The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1906-04-25
The Disaster At San Francisco.

devastated greater cities than San
Francisco; but that is generally q
calamity of human creation. Cy-
clones have swept over cities and
towns, working havoc; but that
was bnt an extreme manifestation
of the ever movingand fitful winds
When the solid earth upon which
We base not only our great build
inas but the entire structure OF
commerce and society yaWns and
t1embles. casting down buildings
and destroying : great city. 1t
seems as If the fundamental basis
of life il snAtched away. The
sequel of q conhaRration Wiping
out even the ruins left by the earth
quake makes the union of the
malign powers of nature overpoWer-
ing to its victims. Small wonder
that in the presence of such disas-
ters the people are panic stricken
and hopeless!
Other cities have been visited by
earthquakes, but San Francisco is
the largest city suffering from that
: dread visitation in modern times;
and 30 far as can be gathered from
ths confused reports the destruo-
ton is more general and the loss
of property greater than in any re-
cent earthquake. The Krakatoa
upheayal destroyed many more
lives than are now estinated as
loseat San Francisco. The Lis
bon earthquake of The eighteenth
century was also more destructive
of human life. But for the attack
upon a great, modern city and the
poWerlesaness of scientific develop
ments against the destruction that
has been experienced from ancient
days to the present the San Fran
cisco disaster is likely to rank az
the chief in magnitude.
Such tragic and gloomy situa
ton would be q climax of futility
if NO lesson could be deduoed from
it. Humanity cannot, of course,
control the earthquake, but it is
we'll worth investigating whether
it cannot plan its buildings with
reference to th0'earthquake danger
San Francisco has from early daye
been known to be subject to this
danger, but the ambition to create
an attractive, modern city hae
caused some neglect of the obvioue
perils of high brick and stone struc-
lures in seismic disturbances
When a tWenty-storY steel frame
building was constructed there
were earnest protests against it on
account of the earthquake danger.
but it stock the earthquake of 1897
much better than lower buildings
of the usual type.
The reports do not yet afford
any clear idea of the test OF the
steel frame structures in this earth
quake, txoept that, at this writing.
mono ofthem il specif ID as destroy
ed. Certainly the experience
should be carefully studied to see
If either that or any other style
of building is earthquake proof
IL not, San Frsncisco and other
places liabls to seismic attacks
should plan their structures of such
modest height az to lessen, if not
avoid. the peril.
It requires q great unusualdisas.
aster to bring out the really gold
in the composition of men and
women alike. The calamity of San
Francisco afforded abundant oppor
tuuity for q test not often made
Many Glasses distinguished them.
selves, and when the full tale lie
told it will be found wiver, mothers
sisters and sweethearts are CON
spicuous in deeds of mercy and of
daring Among the men praise
unstinted is given to the regular
soldiers of the nation and to those
of the State of California. And
not the least were the telegraph
operators-men who, hour after
hour, at the risk of their lives, with
nothing to eat and no opportunity
for sIeep-woTked that the world
might know of the accumulated
horrors of day and night. And
with them were the gentlemen of
the press, recording under similar
conditions all that transpired,
making notes for future historians,
az well az present-day readers And
the doctors, the nurses and the
police, az we'll. These women and
men alike deserve q special chroni-
Clap fnp khaiI daoda mav ha k1o1n