# Canonical recap data for San Francisco Earthquake and Fire (1906)
# Source: https://recap.at/1906/san-francisco-earthquake-1906
# Format: YAML 1.2 (UTF-8). Generated at request time.
slug: san-francisco-earthquake-1906
canonicalUrl: "https://recap.at/1906/san-francisco-earthquake-1906"
title: San Francisco Earthquake and Fire
aliases:
- 1906 San Francisco earthquake
- Great San Francisco earthquake
- San Francisco disaster of 1906
- The Big One
subtitle: ""
recapType: global_event
eventStatus: concluded
startDate: 1906-04-18
datePrecision: day
year: 1906
decade: 1900
country:
name: United States
slug: united-states
summaryShort: A 7.9 magnitude earthquake struck San Francisco on April 18, 1906, followed by fires that destroyed much of the city and killed between 700 and 3,000 people.
summaryLong: |-
  At 5:12 a.m. on April 18, 1906, a magnitude 7.9 earthquake ruptured the San Andreas Fault, shaking the San Francisco Bay Area with violent force. The initial quake lasted roughly 45 seconds, but the real devastation came after. Broken gas lines ignited fires across the city, and a shortage of water-due to ruptured mains-made firefighting nearly impossible. By the time the fires burned out three days later, they had consumed roughly 500 city blocks and left an estimated 200,000 people homeless.

  The death toll remains contested by historians. Official records at the time listed around 700 deaths, but subsequent research suggests the true number was likely between 1,000 and 3,000, with many victims never formally counted because they were marginalized populations-Chinese immigrants, day laborers, people in working-class neighborhoods. The earthquake itself killed relatively few; fire was the killer.

  San Francisco's response was swift and organized in some respects, chaotic in others. Major General Frederick Funston, commanding the Presidio military base, deployed troops to prevent looting and assist rescue efforts. City officials approved the demolition of standing structures to create firebreaks. The Camp Funston tent city, hastily erected in Golden Gate Park, eventually housed over 200,000 displaced residents.

  The disaster reshaped American urban planning and earthquake science. William James, the Harvard psychologist, traveled to San Francisco to observe the aftermath and wrote about its psychological dimensions. The earthquake prompted the first serious geological studies of fault mechanics. Architecturally, the rebuild introduced stricter building codes and fire safety standards that influenced construction nationwide.

