Gentle Readers and Dear Friends today is the 106th Anniversary of the great San Francisco Earthquake.....on April 18, 1906 at 5:12 AM the City was shaken awake by a 7.9 magnitude earthquake. This quake shook the city for almost a minute and in that minute most of Downtown and most buildings fell apart or fell down... but it wasn't the shaking and destruction of buildings it was the fires and the firestorm that followed that laid the city in ruins...
This photo was taken from the top of Alamo Square looking towards downtown. I lived by Alamo Square for years and the views are superb and iconic of the City - the numerous Tour Buses that unload here daily is astounding. A Must see spot for any visitor!!
The aftermath of the fires leveled so much of the downtown area that for blocks and blocks there were only bits of buildings left standing...
I could go on and on with the information about the Quake, but, if you click HERE you can read more about it.
In all the time I have lived here, about 20 years, I have felt quite a few quakes, nothing like the '06 one - usually shallow ones that last only a few seconds. It is very unnerving as you move or bounce with the waves of energy that wash over you during a quake. We hear all the time that another major Quake is in our future... probably within in the next 50 or so years. They come in cycles and we are way over due for a BIG one!!
Here is a YouTube Clip from "A Trip Down Market Street" shot from the front of a Cable Car on April 14, 1906.... 4 days before most of what was you see in this film was destroyed......
That's about it for today sports fans. Thanks for stopping by, do stop again!!
Take care,
edgar
