THE SAN FRANCISCO CALAMITY BY EARTHQUAKE AND FIRE



CHAPTER I.

San Francisco and Its Terrific Earthquake.


On the splendid Bay of San Francisco, one of the noblest harbors on the
whole vast range of the Pacific Ocean, long has stood, like a Queen of
the West on its seven hills, the beautiful city of San Francisco, the
youngest and in its own way one of the most beautiful and attractive of
the large cities of the United States. Born less than sixty years ago,
it has grown with the healthy rapidity of a young giant, outvieing many
cities of much earlier origin, until it has won rank as the eighth city
of the United States, and as the unquestioned metropolis of our far
Western States.

It is on this great and rich city that the dark demon of destruction has
now descended, as it fell on the next younger of our cities, Chicago, in
1872. It was the rage of the fire-fiend that desolated the metropolis
of the lakes. Upon the Queen City of the West the twin terrors of
earthquake and conflagration have descended at once, careening through
its thronged streets, its marts of trade, and its abodes alike of