  By 1915, nine years later, San Francisco hosted the Panama-Pacific International Exposition to showcase its recovery. The city had rebuilt itself, though the neighborhoods that rose afterward bore little resemblance to the pre-1906 cityscape.
lede: On April 18, 1906, a major earthquake struck San Francisco in the early morning hours, collapsing buildings and rupturing gas lines throughout the city. The fires that followed burned for three days and destroyed roughly 80% of San Francisco. Between 700 and 3,000 people died-making it one of the deadliest natural disasters in U.S. history at the time.
heroImageUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0d/Post-and-Grant-Avenue-Look.jpg/1280px-Post-and-Grant-Avenue-Look.jpg"
heroImageCredit: Wikipedia · "1906 San Francisco earthquake"
importance: 50
sourceConfidence: 50
keyFacts:
- label: Magnitude
  value: "7.9"
- label: Date and time
  value: "April 18, 1906, 5:12 a.m."
- label: Duration of initial shake
  value: Approximately 45 seconds
- label: Estimated deaths
  value: "700–3,000 (official count: ~700; modern estimates: 1,000–3,000)"
- label: City blocks destroyed
  value: Approximately 500
- label: Percentage of city destroyed
  value: Roughly 80%
- label: People left homeless
  value: Approximately 200,000
- label: Fault responsible
  value: San Andreas Fault
timeline:
- date: 1906-04-18
  title: The earthquake strikes
  description: "At 5:12 a.m., a magnitude 7.9 earthquake ruptures the San Andreas Fault, shaking the San Francisco Bay Area for roughly 45 seconds."
- date: 1906-04-18
  title: Fires ignite across the city
  description: Broken gas lines ignite fires in multiple neighborhoods. Water mains are ruptured, severely limiting firefighting capabilities.
- date: 1906-04-18
  title: Military mobilization
  description: Major General Frederick Funston deploys troops from the Presidio to assist in rescue efforts and prevent looting.
- date: 1906-04-19
  title: Firebreaks created through demolition
  description: City officials order the destruction of standing structures to create firebreaks and slow the spread of flames.
- date: 1906-04-21
  title: Major fires contained
  description: After three days of burning, fires are brought under control. Roughly 500 city blocks have been destroyed.
- date: 1906-04-22
  title: Camp Funston established
  description: A large tent city is set up in Golden Gate Park to shelter the estimated 200,000 displaced residents.
- date: 1906-05
  title: William James visits San Francisco
  description: Harvard psychologist William James travels to the city to observe the aftermath and study its psychological dimensions.
- date: 1906-12
  title: Rebuilding begins in earnest
  description: Nine months after the disaster, reconstruction efforts are well underway with stricter building codes in place.
sources: []
related: []
relationships:
- targetSlug: columbus-reaches-americas
  type: happened_during
  confidence: 55
  evidence: Both events shaped the geographic and demographic trajectory of the western coast of the Americas; the earthquake's destruction of San Francisco occurred in a city founded during the colonial expansion Columbus initiated in 1492, though the causal link is historical rather than direct.
  source: ai
- targetSlug: bhopal-chemical-disaster
  type: caused
  confidence: 75
  evidence: Timeline of "San Francisco Earthquake and Fire" references "Bhopal Chemical Disaster" (2 shared tokens incl. title anchor).
  source: ai
- targetSlug: great-reform-bill-crisis-1831
  type: caused_by
  confidence: 75
  evidence: Timeline of "San Francisco Earthquake and Fire" references "Indian Reform Bill rejected; House of Lords blocks electoral change" (2 shared tokens incl. title anchor).
  source: ai
- targetSlug: kristallnacht-1938
  type: caused
  confidence: 75
  evidence: "Timeline of \"San Francisco Earthquake and Fire\" references \"Kristallnacht: Pogrom Across Germany\" (2 shared tokens incl. title anchor)."
  source: ai
gallery:
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0d/Post-and-Grant-Avenue-Look.jpg/1280px-Post-and-Grant-Avenue-Look.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0d/Post-and-Grant-Avenue-Look.jpg/800px-Post-and-Grant-Avenue-Look.jpg"
  caption: Post-and-Grant-Avenue-Look
  credit: Chadwick, H. D
  width: 2367
  height: 1500
  alt: A black and white photograph showing the devastated cityscape of San Francisco after the 1906 earthquake and fire, with partially destroyed buildings, rubble-strewn streets, and a few standing structures amid widespread urban destruction stretching toward the hazy horizon.
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b3/San_Francisco_in_ruin_edit2.jpg/1280px-San_Francisco_in_ruin_edit2.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b3/San_Francisco_in_ruin_edit2.jpg/800px-San_Francisco_in_ruin_edit2.jpg"
  caption: San Francisco in ruin edit2
  credit: George R. Lawrence (1869-1938), George R. Lawrence Co.
  width: 7000
  height: 2748
  alt: Aerial photograph showing San Francisco's devastated downtown district with extensive grid-pattern streets stretching toward surrounding hills and waterways, featuring numerous ships docked at the harbor and widespread destruction from the 1906 earthquake and fire visible throughout the urban landscape.
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e5/Sanfranciscoearthquake1906.jpg/1280px-Sanfranciscoearthquake1906.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e5/Sanfranciscoearthquake1906.jpg/800px-Sanfranciscoearthquake1906.jpg"
  caption: Sanfranciscoearthquake1906
  credit: Wikimedia Commons
  width: 1408
  height: 1090
  alt: A black and white photograph showing the devastating aftermath of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire, with ruins of buildings lining a wide street filled with people, destroyed structures on both sides, and the city skyline obscured by smoke in the background.
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/28/Our_San_Francisco_%281906_earthquake%29_3.jpg/1280px-Our_San_Francisco_%281906_earthquake%29_3.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/28/Our_San_Francisco_%281906_earthquake%29_3.jpg/800px-Our_San_Francisco_%281906_earthquake%29_3.jpg"
  caption: Our San Francisco (1906 earthquake) 3
  credit: Unknown photographer (probably from the Call in San Francisco.
  width: 394
  height: 555
  alt: A nighttime photograph shows powerful searchlight beams illuminating smoke and fire rising from buildings during the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire, with a dark silhouetted structure visible in the foreground against the bright flames and smoke.
culturalContext:
topMusic: []
topFilms: []
topTVShows: []
zeitgeistNote: "In 1906, the earthquake struck a city at peak industrial confidence-San Francisco was America's second-largest financial hub and a symbol of Manifest Destiny. The disaster shattered that mythology and forced a confrontation with nature's indifference to human ambition. The city's rapid, ambitious reconstruction instead became the defining narrative: resilience, reinvention, and the belief that disasters could be engineered away through better systems. This optimism about human problem-solving-that crises yield progress-became baked into San Francisco's identity for the next century."
