182 MINUTES. 



[May i8 



That is a very unequal description of the region affected by the earth- 

 quake and its results. When we get a coherent report, a copy will be sent 

 t ) the Societ}^ 



I wish in conclusion to say a few words of the conflagration that 

 covered an area ten times greater than that of 1666 in London, with a vastly 

 larger proportion of loss. 



1. The electric power lines running to hundreds of industrial plants in 

 the city are believed to have been broken, and that a fire was started at each 

 break as if by magic. All the city fire engines were called out but found no 

 water. 



2. Where the 30-inch main crossed the " made " or " filled " in land at 

 the head of the old Mission Lagoon, there was a sinking of the material, and 

 the joints were drawn asunder at a drop of several feet. Therefore the 

 main supply was unavailable ; and the reservoirs ran to waste. Then the 

 water was pumped from Lake Merced; and finally some repairs were made 

 and the water was gotten to help the dynamiters when the fire had really 

 crossed the wide Van Ness Avenue. The Claus Spreckels brownstone man- 

 sion on the west side stopped its progress to the northwest. 



At our elevation of 340 feet we got no water for two weeks; no lights 

 except candles yet ; no fires in houses ; and the people are cooking in the 

 streets; rich and poor. 



That is the gist of the matter so far as I can gather without having official 

 authority. We expect much from the Light House Board ; from Coast Survey 

 tidal observations, and other sources. 



Area of the burned district. 



4 square miles ; say 2560 acres 

 London 436. 

 490 blocks 



and probably 25,000 houses 



San Francisco, May 10, 1906. 



This letter was discussed by Prof. W. B. Scott. 



The follov^ing papers were read : 



" The Nutritive Requirements of the Human Body," by Prof. 

 Francis G. Benedict, which was discussed by Professor Houston, 

 Professor Haupt, Mr. Wilcox, Mr. Goodwin and Professor Scott. 



" A History of the Major Classification of the Mammalia," by 

 Prof. Henry F. Osborn. 



