Voices From the Past:
Two earthquake letters from San Rafael
Introduction
by Jocelyn Moss, MHM Librarian
The terrible quake of April 18, 1906 devastated San Francisco, and it
had long-lasting effects in Marin as well. Just when we thought there
was nothing new to be said about that earthquake, new scientific evidence
suggests that the epicenter was not in Olema, where the San Andreas fault
slices Marin in two, but under the ocean off Daly City.
That does not change the fact that the earthquake caused severe damage
in West Marin. In Tomales, the new stone Catholic church fell into a pile
of rubble, as did the jail and Holland’s store. Railroad tracks
were bent in peculiar ways, but the most serious damage consisted of houses
and buildings jumping off their foundations. In Bolinas, some buildings
slid picturesquely into the bay. Farther east in San Rafael, Mill Valley
and other towns, the main problem was toppled chimneys. Many families
were forced to cook outdoors until their chimneys could be repaired.
One oft-told earthquake story takes place on the Shafter ranch, near Olema.
Apparently, a huge rift in the earth opened there, very near the fault
line, and it swallowed a cow. With subsequent shakes the rift closed,
leaving only the cow’s tail above ground. Some say this is a tall
tale, but Bertha Shafter swears she saw that poor cow’s tail herself.
Marin’s eastern shores immediately welcomed hoards of refugees from
San Francisco. Many went to stay with family and friends, but most were
cared for by various community organizations. Committees were formed in
each city to provide relief for the refugees. They needed housing and
food immediately, and Marinites stepped up to provide the necessities.
While most of those forced to flee ultimately returned to San Francisco,
many of the grateful refugees began to see Marin as their new home, and
the county’s population boomed as a result.
As the anniversary of the 1906 earthquake approaches, we have ample opportunities
to compare it with more recent disasters in our country. Will we be prepared
and able to handle the next one when it happens? Lets hope so. In the
meantime, these two letters from the Museum’s library provide chilling
first-hand accounts of Marin in those dark Spring days 100 years ago.
Sister Alexius of Dominican Convent reminisced
about her experiences in January, 1962
[On the morning of April 18, 1906,] We went to school as usual in Mr.
Robert’s two-horse bus. When we arrived at school [St. Raphael’s]
Father Philips was the first person we met. Since the church was built
on a knoll of stone, there was no harm done to the church. Father Philips
was very cool and thought we were silly to worry about the children.
About 9 o’clock only five or six children appeared for each class
in the school. I had the fifth and sixth grades at that time and Sister
Joseph had the seventh and eighth grades so with five pupils sitting in
each classroom we tried to become interesting. All the children wanted
to talk about was “chimneys” fallen from every house in town.
It was about 10 o’clock when another tremendous earthquake shook
the school. Out jumped the children from each classroom, down the stairs
into the street and off to their homes. The Sisters never saw a child
of the school again until the opening of school in August […].
The following morning Father Philips telephoned that the school hall was
filled with refugees from the Bay Area who had been transported by the
Northwestern Pacific Railroad from Fisherman’s Wharf to San Rafael.
Mother Louis sent Sister Joseph and we went down to see if we could do
anything for these poor people. All they wanted was something for their
sore feet. So back we came to the Convent to get cans of Vaseline and
bandages for their feet. Most of these people had been burned out and
walked from South of Market out to Hayes Street, then out to the Cliff
to get away from the awful heat of the fire.
By evening that day, Mr. Foster then owner of our Forest Meadows [across
the street from the Dominican Convent on Grand Ave.] offered the use of
Forest Meadows for these families. The San Rafael Military Academy offered
their summer tents […] about 400. That night Forest Meadows became
a village of about 400 families.
Mr. Sawyer, a dentist in town, secured a big tenting stove and begged
meat, vegetables etc. and made gallons of Irish stew for these people,
many who had not eaten for two days. It was interesting to see the people,
groups of families form in line carrying a tin plate, tin cup and spoon
to have Dr. Sawyer serve them generous helpings. No one wasted a mouthful.
This lasted until about the end of August.
Maria Cochrane Praetzel described the scene in a letter to her
cousin, George Matthews, in Cloverdale
San Rafael Wednesday night [April 18th, 1906]
Dear Cousin George,
I am writing to you from my Father’s front porch with all the children
asleep beside me. Tonight we are all together but somehow I am thinking
of you up there and wondering how you stood after the dreadful earthquake
this morning. All San Rafael is sleeping on porches or streets tonight.
The people are near crazy. We have had bad shocks all day. San Francisco
is ruined. All the buildings are on fire: the Call, Chronicle,
Emporium, J […] Church and Saint Patrick’s Church in fact
all the best of San Francisco is gone. They are blowing all the
buildings up to save the city. Thousands are dead […].
Families are coming over here everything lost glad to get away with their
lives. Buildings have gone down with hundreds of people buried in the
ruins. Oh, George, this is dreadful.
Thursday morning, April 20th [This appears to be a mistake; she must have
meant the 19th –ed.]
All night the people of San Rafael slept in the streets. All of us on
the porch. Irene and Helen on the chairs on the front sidewalk. My father
on a cot at the front door. Light shocks all night and every half hour
explosions from the city, where they are blowing up all the buildings.
All San Francisco is gone now out to 20th Street on one side and Dayton
and Union on the North Beach side. Trains ran all night, you see the Earthquake
broke all the water mains and left the city without water. Water is selling
for 25 cts a glass, potatoes in San Rafael today are five dollars a sack.
The Company D [California militia unit based in San Rafael] is ordered
out and tents are going to be put up all over town this afternoon for
the thousands of people coming over. Automobiles are charging 50 dollars
an hour in the city. […] The Hibernia Bank went down. All the banks
are gone. […] Stanford’s College all down, took all the patients
out of Saint Mary’s Hospital in boats and blew up the building.
[…] I tell you George, I am sick […] Saucelito is in riot,
people breaking into stores for something to eat. Martial law is all over.
I just came from up town trying to get some groceries as people are afraid
of famine. Not a ham or a bag of flour to be got in town.
Now, George, I am afraid you will throw this scribble aside before you
are half through but I thought you would like to hear how. If your sun
is dark it is from the smoke of the lost dear old city. It is true saying
that one touch of nature makes all the world kin. Hoping you are well
and safe, I remain your loving cousin,
Maria