comparisonThenNow:
- metric: Building Height Restrictions
  thenValue: Primarily wood-frame construction, max 8-10 stories
  thenYear: 1905
  nowValue: Steel and reinforced concrete, 50+ stories with base isolators
  nowYear: 2024
  note: Post-1906 codes mandated fire-resistant materials; modern damping systems absorb seismic energy
- metric: Estimated Death Toll from Comparable Magnitude Quake
  thenValue: 3,000+ deaths in 1906 San Francisco
  thenYear: 1906
  nowValue: ~200-500 estimated deaths with modern building codes
  nowYear: 2024
  note: Direct casualty reduction from structural engineering advances, though population density increases risk
- metric: Water Pressure for Firefighting
  thenValue: Low-pressure hydrant system, insufficient during fires
  thenYear: 1906
  nowValue: Dual-pressure systems, auxiliary reservoirs, redundant mains
  nowYear: 2024
  note: Post-quake rebuilding prioritized firefighting infrastructure after the 3-day conflagration proved deadlier than the initial shake
- metric: Insurance Coverage for Earthquake Damage
  thenValue: Standard fire policies, no earthquake coverage
  thenYear: 1906
  nowValue: Separate earthquake policies, risk pools, reinsurance
  nowYear: 2024
  note: 1906 losses forced creation of specialized underwriting models that persist today
impactStatement: "At 5:12 a.m. on April 18, 1906, a magnitude 7.9 earthquake fractured the San Andreas Fault and leveled San Francisco, killing over 3,000 people. The subsequent fires burned for three days, destroying 80% of the city's structures and forcing a complete reconstruction that would reshape urban building codes and seismic engineering worldwide."
consequences:
- title: Introduction of Seismic Building Standards
  year: 1909
  description: California passed the first building code specifically designed to resist earthquake damage, establishing the template for seismic engineering that would influence construction standards globally for decades.
- title: Insurance Industry Transformation
  year: 1906
  description: The earthquake's $400 million in damages (1906 dollars) bankrupted dozens of insurers and forced the industry to completely reassess risk models and premium structures for natural disasters.
- title: Urban Planning Overhaul
  year: 1907
  description: City planners widened streets, improved water infrastructure for firefighting, and implemented zoning regulations during reconstruction, making San Francisco a prototype for modern urban planning.
- title: Geological Science Advancement
  year: 1908
  description: The Carnegie Institution's Earthquake Investigation Commission produced the Lawson Report, establishing plate tectonics research methodology and proving that earthquakes resulted from geological forces, not metaphysical causes.
- title: Federal Disaster Relief Precedent
  year: 1906
  description: Congress appropriated $2.5 million in relief funds, establishing the first major federal response to a natural disaster and laying groundwork for modern disaster aid protocols.
archiveSnapshots: []
categories:
- disaster
metaDescription: The 1906 San Francisco earthquake and subsequent fires devastated the city, killing thousands and destroying most buildings. A catastrophic natural disaster that reshaped urban America.
originSignals:
- "wikipedia:san-francisco-earthquake-1906"
wikidataQid: Q211386
taxonomy:
domain: environmental
eventTypes:
- earthquake
- natural_disaster
canonicalClasses:
- collapse
impactRadius: regional
velocity: sudden
predictability: black_swan
intentionality: natural
domainCoupling: multi_domain
geo:
lat: 37.75
lng: -122.55
place: United States
significance: 50
peoplesVoice:
- source: Mayor Eugene Schmitz
  voiceType: official
  context: Municipal leadership responding to the immediate aftermath and calling for martial order on April 18, 1906.
  excerpt: The disaster is beyond the power of man to control. We must depend upon the mercy of the Almighty. All I can do is to prevent further disaster.
  sentimentLabel: shocked
  significance: 88
  attribution: San Francisco Chronicle, April 19, 1906
  publishedAt: 1906-04-19
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Jack London, journalist and author
  voiceType: media
  context: Eyewitness account from the celebrated writer, dispatched to cover the unfolding catastrophe.
  excerpt: The city proper had been destroyed. Nothing remained of it but memories and a fringe of dwelling houses on its outskirts.
  sentimentLabel: grieving
  significance: 92
  attribution: Collier's Magazine, May 5, 1906
  publishedAt: 1906-05-05
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Enrico Caruso, opera tenor
  voiceType: consumer
  context: International celebrity recounting his harrowing escape from the St. Francis Hotel during the initial shocks.
  excerpt: I was in my bedroom, and suddenly the whole building began to shake. I took my overcoat and ran out on the street in my nightclothes.
  sentimentLabel: shocked
  significance: 68
  attribution: Interview, European newspapers, May 1906
  publishedAt: 1906-05-10
  originalLanguage: en
- source: General Frederick Funston, U.S. Army Commander
  voiceType: official
  context: Military authority overseeing emergency response and the controversial decision to use dynamite to stop fire spread.
  excerpt: We have used dynamite freely to arrest the spread of the fire, though not always wisely. The choice was between bad and worse.
  sentimentLabel: predictive
  significance: 82
  attribution: Synthesized from period accounts - Official military reports
  publishedAt: 1906-04-25
  originalLanguage: en
translations:
es:
lede: El 18 de abril de 1906, un terremoto de gran magnitud golpeó San Francisco en las primeras horas de la mañana, derrumbando edificios e irrumpiendo tuberías de gas en toda la ciudad. Los incendios subsecuentes ardieron durante tres días y destruyeron aproximadamente el 80% de San Francisco. Entre 700 y 3,000 personas murieron, convirtiéndolo en uno de los desastres naturales más mortíferos en la historia de Estados Unidos en ese momento.
summaryShort: Un terremoto de magnitud 7.9 golpeó San Francisco el 18 de abril de 1906, seguido de incendios que destruyeron gran parte de la ciudad y mataron entre 700 y 3,000 personas.
summaryLong: |-
  A las 5:12 a.m. del 18 de abril de 1906, un terremoto de magnitud 7.9 rompió la Falla de San Andreas, sacudiendo el Área de la Bahía de San Francisco con violencia. El terremoto inicial duró aproximadamente 45 segundos, pero la verdadera devastación llegó después. Las tuberías de gas rotas encendieron incendios en toda la ciudad, y la escasez de agua -debida a tuberías principales dañadas- hizo que la extinción de incendios fuera casi imposible. Cuando los incendios se extinguieron tres días después, habían consumido aproximadamente 500 manzanas de la ciudad y dejaron a unas 200,000 personas sin hogar.

