Book

Kurzman, Dan.

Disaster! : the great San Francisco earthquake and fire of 1906 / Dan Kurzman.

1st ed.

New York : W. Morrow, ©2001.

xxiv, 296 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations, map ; 24 cm

"Just after 5 A.M. on April 18, 1906, an earthquake measuring 8.3 on the Richter scale ripped through sleeping San Francisco, toppling buildings, exploding gas mains, and trapping thousands of citizens beneath tons of stone, broken wood, and twisted metal. Herds of cattle stampeded madly through the streets. The air reverberated with the panicked screams of the doomed and dying." "Drawing on meticulous research and eyewitness accounts, Dan Kurzman re-creates one of the most horrific events of the twentieth century. It is a breathtaking, magnificently composed pastiche of personal tragedies. Kurzman captures the fear and madness that raged through a hell unequaled in the peacetime history of this nation. Yet, amid the rubble and death, the author also uncovers extraordinary courage and humanity and honorable acts as noble as any every celebrated."--Jacket.

San Francisco Earthquake and Fire, Calif., 1906.

Earthquakes -- California -- San Francisco -- History -- 20th century.

Fires -- California -- San Francisco -- History -- 20th century.

San Francisco (Calif.) -- History -- 20th century.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 269-285) and index.

Map of San Francisco, 1906 -- Caruso and the Odor of Roses -- Barrymore Slept Here -- Sullivan's Nightmare -- The Nectar of Corruption -- The Banker and the Boy -- Cook's Tour of a Cataclysm -- The End of the World -- Birth and Death -- The Miser and the Melting Pot -- The Accordion and the Cops -- The Dishware and the Dragons -- The Crackle of Terror -- The Cruel Trap -- Napoleon to the Rescue -- Inoculating the Mayor -- The Lord, the King, and the Executioners -- Succumbing to Catastrophe -- The Puny Millionaires -- Not Even the Dead Were Safe -- The Vengeful Demons -- The Tongue of a Poisonous Snake -- The Angel and the Newborn -- Criminals in Uniform -- Bringing Out the Best -- The Case for the Fire -- A Proud Ending -- Ravagement, Racism, and Rats -- The Persian Cat -- Black News and White Tails -- The Home Bank and the Burned Home -- A Vow to Love and a Vow to Die -- Misery, Murder, and Mastery -- Running a Gauntlet -- From Prayer to Action -- Dynamite and Desperation -- A Fruit Dish and a Cup of Tea -- The Lure of Rare Wine -- The Ghoulish Lion -- The Deadline and the Doorknob -- A Last Stand -- Rise from the Ruins.

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