Charles Morris 
The San Francisco Calamity by Earthquake and Fire 

A Complete and Accurate Account of the Fearful Disaster which
Visited the Great City and the Pacific Coast, the Reign of Panic and
Lawlessness, the Plight of 300, 000 Homeless People and the World-wide
Rush to the Rescue.

Told By Eye Witnesses

Including Graphic And Reliable Accounts Of All Great Earthquakes And
Volcanic Eruptions In The World’S History, And Scientific Explanations
Of Their Causes.


"On the morning of April 18, 1906, San Francisco was struck by a violent earthquake that shook the city and ignited an even deadlier menace – a three-day fire that burned up and down the city's streets and incinerated its buildings and neighborhoods. Landmarks, homes, hotels, churches, and artwork were reduced to rubble and ash. Hundreds died, and thousands more stuggled to find food, money, and shelter or fled the city by ferry." "Pennsylvania native Charles Morris went to San Francisco immediately following the earthquake to interview survivors and observe the mayhem.

The San Francisco Calamity by Earthquake and Fire was rushed into print a few weeks thereafter. Considered the first full and balanced account of the earthquake and fire, Morris's gripping record combines dramatic eyewitness accounts and firsthand observations with scientific fact and grim detail, contrasting romantic tales of heroism and escape with the stark realism of devastation, death, and loss."

Enhanced by numerous illustrations, The San Francisco Calamity by Earthquake and Fire captures the irrepressible spirit of turn-of-the-century San Francisco that helped the city to recover and rebuild after one of the greatest natural disasters in American history. In a new introduction to this edition, Roger W. Lotchin provides additional historical context and assesses the credibility and reputation of the book.