1 00:00:01,280 --> 00:00:04,000 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff You Missed in History Class, a production 2 00:00:04,120 --> 00:00:12,639 Speaker 1: of I Heart Radios How Stuff Works. Hello, and welcome 3 00:00:12,680 --> 00:00:16,800 Speaker 1: to the podcast. I'm Holly Fry and I'm Tracy P. Wilson. Tracy. 4 00:00:16,840 --> 00:00:19,200 Speaker 1: As you know, I recently took a couple of days 5 00:00:19,239 --> 00:00:21,400 Speaker 1: off sort of. I still did some work, but I 6 00:00:21,480 --> 00:00:25,200 Speaker 1: went to one of my very favorite cities, San Francisco. Uh. 7 00:00:25,960 --> 00:00:28,520 Speaker 1: I go to San Francisco with some regularity, and this 8 00:00:28,560 --> 00:00:30,960 Speaker 1: has not happened to me before, but I noticed on 9 00:00:31,080 --> 00:00:35,040 Speaker 1: this recent visit one of the city's historical moments kept 10 00:00:35,040 --> 00:00:37,960 Speaker 1: coming up in conversation in a variety of different places, 11 00:00:38,040 --> 00:00:41,120 Speaker 1: like with our lift drivers are like, so I wanted 12 00:00:41,120 --> 00:00:42,360 Speaker 1: to bring it up at dinner and I was like, 13 00:00:42,360 --> 00:00:45,800 Speaker 1: did somebody run an article? Um? And it also came 14 00:00:45,880 --> 00:00:48,080 Speaker 1: up at the bed and breakfast where I like to 15 00:00:48,120 --> 00:00:50,720 Speaker 1: stay when I'm in San Francisco, which is the Monte Cristo, 16 00:00:50,760 --> 00:00:53,199 Speaker 1: which I'm in love with. UM. And that B ANDB 17 00:00:53,320 --> 00:00:55,920 Speaker 1: has its own really fun history. It was a bordello 18 00:00:56,120 --> 00:00:58,960 Speaker 1: and a saloon and then a speakeasy before it started 19 00:00:58,960 --> 00:01:01,200 Speaker 1: its life as a hotel. But one of the interesting 20 00:01:01,280 --> 00:01:03,520 Speaker 1: things about it and what had come up in conversation 21 00:01:03,680 --> 00:01:05,640 Speaker 1: with one of the staff while I was eating breakfast 22 00:01:05,959 --> 00:01:08,080 Speaker 1: was that it had been built in the eighteen seventies 23 00:01:08,160 --> 00:01:10,240 Speaker 1: and it was one of the buildings that survived the 24 00:01:10,319 --> 00:01:13,920 Speaker 1: nineteen o six earthquake and fires that destroyed so much 25 00:01:13,920 --> 00:01:16,160 Speaker 1: of the city, Like it came very close to this building, 26 00:01:16,200 --> 00:01:19,760 Speaker 1: but it remained intact. And in two thousand one, previous 27 00:01:19,840 --> 00:01:23,480 Speaker 1: host Sarah and Bablina did an episode called History's Unforgettable Fires, 28 00:01:24,000 --> 00:01:26,200 Speaker 1: and on that episode they talked about a handful of 29 00:01:26,240 --> 00:01:30,160 Speaker 1: significant fire incidents, including the fire that ravaged San Francisco 30 00:01:30,600 --> 00:01:32,960 Speaker 1: in nineteen o six. But today I thought it might 31 00:01:32,959 --> 00:01:35,959 Speaker 1: be worth giving this particular incident a little bit more attention, 32 00:01:36,000 --> 00:01:38,440 Speaker 1: because whenever you're doing one of those survey episodes, you 33 00:01:38,480 --> 00:01:41,480 Speaker 1: can't get really in depth on anything. The earthquake itself 34 00:01:41,520 --> 00:01:44,880 Speaker 1: remains geologically significant in terms of resulting learnings, and we're 35 00:01:44,880 --> 00:01:47,000 Speaker 1: going to talk a little bit about that coming up, 36 00:01:47,520 --> 00:01:50,480 Speaker 1: and the devastation that followed. It really does serve as 37 00:01:50,520 --> 00:01:54,000 Speaker 1: a terrifying example of just how quickly a really well 38 00:01:54,120 --> 00:01:57,480 Speaker 1: established city and its infrastructure can be completely leveled. And 39 00:01:57,520 --> 00:02:00,480 Speaker 1: the city was so damaged by this whole series of 40 00:02:00,520 --> 00:02:03,600 Speaker 1: events that Jack London wrote, after all of the events 41 00:02:03,600 --> 00:02:07,480 Speaker 1: were talking about today, quote, surrender was complete, essentially, like 42 00:02:07,520 --> 00:02:10,720 Speaker 1: the city was just gone. And there is also an 43 00:02:10,760 --> 00:02:15,080 Speaker 1: important story here about the