EARTHQUAKES

New Zealand Times, Volume L, Issue 11423, 20 January 1923, Page 12

EARTHQUAKES

MEMORIES OF ’FRISCO FIRE PANIC-STRICKEN PEOPLE. Canterbury people concluded that life could be too exciting for comfort when their homes began to sway and their windows to break recently, but to a man who was in the great ’Frisco earthquake, in 1906, every subsequent “shake’* he has felt has not been worth talking about. BEDLAM LET LOOSE. Being then in about the worst and most dangerous part of the city (south of Market street), I suddenly became acquainted with the ’quake by being thrown out of bed, the ceiling crashing on to the bed immediately after, while I was lying in a heap on the floor (writes W.J.H.). Fortunately, however, no bones were broken, and I was able to grab my bag and scramble through that crazy old wooden building to the street, witnessing a sight never to be forgotten. To my mind, Bedlam had suddenly been let loose. All sorts and conditions of society were transferring their baggage and belongings to the open oountry. FIRE STATION BURNED. The fire started in several directions soon after, and quickly caught up the struggling wayfarers, compelling them to drop their baggage and go for their lives. The troops stationed at the Preeedia, just outside the city, took charge of the town at 9 o’clock, commandeering provisions, and supplied the people free with them. Buildings were dynamited and blown up to check the spread of the flames.

It was useless to turn to a firealarm, Os in the majority of cases the brigade stations were destroyed by rhe ’quake (30 altogether), and the water mains owned by private companies broken and useless. Martiailaw, as far as I know, was not proclaimed by the Governor, as the people had suffered too much already. A fe\£ notices, however, were posted in conspicuous places, warning looters to beware. THREE SQUARE MILES. The combined efforts of ’quake and fire destroyed about 1000 blocks; or, in other words, an area of about thros square miles. The people were panicstricken, and rushed in all directions to the parks and open spaces. Railways offered free accommodation to travel, and got numbers to safety from the burning city. Californian residents (a cosmopolitan crowd) quickly got practical proof that the whole of America was responding to the call for help. This they could plainly see and understand by the amount of provisions and clothing poured into ’Frisco free, even for months after, from every little hamlet, village, town, and city there. TENT TOWN. It was estimated at the time that 250,000 people were homeless. Tent Town, a sequel to the ’quake, situated in Golden Gate Park, was a remarkable feature of that disaster, again proving that American systems, brains, and hands quickly respond and do their best in a trying emergency. Tents were numbered, indexed, and alphabetically arranged in rows h.v the civil and military authorities, and a. register kept at a lodge of the inmates residing there.. San Francisco, apparently, judging from news gathered on the spot, is in the earthquake belt, and may again at any time he visited by that unwelcome visitor, the ’quake.