Disaster!: The Great San Francisco Earthquake & Fire of 1906

Just after 5:00 AM on April 18, 1906, a earthquake measuring 8.3 on the Richter scale ripped through San Francisco, toppling buildings, exploding gas mains, & trapping thousands of citizens beneath tons of stone, broken wood, & twisted metal. And then came the fires: hellish, gas-fueled conflagrations. Rats from smuggling boats began to spread bubonic plague through the city. With water mains destroyed, firemen could only stand & watch for 3 terrifying days as the fires consumed the remains left by the earthquake. As many as 10,000 people died in the catastrophe. Kurzman recreates one of the most horrific events of the 20th cent. He captures the fear & madness, yet also uncovers extraordinary courage & humanity & honorable acts. Illustrations.