Andy- Assignment 4

Arnold Genthe

       On April 18, 1908 a 7.9 magnitude earthquake hit the city of San Francisco.While the earthquake itself was devastating, the majority of the damage resulted from fires that tore through the city for days after. While only 375 deaths were reported is estimated that more than 3,000 people were killed throughout the area. After the incident the U.S. Army sent troops and equipment to put our the fires and provide relief. An estimated 250,000 people were without homes after the fires finally subsided, and while the Army built relief housing for 20,000, many people remained homeless for a long time. An earthquake of this magnitude and devastation was unprecedented in the United States. Many Americans feared more natural disasters as Hurricane Galveston had killed more than 8,000 people only six years before. While the earthquake resulted in thousands of deaths and 400 million dollars in damage it also helped us prepare for the future. The Great San Francisco Earthquake is what alerted scientists to the danger of the San Andreas fault line. It also showed Americans the need to prepare for these disasters by constructing some of the first earthquake-resistant buildings and using fire-proof building materials. This photograph by Arnold Genthe was the first image of the disaster many Americans saw. It showed the sudden destruction and chaos that natural disasters could cause at any moment. The realization of the unpredictability of nature led to many developments in natural disaster protection and safety. 

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/regional/nca/1906/18april/index.php

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1906_San_Francisco_earthquake#Magnitude_and_geology

http://americanhurricanes.weebly.com/analysis.html