200 REPORT OF THE CALIFORNIA EARTHQUAKE COMMISSION. 
Santa Rosa itself is on a low-grade alluvial fan which heads in a narrow gap in the 
foot-hills bordering the town. This gap connects with a basin of some 40 square 
miles, which empties its drainage on to the Santa Rosa fan, in a stream that formerly 
shifted its course over the slopes. Old channels are still to be found in places, 
altho they are usually filled by the grading for streets and buildings. A bridge formerly 
crost the main channel on Tenth Street, near Mendocino. The approximate course of this 
channel is shown for a short distance on the accompanying map, No. 16. The present course 
of the creek was adopted but recently, according to the testimony of early settlers. The 
wells in town are shallow, and none were reported that had been sunk thru the alluvial de- 
posits to bedrock. With these physiographic conditions, it will be seen that the alluvial 
fan upon which the town lies must have been filled nearly to the surface with ground water 
during the early springtime. The physiography of the vicinity is one‘of the factors to be 
considered in discussing the great destruction which was caused in Santa Rosa by the recent 
earthquake. ; . 
The shock of April 18 and the ensuing fire caused a loss of life of 61 identified dead, with 
at least a dozen “ missing,’ and practically destroyed the business portion of Santa Rosa. 
(Plates 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79.) The equivalent of some 7 to 8 blocks was destroyed by the 
earthquake, and from 4 to 5 blocks by the fire. Conflicting reports are of course given as 
to the extent of earthquake damage in the burned district. The insurance companies have 
worked without any joint commission and no data were obtained from their agents. Judg- 
ing from the unburned blocks adjacent, the buildings in the burned area were badly wrecked. 
One man told me that a book-store — Fourth Street, between Mendocino and B Streets — 
was not badly hurt by the quake and that he was in the lower floor and there was not much 
damage. In continuing his story, he stated that people were burned to death in the upper 
story of the same building because they were so caught in the débris that they could not 
be extricated. 
The accompanying map (No. 16) shows the areas destroyed by the earthquake, and by 
the fire, as plotted in the office of the county surveyor, Mr. Newton Smyth. Other busi- 
ness men have since examined the map and agree to its substantial accuracy. 
The residence portion of the town suffered to quite an extent. Chimneys were generally 
thrown down or so badly cracked as to necessitate their rebuilding. From twenty to 
twenty-five residences were thrown to the ground by the collapse of their underpinning, 
and badly wrecked. In cases which I personally inspected, houses close by, on ground 
apparently just the same, were but slightly damaged. ‘The difference seemed to be in the 
character of the structural work. No uniform direction of fall was found in the wrecked 
residences. The reports of residences thrown “so many feet’’ were accounted for on in- 
vestigation by the height of the underpinning which evidently determined the amount of 
motion. The accompanying photographs are illustrations. Thruout the town there were 
numberless minor injuries to plaster and fragile articles. 
The physiographic results of the shock seem to be confined to some minor cracks in the 
vicinity of the cemetery with the possible addition of some small cracks near the creek bed 
adjacent to the tannery, as given in the detailed report below: 
Mr. J. C. Parsons, city engineer, reports that he has found no changes in alinement since 
the shock. He thinks there are no changes in level, but has not yet made any accurate 
measurements of level. No disturbances of streets or sidewalks were found, such as are 
common in San Francisco. 
Below are some detailed reports obtained from residents of Santa Rosa and vicinity. 
Few people on the street at the time of the shock were so situated as to make any valuable 
observations of the immediate and direct results of the earthquake. 
Mr. J. W. Brown was living on Tupper Street, between Main and Brown Streets, about 5 
blocks southeasterly from the court-house. His testimony is of value, as he was not dis- 
tracted by any destruction of buildings in his immediate neighborhood. He was up at the 
time of the first shock and went outdoors to see if he could notice any waves in the ground, 
earthquake waves having been a subject of discussion with him in recent conversation. 
On going outside he heard a great noise from the west and saw the treetops waving: The 
noise and motion of trees approached him, and he took hold of a small tree near by for 
support. This tree was torn from his grasp. The ground seemed to be in waves “about 
2 feet high and 15 feet long.’’ Looking toward the court-house, he saw the dome swaying 
west and east, “maybe north of west,” more or less in line with him, he added. The dome 
fell with about the third swing which he noticed. 
Mr. Green Thompson was engaged in street sweeping at the time of the shock, and first 
heard a rumble like a wagon going over cobble-stones. He ran around the corner (Third 
