Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1906-05-03
San Francisco and Its CatastrO.
Dlle.

Fortunately it is seldom that one
great elemental catastrophe follows
close upon the heels of another. Usu-
ally Nature seems to stop and draw
breath before beginning further alter.
alton in the envelope which restraints
her greatest forces. The full horror Of
the devastation which last week swept
San Francisco and adjacent cities. burst
upon US before we had even fairly con-
cluded that the Neapolitan disaster had
reached its full extent. The earth
quake which was the ultimate cause of
the destruction of the greatest Ameri-
can city on the Pacific coast was incom.
parably the seyerest eyer recorded in
the United States, and was accompanied
by the loss of hundreds, if not thous ands
of lives, and the destruction Of property
valued at hundreds of millions. But
the full extent OF the cataclysm was
hardly realized until it was found i'm
possible to check the progress of the
fires which Immediately sprang ny at
innumerable points among the ruins Of
collapsed buildings. The earth tremor
destroyed almost the entire water sys-
tenn of the city. and the local fire de-
partment, % we'll rs the assistance sent
from other cities, was practically help
less. Dynamite and even artillery
were used without effect to stay the
sweep OF the flames, and at the present
writing San Francisco is The scene Of a
coli hagration which is said to oyerrhad-
ow even the recent great fire Of Balti-
more, and which has rendered over
100000 people homeless and helpless
To the terror Of fire has been added the
suffering entailed by Lack of food and
water, for railroad communication with
the wrecked city has been all bnt de-
stroyed and even telegraphlc connec-
ton was not re-estabiished till hours
after the FIST shock.
That the native energy, courage, and
resourcefu!uess of the Californian will
raise upon the ashes Of San Francisco a
greater and more splendid city is GER
tain; nor will tie lessons taught by the
destruction be lost As iar az can be
learned from the meager reports OBJ
tainsble it appears that solid masonry
structures collapsed like so many
houses of sand Willie more modrr1
structures With steel skeletons were
damaged to far sllghter extent. 4
true, this is doubtlets because Of the
elasticity of the riveted framework
while the rigidty of solid masonry was
of no avail against the rising aud faN-
ing Of the earth under the foundations
The severest damage due 20 the shaking
of The earth itself was caused in the
part Of the city that WAS built on re-
claiued land, and it seems that here
even modern structures were unable tt
resist the sinking Of the earth.
1t would seem that the disaster O
San Francisco, following so closely up
On the great eruption Of Vespyins
could, III come manner, be traced to an
origin at least analogous to that which
caused the latter. 1t ls the consensus
Of opinion, howeyer, Of scieutlfc men
that the earthquake on tie racifc coas
is OF local origin. It is probable thai
the tremtr was due to the Slipping Of
fracturing of some great stratum or o
several strata Of loch either directly
underlying the city or Pacific Ocear
nearby. That the center Of the con-
vu'son was either under the land, ol
not far from the shore, is shown by th,
fact that 10 great annihilating sca wave
resulted, like that which made thu
great earthquake at Lisbon, III 1855, 81
terribly destructive. On that occasion
a great tidal wave passed clear across
the Atlantic Ocean in nine and hal
hours, aud the effect Of the shock itsel
was felt even IN England Tie Pacific
coast which lies in an earthquake bel
quite distinct from that which include!
Southern Italy is peculiarly susceptible
to disturbances of this nature. Thu
present con6guration Of the soil is o
recent geological age. and the coast
unlike the Atlantic shore line, shelves
ralidly to deep water, and thus the
slipping Of rock Strata. which is usually
the cause Of non valcanc commissions
is greatly facilitated. 1t is for the same
reason that the japanese islands anC
the Atlantic coast are so frequently the
scene Of earthquakes, some Of which
especially in Japan. have been of terri
lic intensity. 1t is quite that volcanic
eruptions and earthquakes are liable te
occur simultaneously, but in the case o.
California connection should be
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