringing supplies to those who elected to stay behind. It not only carried all the voluntarily contributed provisions and articles of all kinds sent to the City, but it promptly notified the people living along its lines of its readiness to help meet the urgent demand, and thus secured many donations. When the recording angel balances accounts he will doubtless make the credit much larger than the $500,831, which represents the cost of relief transportation furnished by the Southern Pacific up to May 23, for the promptitude and intelligence displayed in extending aid was worth twenty times that amount to San Francisco in its great hour of need.


The cessation of the fire on Friday ended the first act of what for a time seemed an irreparable tragedy, but it did not put a full period to the troubles of the City. They were numerous, but energy and the spirit of optimism surmounted and overcame them. Their recital is reserved for the chapter on the rehabilitation of the City, the accomplishment of which has proved as great a surprise to the confident who predicted the outcome, as to the pessimists who believed that the career of the Pacific coast metropolis was terminated by the disaster of April 18, 1906.


Fire Under Control on the Third Day


THE REHABILITATION PERIOD 1906-1912


٦


CHAPTER LXIV


PROMPT INAUGURATION OF THE WORK OF REHABILITATION


FIRST SPECK OF THE GRAFT TROUBLES-SCHMITZ AS THE PRESIDING OFFICER OF THE CITIZENS' COMMITTEE-ORDER PRESERVED WITHOUT DIFFICULTY-MARTIAL LAW NOT IN FORCE-A SUMMARY EXECUTION-GOOD SENSE DISPLAYED BY THE PEOPLE -WORK OF THE RELIEF COMMITTEE-EFFORTS TO RESUME TRADING-NEW BUSINESS CENTERS CREATED-RAPID GROWTH OF BUSINESS ON FILLMORE STREET -NEW SHOPPING DISTRICTS-VAN NESS AVENUE DEVOTED TO SHOPS-HASTILY CONSTRUCTED BUILDINGS-WAGES AND BUILDING MATERIALS HIGH- A SCENE OF HOPELESS CONFUSION- MAKING THE STREETS PASSABLE-STREETS DESTROYED BY THE FIRE-BACK TO OLD BUSINESS CENTER DOWN TOWN-PLANS OF BEAUTIFICA- TION DEFERRED-ACTIVE WORK BY UNITED RAILROADS FITS OF PESSIMISM-EX- HIBITIONS OF RIVALRY-FORTUNATE ESCAPE OF WATER FRONT PROPERTY- AMOUNT OF INSURANCE RECEIVED-BRISK BUSINESS-REFUGEE CAMPS-FINANCIAL EXPEDIENTS-ROBBER BAND RESUMES ITS SWAY.


ANY who read the sanguine prediction made by a morn- ing paper while the fire was still smoldering, that in five M years a greater city would rise in the place of that de- stroyed, doubtless regarded it as an empty boast. The thousands who fled and sought refuge in the trans-bay OF SA cities, and nearby places, and those who deserted and failed to return must have considered those who took the optimistic view as rank hypocrites; and perhaps some of those who stayed to assist in the work of rehabilitation, and joined in the chorus of determination which found expression in the five years' restoration prophecy may, at times, have felt that the wish dictated their utterances rather than a belief founded on a calm survey of all the obstacles to be overcome. Had they foreseen some of the latter they might have thrown up their hands in despair. Had it been possible to peer into the fu- ture and get a glimpse of what was to occur when temporarily dormant instincts revived, and the old disposition so often manifested, of pulling against each other instead of working together, would reassert itself, they might easily have reached the conclusion that the attempt to restore the City would be vain and would have abandoned it as a hopeless job.


But there were no premonitions of such troubles. The great disaster appeared to have brought the whole community together to work harmoniously for the restor- ation of their shattered fortunes. The only signs of divergent interests were those which exhibited themselves on the occasion when Rudolph Spreckels in the Com-


Optimism Asserts Itself


First Speck of the Graft Troubles


857


858


SAN FRANCISCO


mittee of Fifty objected to the energy displayed by the United Railroads in promptly putting into operation its cross town line on Fillmore street. His oppo- sition was based on the assumption that there was danger of starting fresh fires. The manager of the line assured the committee that it had thoroughly overhauled its wires and that there was no possibility of trouble occurring. The majority of the committee regarded Spreckels' objection as frivolous, and some attributed it to the friction between the interest he represented, and that of the outside capitalists who had obtained control of the street railway system of the City, but out of defer- ence to the spirit of precaution begotten by the calamity, the running of the cars was suspended for a few hours.


