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The Earthquake Starts, 5:12 a.m.
At 5:12 a.m. residents of San Francisco and the surrounding area began to feel tremors, waking them and shaking them out of their beds. -
The Army Arrives, 7:00 a.m.
At almost precisely 7 a.m. the U.S. Army came to the aid of San Franciscans. They were assigned to protect the residents and get them to safety. -
The Aftershock, 8:14 a.m.
After the earthquake finally seemed over and the city was starting to relax, a huge aftershock occured at 8:12 a.m. This collapsed many more buildings and was a great cause of damage. -
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San Francisco Earthquake
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Governor Pardee comes to San Francisco
Governor Pardee, the (at the time) governor of California came by train to help with the severe damage and economic state. The governor later stated that "“The work of rebuilding San Francisco has commenced, and I expect to see the great metropolis replaced on a much grander scale than ever before.” -
The Fires
After three days straight of burning the fires that had taken place in the city finally stopped. During the time of the fires San Francisco firefighters had very little water in supply and had no choice but to dynamite buildings. However, dynamiting buildings only led to furtther fires. The fires burned as hot as 2,700 degrees Farenheit or 1,482 degrees Celsius. -
Refugees and Dislocated Persons
To assist people that had lost homes as a result of the earthquake, the army set up 21 refugee camps. The camps were only partly successful as racial discrimination meant Asian- Americans were not allowed in or treated as fairly.
In addition to the refugee camps "relief cottages" were also available. -
Damage After The Earthquake
A month after the disaster the damages were huge. 500 city blocks had been destroyed and along with it; 28,000 buildings. 3,000 people died and even more were injured, Half of San Francisco's 400,000 residents were left homeless. -
Insurance Company Issues
Many homes were destroyed during the earthquake, the majority of them insured. However, not only did the homeowners lose money, the insurance companies did too. They were not able to fullfill policies. -
Scientific Discoveries and Research
Although the earthquake was negative socially, the effect was in some ways poitive for scientists. By about eight months after the earthquake, predicting following natural disasters was made easier through more advanced monitoring and reduction of hazards. -
A Year Passes
A year after the earthquake, San Francisco was still recovering.The city had spent $90 million on constructing new buildings to replace the 28,000 destroyed. They recieved $9 million in compensation, tiny in comparison to $100 million lost to the earthquake and another $90 million spent repairing its damages.