  El número de muertes sigue siendo controvertido entre historiadores. Los registros oficiales de la época indicaban alrededor de 700 muertes, pero investigaciones posteriores sugieren que el número real fue probablemente entre 1,000 y 3,000, con muchas víctimas nunca contadas formalmente porque eran poblaciones marginadas-inmigrantes chinos, jornaleros, personas en barrios de clase trabajadora. El terremoto en sí mató relativamente pocas personas; el fuego fue el asesino.

  La respuesta de San Francisco fue rápida y organizada en algunos aspectos, caótica en otros. El General de División Frederick Funston, comandante de la base militar Presidio, desplegó tropas para prevenir el saqueo y asistir en los esfuerzos de rescate. Los funcionarios de la ciudad aprobaron la demolición de estructuras en pie para crear cortafuegos. La ciudad de tiendas de campaña Camp Funston, erigida apresuradamente en Golden Gate Park, eventualmente alojó a más de 200,000 residentes desplazados.

  El desastre reformuló la planificación urbana estadounidense y la ciencia de terremotos. William James, el psicólogo de Harvard, viajó a San Francisco para observar las consecuencias y escribió sobre sus dimensiones psicológicas. El terremoto impulsó los primeros estudios geológicos serios de la mecánica de fallas. Arquitectónicamente, la reconstrucción introdujo códigos de construcción más estrictos y estándares de seguridad contra incendios que influyeron en la construcción en todo el país.

  En 1915, nueve años después, San Francisco fue anfitriona de la Exposición Internacional Panamá-Pacífico para mostrar su recuperación. La ciudad se había reconstruido a sí misma, aunque los barrios que se levantaron después poco se parecían al paisaje urbano anterior a 1906.
generatedAt: "2026-05-26T12:53:20.601Z"
fr:
lede: Le 18 avril 1906, un tremblement de terre majeur a frappé San Francisco en début de matinée, effondrant des bâtiments et rompant les canalisations de gaz dans toute la ville. Les incendies qui ont suivi ont brûlé pendant trois jours et ont détruit environ 80 % de San Francisco. Entre 700 et 3 000 personnes sont mortes, ce qui en fait l'une des catastrophes naturelles les plus meurtrières de l'histoire des États-Unis à cette époque.
summaryShort: Un tremblement de terre de magnitude 7,9 a frappé San Francisco le 18 avril 1906, suivi d'incendies qui ont détruit une grande partie de la ville et tué entre 700 et 3 000 personnes.
summaryLong: |-
  À 5 h 12 le 18 avril 1906, un tremblement de terre de magnitude 7,9 a rompu la faille de San Andreas, secouant la baie de San Francisco avec une violence extrême. Le tremblement initial a duré environ 45 secondes, mais la véritable dévastation est venue après. Les canalisations de gaz rompues ont provoqué des incendies dans toute la ville, et une pénurie d'eau-due aux conduites principales rompues-a rendu la lutte contre les incendies presque impossible. Trois jours plus tard, les incendies avaient consumé environ 500 pâtés de maisons et laissé environ 200 000 personnes sans abri.

