The San Francisco earthquake of April 18, 1906 caused widespread devastation. What message did US Army officer Brigadier Frederick Funston wire Washington on the morning of the second day?
Answer: ‘San Francisco practically destroyed. You cannot send too many tents and rations. 200,000 homeless.’ When the subsequent fires burnt themselves out, four square miles had been annihilated: 514 blocks containing 28,000 buildings and 450 people had been killed. The loss was assessed at $500 million.
Source: Great Disasters by John Canning
