The Hawaiian gazette., 1906-07-13

Francisco.
The conclusions ventured TO express
relative to the proportion 81 damage
between the earthquake and the fire.
ana which csrresp0ndcd with the edi-
torial expressions ~ the Advertiser.
have been so completely demonstrated
that they have passed beyond the
range. not OF interest. but OF discus
sion. II Is apparent that. so far as the
land Is concerned. there were two cen-
lers of seismic disturbance. one north
and the other south ~ san Francisco.
although under the ocean, at the foot
| Of. or beyond, the watery base Of the
precipitous Coast Range. the true
! source OF the catastrophe may exist.
The shock undoubtedly was very heavy
in many parts OF the san Francisco
peninsula. far severer than any that
had been known within the memory OF
| man or noted In the historical records.
But, II that had been all. the progress
OF the Pacific metropolis would hardly
have been impeded. The most direct
effects were felt on the made ground
and the indirect effects through the
widespread desolation by fire was not a
| natural consequence. but resulted from
the cupidity and fraud OF more than
half a century ago. from an artificial
| and recklessly constructed area, and
from an utter disregard OF the sugges-
| tions Of nature.
The extracts you have published
| from the Argonaut show an intelligent
| and exact comprehension of the sltua-
| ton IN all but one particular. While
| fully recognizing what IL termed the
| eccentricity OF earthquakes, which il
really not eccentricity, but indicates
the strength or weakness OF the earth's
| crust at different spots, even within a
| limited space, i am not aware Of the
| fact that any serious damage has ever
been done in those portions OF San
| Francisco where there is a thick, rocky
| foundation. In point Of resistance, no
doubt the sand fats towards the Cold
en- Gate Part. and the ocean occupy a
middle position between the enduring
hills on the one hand and the filed IN
section on the other.
1t is only necessary for any man to
study the comprehensive photographs
recently issued to observe that on the
made ground there is hardly the re.
|
the original shore line Is reached. the
skeletons or frames Of buildings begir
TO appear and become more numerous
as the eye traverses the ruins toward
the west 10 the points where the fires
were ultimately extlnguished. And Il
is TO be remembered that the photo
graphs reproduce the combined damage
by the earthquake and the flames
There is literally no fact to weaken th'
proposition that the made ground
| which In places had been sinking FOL
many years. not only yielded to tn
shock. but through the instantaneous
disruption OF the principal water main
outside of the city proper and due 4
the earthquake itself, and of subsidiar!
water mains, and the simutaneou
breaking out OF fires, within the arti
fetal area, was responsible for at leas
nincteen-twentieths of the entire loss
including human life The testimon!
on this point, accommodating day by day
beyond the facts already cited, is vlr
tually unanimous Two or three ex
tracts may be in order. Thomas l.
Woodward, the city engineer. says
considering the severity OF the shock
comparatively small portion OF tn
sewer system was damaged. and thi
was largely confined to the filled Fl
portion Of the city" Professor c
Derieth, Jr., Associate Professor o
Structural Engineering at the Univer
sity of California, furnished a repor
to the Engineering News from whicl
the following passages are taken:
THE earthquake destruction wa
most marked on soft and sandy sol
and upon made ground. The Ferr!
Building at the foot Of Market Stree
is decidedly damaged. It's tower mus
be taken down. Bad cracks are fount
running horizontally between the win
dows on the second story. This build
ing rests upon excellent foundations
but II Is supported upon materia
which seems to have acted like Wis
cous fluid" - "All OF the made
ground between the Market street wa
terfront and the region OF Montgomer.
street has been decidedly moved an'
. transformed. Wavelike effects ar
, common along lower Market street an'
the waterfront. Wavelike depression
and crests amounting 10 four and nv
feet are found throughout this re
gion. The same observations can b.
made IN other localities Of the cit!
where soft ground IL met The mag
nihcent postofice building corner o
Mission and Seventh street rests upOi
sand and under one end Of II AT on
time ran an old creek bed"
Professor Omori Of Japan, a famou
earthquake expert In land wher'
: siesmlc commissions. far more Intense
, have been frequent, tells US that "stee
buildings would be the best for futur
structures. II on good foundations am
not built on made ground"
This last quotation brings me 10 M
main purpose OF this communication
which II 90 convey some views on ~
reconstruction Of San Francisco tn
. underlying question II whether publ
or private Interests are 60 control am
II must be confessed that 20 far, !
. appears mat while the public inter
ests, which include the concern ~ ~
, whole civilized world IN The reprnquf
lion ~ great commercial metropolis
have moi bnen altogether ignored pr
ynta Interests, combines diihnpli q
q reconcile are nevertheless likely 90 b.
} predominant u n WIN fear an'
trembling ana WIN genuine diHldenH
p thai any laymnn can oven discuss lh
7. nrarulaI poaitIYeness ~ me scientists
who Hre rarely Tolerant ~ unlrlfnn
.s.... HHlNf U..ItI l.Ia l.aI l.