Topics in Chronicling America - The Great San Francisco Earthquake, 1906

Horrific shrieks of pain and grief pervade San Francisco as the most violent earthquake in modern history slams the city in the early morning hours of April 18, 1906. EARTHQUAKES DEAD MAY NUMBER 3,000; FIRE IS NOW RAGING, screamed the Final edition of the New York Evening World. Read more about it!

The information and sample article links below provide access to a sampling of articles from historic newspapers that can be found in the Chronicling America: American Historic Newspapers digital collection (http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/). Use the Suggested Search Terms and Dates to explore this topic further in Chronicling America.

Jump to: Sample Articles

Important Dates:

• April 18, 1906, Earthquake occurs 5:12-5:13 a.m.; fires begin; many aftershocks occur.
• April 19, 1906, Fires continue; San Francisco newspapers, Call, Chronicle, and Examiner print a combined newspaper on the presses of the Oakland Tribune.
• April 20, 1906, Fires continue.
• April 21, 1906, Fires end.
• April 22, 1906, Rebuilding efforts widely announced.

Suggested Search Terms:

• [Try the following terms in combination, proximity, or as phrases using Search Pages in Chronicling America.] San Francisco, earthquake

Sample Articles from Chronicling America:

• Thousands Dead at San Francisco; Millions Gone In Fires Still Raging, The Washington Times (Washington, DC), April 18, 1906, Last Edition, Page 1, Image 1, col. 1-7.
• Terrible Visitation at Frisco, The Paducah Sun (Paducah, KY), April 18, 1906, Page 1, Image 1, col. 1-7.
• Earthquake's Dead May Number 3,000; Fire is Now Raging, The Evening World (New York, NY), April 18, 1906, Final Results Edition, Page 1, Image 1, col. 1-2.
• Earthquake, Panic, Death, Flood, Fire, Deseret Evening News (Salt Lake City, UT), April 18, 1906, Fourth Edition, Extra!, Page 1, Image 1, col. 1-7.
• Earthquake And Fire: San Francisco In Ruins, The Call-Chronicle-Examiner (San Francisco, CA), April 19, 1906, Page 1, Image 1, col. 1-5.
• Views of San Francisco, Stricken by Earthquake and Fire, New-York Tribune (New York, NY), April 19, 1906, Page 1, Image 1, col. 1-6.
• Terrible Earthquake in San Francisco, Gainesville Daily Sun (Gainesville, FL), April 19, 1906, Page 1, Image 1, col. 1-5
• San Francisco Is Devastated, Los Angeles Herald (Los Angeles, CA), April 20, 1906, Page 1, Image 1, col. 1-7.
• The California Earthquake, Alexandria Gazette and Virginia Advertiser (Alexandria, VA), April 20, 1906, Page 2, Image 2, col. 4-6.
• Water Front Burns Almost to the Ferry, The San Francisco Call (San Francisco, CA), April 21, 1906, Page 1, Image 1, col. 1-3.
• Conditions Much Better, Palestine Daily Herald (Palestine, TX), April 21, 1906, Page 1, Image 1, col. 2-3.
• Swirl of Fire Ends and Hope Runs High, The San Francisco Call (San Francisco, CA), April 22, 1906, Page 1, Image 1, col. 1-7.