The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1906-08-25
AN EARTHQUAKE CITY.

| AN EAnluQUA AE VII L
SAN FRANCISCO USED TO SHOCKS
BUT EXPECTED THIS DISASTER
Only Recently Have They Had cour
age to Put Up Skyscrapers-Part o.
City Which Suffered Is On The Flat:
and Made Lands-A STUPID Water
System.
Although San Francisco has always
been known as an 'earthCuahe town,
frequency of shocks rather Ran vlo
lence has been characteristic CT lis
seismic history.
There was violent shock in 1896,
when the city was only mining town
Of small frame buildings. Several
shanties We're overthrow and few
persons Killed by falling walls ana
chlmneys. Next in violence was the
shock Of 1872, which cracked the walls
OF some of the public buildings and
caused n panic There was 10 great
loss of life. In April, 1893, just before
midnight there was a lively shaEeup
which caused the tall buildings 10
shake like the swapping OF WHIP
and drove the tourists out of the no.
tells into the streets in their night
clothes. Three or four old houses fell.
and the Benicia navy yard, which is
on made ground across the bay. was
damaged to the extent of about $780,
600
These were the heaviest shocks. Ca
the other hand, light shocks have been
frequent. Probably the sensible
quakeS have averaged three or four
year. These are usually tremblllSs
lasting from ten seconds to a minute
and just heavy enough to wake light
sleepers or to shake dishes about on
the shelves. Tourists and newcomers
are generally alarmed by these phen-
omcna, but old Califcrnians have
learned to take them philosophically.
TO one who is moi afraid Of them. the
sensation on one of these little
trembiers is rather pleasant than
let the fear Of a great earthquake
disaster has always been over San
Francisco. It has accounted IN great
degree for the peculiar architecture
Of the place. 1t was only in 1890 that
any one ventured to build a high
structure. and the inhabitants have
been shy of brick and stone The
houses and the business blocks, to
some extent are of wood-mainly
California redwood. Brick residences
are not common
With the steady trade winds which
prevail there at all seasons of the
year the city should have been wiped
out by great confederation long ago.
md would have been but for the pc
'ullar quality OF California redwood.
which shoulders in a fire and re-
uses to breal, into a bright and ener- |
,etic blaze. Given a good water sup /
'ly the fires are such that they are I
,asily handled by the fire department. /
n fact, there has never been before |
his what might be called a general /
in San Francisco.
To understand this disaster it is
necessary TO consider the peculiar
Mystical characteristics of the land
pon which San Francisco is built.
he original site was a bunch Of high
nd abrupt hills ending in a PENN
ula, whose furthest reach forms one
ide of the Golden Gate. the entrance
0 San Francisco Bay. The greater
art of the city proper is on the inner
ide of the peninsula, facing on the
ay and not on the Pacific ocean. The
Ity has been growing out toward the
cean, however; and Golden Gate
ark, which starts as broad ribbon
land at about the centre of the
OWN. has reached an ocean frontage
he city now has a population of
lore than 100000.
The four or five high hills were APP
ropriated early in the life of the city
S residence district; and with the
RECEPTION of Telegraph Hill, at one
)rner Of the city, they hold the homes
the wealth and well-to-do The
usiness district was set on the low
nds in the clefts between the hills,
nd, of course, as close to the wharf
,om on the bay as possible
Such land being valuable, this dis
let has been gradually filled in and
itended for fifty years When the
alter came up to Montgomery street
a San Francisco phrase describing
e early days. Now there are ten
ocks of business streets between
ontgomery street and the water
ont. Here lies the warehouse and
district.