May 1, 1906.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



247 



THE SAN FRANCISCO DISASTER. 



JL'ST after 5 o'clock on the luorninf^ of Wednesday, 

 April 18, western California was shaken by a series 

 of earthquakes that exceeded in destructiveness any 

 seismic disturbances ever felt on this continent. The 

 greater pait of the business section of San Francisco was 

 leveled, and about thirtj- smaller cities and towns on or near 

 the coast were damaged, some being completely destroyed. 

 The loss of life can never be known, but a conservative esti- 

 mate places the number of persons killed at 1000 in San 

 Francisco and as many more in other parts of the state. 

 Had the earthquakes occurred a few hours later, when the 

 business of the citj' was in full swing, the loss of life must 

 have been counted in thousands instead of hundreds. 



That fire should follow the earthquakes was only what 

 might have been expected. Flames broke out on all sides 

 and for four days swept through the ruined business section 

 of San Francisco, then spread to the residential districts 

 until the greater part of the city had been wiped out and 

 more than ^00,000 people rendered homeless. People who 

 had been wealthy, or well-to-do, were reduced to poverty 

 and driven to seek shelter in the public parks, sharing the 

 comn^on lot with those who had already been living in want. 

 Fortunes were wiped out almost in an instant. 



The amount of loss in property is estimated at from $350,- 

 000,000 to $450,000,000. The sufTering and destitution re- 

 sulting is past comprehension. It stands to the credit of 

 the nation, and of the world at large, for that matter, that 

 there has never been such a prompt and generous and 

 spontaneous response to appeals for aid as are recorded in 

 this instance. There is every indication that by the time 

 these words are printed, the relief fund, from all sources, 

 will exceed $30,000,000. 



There has been no note of despondency on the part of the 

 people of ruined San Francisco. Every indication points to 

 the speedy rebuilding of the city, on a grander scale, with 

 more substantial structures, and business men in all lines 

 are planning the resumption of business with the briefest 

 possible interruption. 



The larger part of the rubber business on the Pacific coast 

 was centered in San Francisco, in branch houses or agencies 

 of Kastern manufacturers, though recently the manufacture 

 of rubber goods has been introduced there. Every rubber 

 house appears to, have gone down in the general ruin, 

 though the interrupted communication with San Francisco 

 has interfered with getting details. 



The Goodyear Rubber Co. (New York) occupied a four story 

 building, Nos. 573-583 Market street, which is now in ruins. 

 The company's Pacific coast business is covered by a local 

 corporation, by the same name, the president and manager 

 of which, Mr. Richard H. Pease, was in New York at the 

 time of the catastrophe, starting West the next day. Mr. 

 Pease was not able to give the value of the stock in hand, 

 but believed it considerably in excess of $85,000, the amount 

 of insurance carried. Mr. Pease is the Pacific coast repre- 

 sentative, at the same address, of the United States Rubber 

 Co. At the New York office of the latter company it was 

 stated that their stock in San Francisco was worth about 

 $100,000, fully covered by insurance. The Goodyear house 

 at once planned to resume business in Oakland (across the 

 ba3' from San Francisco), wMth the idea of becoming reestab- 

 lished at or near their old site as soon as a new building can 

 be constructed. Mr. Pease has been in charge of the San 

 Francisco store since 1869. It was established in 1864, the 

 business requiring two trips overland, in the stage coach 



Till i r.«., 

 1 3MII 









STORE OF THE GOODYEAR RUBBER CO.-AGENCY OF THE UNITED STATES 

 RUBBER CO.— DESTROYED BY FIRE. 



STORE OF THE GUTTA PERCHA AND RUBBER MANUFACTURING CO., 

 DESTROYED BY FIRE. 



