Wreaths for Anniversary of Great Earthquake & Fire

Today,

Members of San Francisco society and assorted hangers on will convene at John's Grill in the Tenderloin to "fortify" themselves for the early morning ritual of placement of wreaths at Lotta's Fountian (Post Kearny and Market Streets)and "The Fire Hydrant That Saved The Mission" (at 20th and church Streets)in the wee hours of Monday morning. Why, you ask? Well, San Franciscans know that April 18th is the anniversary of the Great San Francisco Earthquake and Fire. Hoogasian Flowers is a proud sponsor of these venerable practices of San Franciscan Residents memorializing the 105th anniversary of the historic events captioned below.

Background

Great San Francisco Earthquake and Fire of April 18, 1906: San Francisco was wrecked by a Great Earthquake at 5:13 a.m., and then destroyed by the seventh Great Fire that burned for four days. Hundreds, perhaps thousands of trapped persons died when South-of-Market tenements collapsed as the ground liquefied beneath them. Most of those buildings immediately caught fire, and trapped victims could not be rescued. Reevaluation of the 1906 data, during the 1980s, placed the total earthquake death toll at more than 3,000 from all causes. Damage was estimated at $500,000,000 in 1906 dollars.

The Fire Hydrant That Saved The Mission:

On the slopes of Noe Valley overlooking the Mission district, Dolores Park was packed with displaced citizens watching the fire advance from downtown. This hydrant across the intersection of Dolores and 20th streets was found to have water, but the exhausted horses could not pull the fire engines up the hill. The people mobilized to do the job, then spread out under the firefighters' direction and, with crude tools and hand labor, stopped the flames and saved the rest of the city. This hydrant is covered with gold paint every April 18th.