city's immigrant population, specifically the 44 00:02:15,120 --> 00:02:18,079 Speaker 1: residents of Chinatown, which had grown into a very well 45 00:02:18,200 --> 00:02:21,720 Speaker 1: established and very prosperous community by nineteen o six. And 46 00:02:21,760 --> 00:02:24,000 Speaker 1: we're going to get to all of that, but first, 47 00:02:24,080 --> 00:02:25,680 Speaker 1: to set the stage, we're going to talk just a 48 00:02:25,720 --> 00:02:29,320 Speaker 1: little bit about San Francisco's beginnings as a city. In 49 00:02:29,360 --> 00:02:32,160 Speaker 1: the spring of nineteen o six, San Francisco had an 50 00:02:32,280 --> 00:02:35,360 Speaker 1: estimated population of about four hundred thousand people, so it 51 00:02:35,400 --> 00:02:40,040 Speaker 1: was a pretty bustling city. But like a lot of cities, uh, 52 00:02:40,120 --> 00:02:43,160 Speaker 1: it did not start with a lot of planning. Of course, 53 00:02:43,200 --> 00:02:46,120 Speaker 1: there were native people in the area long before any 54 00:02:46,160 --> 00:02:50,760 Speaker 1: Europeans got there. But Lieutenant Jose Joaquin Moraga, who Spanish, 55 00:02:50,840 --> 00:02:54,360 Speaker 1: was working with Reverend Francisco Palou and they're credited with 56 00:02:54,480 --> 00:02:57,280 Speaker 1: establishing a military post at the tip of the San 57 00:02:57,320 --> 00:03:01,560 Speaker 1: Francisco Peninsula in seventeen seventy six, and over time that 58 00:03:02,040 --> 00:03:07,079 Speaker 1: little outpost evolved into the Presidio. William Anthony Richardson, an Englishman, 59 00:03:07,200 --> 00:03:10,000 Speaker 1: is cited as putting the first dwelling in the area, 60 00:03:10,120 --> 00:03:12,880 Speaker 1: and that happened in eighteen thirty five, so sometime after 61 00:03:12,919 --> 00:03:17,080 Speaker 1: that initial military post, that dwelling, as it's sometimes referred to, 62 00:03:17,440 --> 00:03:20,440 Speaker 1: was really just a simple tent, but a settlement kind 63 00:03:20,440 --> 00:03:23,799 Speaker 1: of grew around Richardson's tent, and that settlement was known 64 00:03:23,800 --> 00:03:26,320 Speaker 1: as your Ba Buena. And the U. S Government was 65 00:03:26,320 --> 00:03:29,320 Speaker 1: already well aware of the potential importance of California and 66 00:03:29,360 --> 00:03:32,760 Speaker 1: specifically the Bay Area because it is very good place 67 00:03:33,480 --> 00:03:36,240 Speaker 1: to do trade from because that same year that Richardson 68 00:03:36,320 --> 00:03:39,000 Speaker 1: started his settlement, the US was trying to buy that 69 00:03:39,120 --> 00:03:42,720 Speaker 1: land from Mexico. The United States gained control of northern 70 00:03:42,720 --> 00:03:46,800 Speaker 1: California eleven years later during the Mexican American War. Here 71 00:03:46,840 --> 00:03:50,600 Speaker 1: Babuena was renamed San Francisco in early eighteen forty seven, 72 00:03:50,640 --> 00:03:52,800 Speaker 1: and then, of course, two years later, the coastal town 73 00:03:52,840 --> 00:03:55,120 Speaker 1: was gripped by the gold rush. That led to a 74 00:03:55,280 --> 00:03:58,400 Speaker 1: huge growth period as thousands of people relocated to the 75 00:03:58,400 --> 00:04:01,360 Speaker 1: city in a very sort of amount of time, hoping 76 00:04:01,560 --> 00:04:03,840 Speaker 1: to strike it rich Yeah, that's come up on the 77 00:04:03,840 --> 00:04:06,240 Speaker 1: show a number of times, just how quickly there was 78 00:04:06,280 --> 00:04:10,560 Speaker 1: this huge population influx to San Francisco. And the surrounding areas, 79 00:04:11,000 --> 00:04:13,760 Speaker 1: and that haphazard nature of the city's growth meant that 80 00:04:13,800 --> 00:04:17,000 Speaker 1: it was pretty organic in its structure. More to the point, 81 00:04:17,040 --> 00:04:19,479 Speaker 1: there just really wasn't much in the way of city planning, 82 00:04:19,640 --> 00:04:23,479 Speaker 1: so things like utilities and neighborhood layouts were developed over 83 00:04:23,520 --> 00:04:25,800 Speaker 1: the years on the fly, and this was something that 84 00:04:25,839 --> 00:04:29,600 Speaker 1: people recognized as risky. For example, if you listen to 85 00:04:29,600 --> 00:04:32,440 