Great Fires: 1906 Great Earthquake & Fire

"A Trip Down Market Street" Before & After
1906 Great Earthquake & Fire

This film from 1906 in downtown San Francisco was made 4 days before the great earthquake destroyed the city at 5:12.06 AM on April 18th, 1906. It is filmed from the front of a cable car, heading east toward the ferry terminal building, which is the tower in the background (which survived the quake and still stands today). Filmed by the Miles Brothers, 14 April, 1906.

This film shows the aftermath of the San Francisco earthquake of April 18, 1906, and the devastation resulting from the subsequent three-day fire. The 8.3 magnitude earthquake struck at 5:12 AM and was centered along the San Andreas Fault, which slices through coastal California.