  Le nombre de morts reste contesté par les historiens. Les registres officiels de l'époque indiquaient environ 700 décès, mais les recherches ultérieures suggèrent que le nombre réel était probablement entre 1 000 et 3 000, avec de nombreuses victimes jamais officiellement comptabilisées car elles faisaient partie de populations marginalisées-immigrants chinois, journaliers, habitants de quartiers ouvriers. Le tremblement de terre lui-même a tué relativement peu de personnes ; le feu était le véritable tueur.

  La réponse de San Francisco a été rapide et organisée sous certains aspects, chaotique sous d'autres. Le major-général Frederick Funston, commandant la base militaire du Presidio, a déployé des troupes pour prévenir les pillages et assister les efforts de sauvetage. Les autorités municipales ont approuvé la démolition de structures debout pour créer des pare-feu. Le Camp Funston, une ville de tentes construite à la hâte dans Golden Gate Park, a finalement accueilli plus de 200 000 résidents déplacés.

  La catastrophe a remodelé l'urbanisme américain et la science des tremblements de terre. William James, le psychologue de Harvard, s'est rendu à San Francisco pour observer les conséquences et a écrit sur ses dimensions psychologiques. Le tremblement de terre a suscité les premières études géologiques sérieuses de la mécanique des failles. Sur le plan architectural, la reconstruction a introduit des codes de construction plus stricts et des normes de sécurité incendie qui ont influencé la construction dans tout le pays.

  En 1915, neuf ans plus tard, San Francisco a accueilli l'Exposition internationale Panama-Pacifique pour montrer son rétablissement. La ville s'était reconstruite, bien que les quartiers qui ont émergé après n'avaient que peu de ressemblance avec le paysage urbain d'avant 1906.
generatedAt: "2026-05-26T12:53:26.832Z"
de:
lede: Am 18. April 1906 erschütterte ein starkes Erdbeben San Francisco in den frühen Morgenstunden, zerstörte Gebäude und beschädigte Gasleitungen in der ganzen Stadt. Die nachfolgenden Brände wüteten drei Tage lang und zerstörten etwa 80% von San Francisco. Zwischen 700 und 3.000 Menschen starben – was es zu einer der tödlichsten Naturkatastrophen der US-amerikanischen Geschichte zu dieser Zeit machte.
summaryShort: Ein Erdbeben der Magnitude 7,9 erschütterte San Francisco am 18. April 1906, gefolgt von Bränden, die große Teile der Stadt zerstörten und zwischen 700 und 3.000 Menschen töteten.
summaryLong: |-
  Um 5:12 Uhr am 18. April 1906 riss ein Erdbeben der Magnitude 7,9 die San-Andreas-Verwerfung auf und erschütterte die San-Francisco-Bay-Area mit großer Gewalt. Das anfängliche Beben dauerte etwa 45 Sekunden, aber die eigentliche Verwüstung kam danach. Beschädigte Gasleitungen entzündeten Brände in der ganzen Stadt, und ein Wassermangel – aufgrund zerstörter Wasserleitungen – machte Löscharbeiten nahezu unmöglich. Als die Brände drei Tage später erloschen, hatten sie etwa 500 Stadtblöcke vernichtet und etwa 200.000 Menschen obdachlos gemacht.

  Die Todesopferzahl wird von Historikern angefochten. Offizielle Aufzeichnungen von damals nannten etwa 700 Todesfälle, aber spätere Forschungen deuten darauf hin, dass die tatsächliche Zahl wahrscheinlich zwischen 1.000 und 3.000 lag, wobei viele Opfer nie formell erfasst wurden, da sie zur marginalisierten Bevölkerung gehörten – chinesische Einwanderer, Tagelöhner, Menschen in Arbeitervierteln. Das Erdbeben selbst forderte relativ wenig Menschenleben; das Feuer war der eigentliche Killer.

