The National tribune., 1906-09-06


but a careful inspection Of their build
ings and other evidences does not sup
port this contention. Moreover. The
shock, even in San Francisco, was IEorc
severe at the west than at the east.
True, the destruction, the terrible fire,
was all to the eastward, but that was
merely accident. A much less tremor
would have been sufficient to fracture
chimneys and otherwise make fire pos
sible that with the absence of water
and proper fire-fightins organization.
might have grown into as disastrous a
confiagration.
Directions Of the Shocks.
All evidences point that the trend %
force was northweStward. and virtually
twisted everything in the city in the di-
rection of the southeast. Lumber Piles
were so turned, their upper halves an
| glewise to their lower halves. that re-
maincd stationary, and so with CHM
neys and all heavy bodies that were
moved only by the great first shock
Lighter objects were twisted and tum-
bled in every direction by the succeed
ing minor tremors and the final, If We
can call 1t, readjustment of the earth's
crust. The buildings indicate and scien-
| lists corroborate that the first great
shock twisted everything eastward, as
does ferryboat striking her berth for
ward and on the west side. There then
followed less severe tremor or read
justment westward and an undulating
movement from south to north, as the
| wave or wake left by boat in the
water. Next there seemed to be a dis
| tinct upraising and then an utter and
sudden collapse to normal and since
that day there have been 80 or more
quite distinct. but comparatively insg-
nificant shocks. as If old mother earth
were indeed nervous and fretful after
her wild rampage.
A Study of Buildings.
The buildings show some peculiar
and at first sight seemingly freaky ef-
fects of the quake. The greater part
of their damage, however, can be more
directly attributed to the stupidity or
carelessness of their erectors than to
the awfulness of the quake. Nothing
but the rankest stupidity or the worst
gambling instinct could prompt a man
to an outlay of many hundred thousand
dollars in a building, in a city subject
to earthquakes, resting that structure
on an insecure foundation, in loosely
filled land and with the different parts
of the structure improperly tied togeth
er. That earthquake and the subse-
quent fire laid bare some of the worst
sins Of construction that 1t has ever
been my misfortune to see. Presum-
ably there is as much stupidity or care
lessness in construction generally
throughout the country, in all other
cities, only they have not yet been un-
covered, pitilessly exposed. One thing
demonstrated beyond cavil is that a
tall, heavy, well-built structure, upon a
perfect foundation, Is the least dam
aged in an earthquake. Such buildings
in San Francisco in which the various
parts were we'll tied together and all
the steel frame suffered only in the
loss OF some glass and. plaster-as far
as earthquake damage is concerned.
The others. where such reasonable pre-
cautions were not taken, were shattered
and battered, IL not more or less en-
tirely collapsed.
| Naturally, whatever damage was
done in the tall buildings was most Sc
we're at about the middle Of the struc-
ture's height. Any structural member
laid horizontally and overweighted is
bound to break at or near the middle,
and so with overloaded or otherwise
bent vertical members. the line of frac-
| ture or least resistance usually shows
itself in the middle. Architects should
keep that we'll in mind, and where
earthquake Is probable should brace
and tie that portion Of their buildings
most thoroughly.
The Geologic "Fault."
The full extent of the geological
fault that caused this particular
quake will probably never be known.
Its worst effects We're felt and evidences
left on a line from Salinas to Point
| Arena, while minor Indications exist TO
distance of fully $50 miles along the
| coast In places this fault is clearly
shown by actual assures in the earth
of eight or more feet in width. The
severity Of the resulting shock Is clear
ly shown by torn and riven cliffs and
landslides all along the coast, though in
places the actual line Of fault" is a
mile or more at sea.
/ OF course, any such catastrophe ac-
companied by so awful a fire is bound
to leave a most lasting impression and
fear in the people. Recurrences are
expected. and everyone is more or less
nervous and apprehensive Of even the
rumble of cart in the street. We can
have no assurance that as severe IL not
worse quake will not be felt next year
or tomorrow, but we can take some
comfort in the fact that scientists be-
lieve that the subterranean forces thus
broken loose have found certain vents
and freedom that will keep them so to
lspeak. pacified, and they draw consid-
Ierable consolation from the knowledge
that the slight shock Of 'ss seemed to
secure comparative immunity for near
ly 40 years.
Hope for the Future.
This particular shock was felt as Sc
verely at Santa Rosa. Palo Alto and
San Jose AZ 1t was In San Francisco,
and the surprising thing about IL all is
that with SO severe a shaking compare
lively so few lives were lost Indeed.
1t would seem that for some geologic
reason or other. hardly the chilling OF
the earth, the force Of our terrestrial
quakes seem to be growing less as years
speed on; at least. II We measure them
by their fatalities. The greatest loss of
life In our times occurred in the earth
quake of '96 in Japan, when 10000
people were killed. In times gone by
We find records of where the fatalities
were measured by the hundred thou
sand. Thus In China in 1899 100000
victims fell prey to the one earthquake.
and. but to mention one other, We know
that in 526 A. d. another quake CENTER
ing along the Mediterranean laid low
some 100000 victims.
April would seem to be the fayorite
month for earthquakes. History re-
cords number Of quakes in tha,
month. Last year, for instance, ON tho
4th of April. there were seven distinct
shocks in the Valley of Kangra, India
. Entire cities were laid low and great
destruction was wrought all about. and
, over $1,000 people were killed. Toward
the end of the same month southern
Europe felt distinct shocks, though NOT
severe ones, the southeastern portion of