Module 3: "A Brief Account of the Facts" and "Comprehending the Calamity"

The first tremor lasted about 1 minute.

The escaping gas started fires in the rubble, which spread throughout the city.

Firefighters and the Army worked to dynamite buildings in hopes of stopping the great fire.

Several camps were set up on the outskirts of the city for the estimated 250,000 homeless.

Food and water were rationed by the Army for free.

This splendid eyewitness account was written by Emma M. Burke, wife of San Francisco attorney Bart Burke, who lived on Waller Street near Golden Gate Park at the time of the earthquake.

No one can comprehend the calamity to San Francisco in its entirety.

No one can comprehend the calamity to San Francisco in its entirety.

I was one of the fortunate ones, for neither personal injury nor death visited my household; but what I saw and felt I will try to give to you.

It was 5:13 a.m., and my husband had arisen and lit the gas stove, and put on the water to heat.

Twelve flats, so constructed, occupied a corner one block from Golden Gate Park.

All our rooms, six in number, opened into a square reception hall, from which the stairs descended.

The shock came, and hurled my bed against an opposite wall.

The shock was constantly growing heavier; rumbles, crackling noises, and falling objects already commenced the din.

It grew constantly worse, the noise deafening; the crash of dishes, falling pictures, the rattle of the flat tin roof, bookcases being overturned, the piano hurled across the parlor, the groaning and straining of the building itself, broken glass and falling plaster, made such a roar that no one noise could be distinguished.

We never knew when the chimney came tearing through; we never knew when a great marine picture weighing one hundred and twenty-five pounds crashed down, not eight feet away from us; we were frequently shaken loose from our hold on the door, and only kept our feet by mutual help and our utmost efforts.

We never knew when the chimney came tearing through; we never knew when a great marine picture weighing one hundred and twenty-five pounds crashed down, not eight feet away from us; we were frequently shaken loose from our hold on the door, and only kept our feet by mutual help and our utmost efforts.

We never knew when the chimney came tearing through; we never knew when a great marine picture weighing one hundred and twenty-five pounds crashed down, not eight feet away from us; we were frequently shaken loose from our hold on the door, and only kept our feet by mutual help and our utmost efforts.

I looked across the reception-room at the white face of our son, and thought to see the floors give way with him momentarily.

My husband told me to dress quickly and get down our tortuous stairs to the street.

I rushed to the window and saw my neighbor of the lower flat standing in the middle of the street in her nightclothes, clasping her little babe in her arms.

I had no thought for the dress I had cherished the day before, I was merely considering what was warmest and most substantial.

I had no thought for the dress I had cherished the day before, I was merely considering what was warmest and most substantial.

My diamonds and money were thrust into a hand-satchel, and we hastily made our way to the street.

The electric poles stood in the most inebriated attitudes the length of our street.

We were anxious about the great buildings in the business section, and hoped to obtain some news there.

The street was elevated at one point several feet, and a great broken water main was flooding that section.

All the timbering that supported the roof was exposed to view; the stone arch over the entrance was crumbled and just ready to fall.

The matron had just been removed unconscious from a heap of brick, mortar, and general debris.

But the ambulance was found to be narrower than the remaining door, willing hands were lifting and turning the great stones out of the way, and finally the frightened horses hauled it out over an amount of debris that in ordinary times would have been considered insurmountable.