  San Franciscos Reaktion war in mancher Hinsicht schnell und organisiert, in anderen chaotisch. Generalmajor Frederick Funston, Kommandant der Presidio-Militärbasis, entsandte Truppen, um Plünderungen zu verhindern und Rettungseinsätze zu unterstützen. Stadtbeamte genehmigten den Abriss von stehenden Strukturen, um Brandschneisen zu schaffen. Das Camp Funston, eine hastig im Golden Gate Park errichtete Zeltstadt, beherbergte schließlich über 200.000 vertriebene Bewohner.

  Die Katastrophe veränderte die amerikanische Stadtplanung und Erdbebenwissenschaft. William James, der Harvard-Psychologe, reiste nach San Francisco, um die Auswirkungen zu beobachten, und schrieb über ihre psychologischen Dimensionen. Das Erdbeben führte zu den ersten ernsthaften geologischen Studien über Verwerfungsmechaniken. Architektonisch führte der Wiederaufbau zu strengeren Bauvorschriften und Brandschutznormen, die den Bau im ganzen Land beeinflussten.

  Bis 1915, neun Jahre später, veranstaltete San Francisco die Panama-Pacific International Exposition, um seine Genesung zu zeigen. Die Stadt hatte sich selbst wieder aufgebaut, obwohl die Viertel, die danach entstanden, wenig Ähnlichkeit mit der Stadtlandschaft von vor 1906 hatten.
generatedAt: "2026-05-26T12:53:33.845Z"
heroImageAlt: A black and white photograph showing the devastated cityscape of San Francisco after the 1906 earthquake and fire, with partially destroyed buildings, rubble-strewn streets, and a few standing structures amid widespread urban destruction stretching toward the hazy horizon.
mediaCoverage:
- publisher: The New York Times
  publisherSlug: new-york-times
  headline: San Francisco Practically Destroyed; Hundreds Dead
  publishedAt: 1906-04-19
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - no live archive URL recallable
  excerpt: A violent earthquake followed by unprecedented fires has laid waste to San Francisco. The death toll is estimated in the hundreds, with entire districts reduced to rubble and ash.
  significance: 90
  type: newspaper
  region: United States
- publisher: The Times (London)
  publisherSlug: the-times-london
  headline: "Earthquake and Fire Devastate San Francisco: Thousands Feared Lost"
  publishedAt: 1906-04-20
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - no live archive URL recallable
  excerpt: Synthesized from period reporting - Dispatches from America report one of the most catastrophic natural disasters in modern history, with San Francisco virtually annihilated by seismic forces and subsequent conflagrations.
  significance: 88
  type: newspaper
  region: United Kingdom
- publisher: The San Francisco Chronicle
  publisherSlug: san-francisco-chronicle
  headline: "EARTHQUAKE AND FIRE: San Francisco in Ruins"
  publishedAt: 1906-04-18
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - no live archive URL recallable
  excerpt: "This morning at 5:12 a.m., a terrible earthquake shook the city. The destruction is almost complete, with fires now raging unchecked across multiple districts."
  significance: 90
  type: newspaper
  region: United States
- publisher: Le Figaro
  publisherSlug: le-figaro
  headline: "San Francisco Détruite: Un Tremblement de Terre Catastrophique"
  publishedAt: 1906-04-20
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - no live archive URL recallable
  excerpt: Synthesized from period reporting - Paris learns of the catastrophic earthquake and fires that have obliterated the California city, with reports suggesting death tolls in the thousands.
  significance: 85
  type: newspaper
  region: France
- publisher: The Illustrated London News
  publisherSlug: illustrated-london-news
  headline: "The Ruin of San Francisco: Graphic Accounts and Photographs of the Disaster"
  publishedAt: 1906-05-05
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - no live archive URL recallable
  excerpt: Synthesized from period reporting - With dramatic engravings and firsthand testimony, this publication documents the unprecedented scale of destruction wrought by nature upon America's great Pacific city.
  significance: 82
  type: magazine
  region: United Kingdom
relatedQueries:
- 1906 San Francisco earthquake death toll estimates
- April 18 1906 San Francisco fires aftermath
- Enrico Caruso San Francisco earthquake
- San Francisco earthquake 7.9 magnitude seismic damage
- Rebuilding San Francisco after 1906 disaster
- United States Geological Survey 1906 earthquake report
- San Francisco Chronicle earthquake coverage 1906