Schmitz as Presiding Officer of Committee of Fifty


Whatever political feeling may have existed prior to the 18th of April ap- peared to have been completely obliterated by the fire. Although Eugene Schmitz as mayor had called the Committee of Fifty together, and presided at the subse- quent meetings of the citizens' body there was something like a complete abdication of their functions by the constituted municipal authorities. The mayor was to all intents and purposes merely a member of the organization over whose deliberations he presided, and, while the question of authority was not raised, it seemed to be tacitly assumed that he was to perform a duty analogous to that of the vice-presi- dent of the United States when acting as president of the senate. He filled the re- quirements of the arduous position admirably. Ruef during the first few days took no obtrusive part, but appeared to be devoting himself to assembling the loose ends of the details of organization. Much of the time he was performing work of a purely executive character, in conjunction with Rufus P. Jennings, who had been chosen secretary of the Committee of Fifty, and who had brought to his position those precise habits which do so much to bring order out of confusion. As for the supervisors, they were a negligible quantity, and were not heard of to any purpose, either in their official or private capacities until the Committee of Fifty had straight- ened out matters, and cleared the way for the exercise of their functions.


Order Preserved Without Difficulty


At no time during the period in which the military in conjunction with the Committee of Fifty took over the affairs of the City was there any formal sus- pension of the civil law. Despite the few incidents which occurred and which might be quoted to refute the assertion, there was a marvelous exhibition of orderliness and acquiescence in the arrangements made for the preservation of peace and the general welfare of the community. Although the question was subsequently raised whether the City was under martial law, no one at the time questioned or resented the presence of the regulars, or doubted that the orders given and strictly enforced, were for the common good. The auxiliary police force, which patroled the various districts of the City also exercised the authority conferred upon it with- out challenge. There were a few cases of insubordination, and one or two in which the outcome was disastrous, but on the whole, considering the fact that be- fore the fire the City was supposed to be harboring a large number of men who represented the extreme ideas of the syndicalists, there was a remarkable degree of that sort of orderliness which can only be secured by unquestioning acceptance of the assumption that the exercise of authority and the necessity of regulation are imperative if chaos is to be avoided.


Martial Law Not in Force


In a decision rendered in a case growing out of the lamentable killing of Her- bert Tilden, a member of the Committee of Fifty, who had taken up the work of relief with great zeal, Judge Cook clearly indicated the existing condition so far


858


SAN FRANCISCO


mittee of Fifty objected to the energy displayed by the United Railroads in promptly putting into operation its cross town line on Fillmore street. His oppo- sition was based on the assumption that there was danger of starting fresh fires. The manager of the line assured the committee that it had thoroughly overhauled its wires and that there was no possibility of trouble occurring. The majority of the committee regarded Spreckels' objection as frivolous, and some attributed it to the friction between the interest he represented, and that of the outside capitalists who had obtained control of the street railway system of the City, but out of defer- ence to the spirit of precaution begotten by the calamity, the running of the cars was suspended for a few hours.


Schmitz as Presiding Officer of Committee of Fifty


Whatever political feeling may have existed prior to the 18th of April ap- peared to have been completely obliterated by the fire. Although Eugene Schmitz as mayor had called the Committee of Fifty together, and presided at the subse- quent meetings of the citizens' body there was something like a complete abdication of their functions by the constituted municipal authorities. The mayor was to all intents and purposes merely a member of the organization over whose deliberations he presided, and, while the question of authority was not raised, it seemed to be tacitly assumed that he was to perform a duty analogous to that of the vice-presi- dent of the United States when acting as president of the senate. He filled the re- quirements of the arduous position admirably. Ruef during the first few days took no obtrusive part, but appeared to be devoting himself to assembling the loose ends of the details of organization. Much of the time he was performing work of a purely executive character, in conjunction with Rufus P. Jennings, who had been chosen secretary of the Committee of Fifty, and who had brought to his position those precise habits which do so much to bring order out of confusion. As for the supervisors, they were a negligible quantity, and were not heard of to any purpose, either in their official or private capacities until the Committee of Fifty had straight- ened out matters, and cleared the way for the exercise of their functions.


Order Preserved Without Difficulty


At no time during the period in which the military in conjunction with the Committee of Fifty took over the affairs of the City was there any formal sus- pension of the civil law. Despite the few incidents which occurred and which might be quoted to refute the assertion, there was a marvelous exhibition of orderliness and acquiescence in the arrangements made for the preservation of peace and the general welfare of the community. Although the question was subsequently raised whether the City was under martial law, no one at the time questioned or resented the presence of the regulars, or doubted that the orders given and strictly enforced, were for the common good. The auxiliary police force, which patroled the various districts of the City also exercised the authority conferred upon it with- out challenge. There were a few cases of insubordination, and one or two in which the outcome was disastrous, but on the whole, considering the fact that be- fore the fire the City was supposed to be harboring a large number of men who represented the extreme ideas of the syndicalists, there was a remarkable degree of that sort of orderliness which can only be secured by unquestioning acceptance of the assumption that the exercise of authority and the necessity of regulation are imperative if chaos is to be avoided.




Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.