When we think of San Francisco we think of a city vibrant, full of life, with activity, a city thriving. A population with over three hundred forty two thousand people in 1900. This happened to be one of the largest cities, as a matter of fact San Francisco was the ninth largest city in the nation. Rich in development and very influenced by the location San Francisco was the entrance to one of the best natural known harbors. California made it big when they realized way back in the later 1800 a connection needed to be made with the rest of the states, when the Transcontinental Railroad came along this was a blessing for many passengers could eventually travel back and forth from San Francisco to New York in a record breaking time of …show more content…
This earthquake that only lasted 48 seconds was along the San Andreas fault, originating in the Francisco Bay area. The significance or magnitude of the earthquake could not be properly measured on the contemporary Richter scale gauge because it was not invented until 1935. When the earth had stopped moving and shaking people had realized what happened, immediately power lines came down, , the force of this horrific, monstrous quake tore apart buildings and roads. Water lines burst causing a mess, bacteria, debris, sewage everyplace, and gas lines twisted until they erupted, the result ignited a major series of fires and explosions throughout the city. (Schmachtenburg …show more content…
The San Francisco Chronicle reported in their headlines the following day San Francisco in Ruins, with a big front page article that had death and destruction of what had happened. Reports came in with numbers that still to this day are not an actual count because no one is absolutely certain, it is estimated that about four hundred thousand people were residing in San Francisco at that time and once the earthquake happened possibly about three thousand deaths. (Schmachtenburg
When one of the worst earthquakes ever hits the town of San Francisco panic ensues, but not for everyone. On April 18, 1906, at 5:15 am the city of San Francisco was demolished by a 7.8 magnitude earthquake which also led to many fires being started. There was $350m in estimated damages, and 400-750 people perished in the earthquake and fire. Around 490 city blocks were destroyed, causing 250,000 people to become homeless (A Brief Account, SF Tourism Tips). In the aftermath of the earthquake there were many eyewitness accounts written about it. The eyewitness account, “Comprehending the Calamity,” by Emma Burke and the eyewitness account,"Horrific Wreck of the City" by Fred Hewitt both describe the same event, but they both have very different
San Francisco would arise into the “importer, the banker, the market” and the “great financial and commercial centre of all the Pacific coasts and countries” (300). Trade opportunities with other countries would be created and an increase in economic success would surface. Although there are many benefits, there are also some major drawbacks with the arrival of the railroad. George says, the state of California has a chance to grow rapidly, however the “aggregated population and wealth of the State will diminish rather than increase” (298). In spite of the new era being greater, richer and more powerful than the California in the past, some major economic transformations would be seen in the state. In the past, California did not have a rich class, nor a poor class. “With the expansion of the railroad, the State will become a better system for some social classes than it was in the past, but it will also be far worse for others.” ( ). People who are rich would become wealthier, while poorer people would have a harder time acquiring wealth. For instance, those who already own land, business, etc., will become richer. While people with their own labor, will become poorer and find it harder
The Fredonia Earthquake that took place in Fredonia, Arizona on July 21st, 1959 was the largest earthquake to ever strike the state and it triggered a rockslide at Mather Point in the Grand Canyon.
The construction of railroads in California impacted the state physically, socially, and economically; and ultimately helped propel California into the state it is today. During a time when masses of people were migrating to California but were doing so in an inefficient, and sometimes dangerous way, the first transcontinental railroad provided a fast and easier alternative. During the 1850's and 60's California was booming as many people from across the country uprooted their lives and headed west to begin a new life and attempt to strike it rich. Covered wagons were not an ideal way of travel but were the only way to go until the railroads were constructed.
When the quake, registering 6.1 on the Richter scale, first struck, it was thought to be centered along the Old Whittier Fault. However, after extensive study, it was determined that it was actually the result of a "new" fault, or a fault that had not previously been discovered by scientists.
First of all, the California Gold Rush helped to settle the western United States by giving people a reason to head west. In his state of the Union Address in December 1848, President Polk broadcasted the discovery of gold, causing a rush to the west. The search for gold brought almost 300,000 people to California by the year 1850. These people did not just include Americans, but instead included people from every corner of the globe and every continent. The influx of travelers to the west required a faster mode of transportation be developed. Thus the Panama Railway, the world’s first transcontinental railroad was born. Prior to the railroad, there were only two ways to get to California. One way was to risk travel from New York to California on a six month sea journey. This was a disease ridden voyage with many different food and water rations. Anothe...
The San Francisco Earthquake commenced at five thirteen o’clock in the morning, with the epicenter offshore of San Francisco. The city carried more than 400,000 people during this event (Earthquake of 1906, 1). Most of the
Hazards pose risk to everyone. Our acceptance of the risks associated with hazards dictates where and how we live. As humans, we accept a certain amount of risk when choosing to live our daily lives. From time to time, a hazard becomes an emergent situation. Tornadoes in the Midwest, hurricanes along the Gulf Coast or earthquakes in California are all hazards that residents in those regions accept and live with. This paper will examine one hazard that caused a disaster requiring a response from emergency management personnel. Specifically, the hazard more closely examined here is an earthquake. With the recent twenty year anniversary covered by many media outlets, the January 17, 1994, Northridge, California earthquake to date is the most expensive earthquake in American history.
There was a massive earthquake in San Francisco during the year of 1906. The country of United States went through great loss because of this massacre. Nearly 250,000 people had become homeless as the result of this great earthquake. Winchester pointed out the question: How unprepared was America when this disaster hit? He compared the San Francisco earthquake to the Katrina hurricane in 2005.
"The Great Quake: 1906-2006 / Rising from the Ashes." SFGate. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 May 2014.
San Francisco is a very unique place.With a population of 725,000 its culture is unlike any other. The city has so many different experiences that you do not want to miss. If you ever plan to travel to San Francisco you should know about their attractions, transportation, and some of their interesting facts.
An earthquake occurs abruptly and causes severs damage to people, property, landscape and more. A great mega-thrust earthquake, known as the Great Tohoku Earthquake has shaken Japan at 5:46:24 UTC on March 11, 2011. It caused a severe disaster, including tsunami and nuclear radiation exposure.. This mega-quake located at the latitude 38.297 degree North and longitude of 142.372 degree East, near the east coast of Honshu, Japan (USGS, 2013). An earthquake and tsunami waves caused widespread damage to many areas of Japan. People in Japan are still recovering from the damages.
It was a beautiful day like any other with the clear blue sky and the
The 1989 Newcastle earthquake happened in Newcastle, New South Wales on Thursday, 28 December at 10:28am. It was one of the most damaging earthquake that hit Newcastle ever yet. The shock measured 5.6 on the Richter magnitude scale and was one of Australia's most severe natural disasters ever. An earthquake is the moment of an unexpected discharge of energy in the Earth's crust that produces seismic waves. It was very powerful that the earthquake was widespread across NSW. It was stated that the quake continued for numerous seconds and it sounded like loud explosion. Everyone was muddled on what was happening so some of them walked off out of the building, stunned and confused on what was going on. Little did they know it was an earthquake
Earthquakes belong to the class of most disastrous natural hazards. They result in unexpected and tremendous earth movements. These movements results from dissemination of an enormous amount of intense energy in form of seismic waves which are detected by use of seismograms. The impact of earthquakes leaves behind several landmarks including: destruction of property, extensive disruption of services like sewer and water lines, loss of life, and causes instability in both economic and social components of the affected nation (Webcache 2).