Speaker 1: our episode on Levi strouss awhile Back, who died several 86 00:04:32,480 --> 00:04:35,320 Speaker 1: years before the events that we're talking about today, you 87 00:04:35,400 --> 00:04:38,880 Speaker 1: might recall that he was already in his lifetime advocating 88 00:04:39,000 --> 00:04:42,560 Speaker 1: for building regulations that would reduce the risk of fire 89 00:04:42,640 --> 00:04:44,720 Speaker 1: spreading in the city of a fire broke out, because 90 00:04:44,720 --> 00:04:48,040 Speaker 1: they already recognized were kind of tightly packed and not 91 00:04:48,120 --> 00:04:51,000 Speaker 1: really well planned out. So this was an issue that 92 00:04:51,080 --> 00:04:54,240 Speaker 1: was being discussed among city and business leaders long before 93 00:04:54,680 --> 00:04:58,200 Speaker 1: the precarious nature of the city's infrastructure was so deeply 94 00:04:58,279 --> 00:05:01,599 Speaker 1: challenged and ultimately collapsed at the nineteen six quake. On 95 00:05:01,640 --> 00:05:04,520 Speaker 1: the morning of April eighteenth, nineteen o six, an event 96 00:05:04,600 --> 00:05:07,039 Speaker 1: happened that lasted less than a minute but changed the 97 00:05:07,080 --> 00:05:11,159 Speaker 1: city really forever. At five twelve am, the earthquakes started 98 00:05:11,200 --> 00:05:15,240 Speaker 1: and it was over at five thirteen. The actual length 99 00:05:15,240 --> 00:05:17,440 Speaker 1: of the quake is listed is forty five seconds to 100 00:05:17,520 --> 00:05:20,040 Speaker 1: a minute, depending on the source and where the report 101 00:05:20,120 --> 00:05:23,119 Speaker 1: was coming from. The epicenter of the quake was off shore, 102 00:05:23,279 --> 00:05:25,200 Speaker 1: and shocks were felt as far north as the mid 103 00:05:25,240 --> 00:05:27,880 Speaker 1: Oregon coast all the way down to Los Angeles, and 104 00:05:27,920 --> 00:05:30,680 Speaker 1: it also traveled inland all the way to Nevada. It's 105 00:05:30,720 --> 00:05:33,560 Speaker 1: full length of the rupture. That's the area of slip 106 00:05:33,760 --> 00:05:36,360 Speaker 1: on the Earth's crust that's been determined to have been 107 00:05:36,880 --> 00:05:40,600 Speaker 1: two six miles or four d seventy seven kilometers, and 108 00:05:40,680 --> 00:05:44,560 Speaker 1: the magnitude has been estimated at a number of different numbers, 109 00:05:44,600 --> 00:05:46,600 Speaker 1: from seven point seven to eight point three on the 110 00:05:46,680 --> 00:05:51,080 Speaker 1: Richter scale. And there were immediate collapses of buildings throughout 111 00:05:51,080 --> 00:05:54,039 Speaker 1: the city when this quake happened. The California Theater and 112 00:05:54,120 --> 00:05:57,839 Speaker 1: Hotel on Bush Street low structural integrity and its dome 113 00:05:57,960 --> 00:06:01,279 Speaker 1: fell into the nearby fire station. It mortally wounded the 114 00:06:01,279 --> 00:06:04,800 Speaker 1: fire chief engineer, Dennis T. Sullivan. He died several days 115 00:06:04,839 --> 00:06:08,159 Speaker 1: later of his injuries. Another fire station on Howard Street 116 00:06:08,520 --> 00:06:11,120 Speaker 1: also had part of a hotel collapse into it, killing 117 00:06:11,120 --> 00:06:14,080 Speaker 1: fireman James O'Neill, and there were a lot of other 118 00:06:14,120 --> 00:06:17,200 Speaker 1: fatalities as well as buildings went down, but losing fire 119 00:06:17,240 --> 00:06:21,760 Speaker 1: personnel would prove to be a particularly devastating problem. So 120 00:06:21,760 --> 00:06:24,800 Speaker 1: the quake caused structural damage all through the city, but 121 00:06:24,920 --> 00:06:30,039 Speaker 1: the situation became exponentially more grave immediately afterward. The city's 122 00:06:30,080 --> 00:06:32,479 Speaker 1: gas lines had been ruptured and that set off a 123 00:06:32,560 --> 00:06:36,800 Speaker 1: series of fires. To make matters worse, San Francisco's water 124 00:06:36,920 --> 00:06:40,280 Speaker 1: mains had also been seriously damaged in the quake, and 125 00:06:40,360 --> 00:06:42,800 Speaker 1: that made the task of fighting the fire just that 126 00:06:42,880 --> 00:06:45,760 Speaker 1: much more difficult. Plus, the city had lost a lot 127 00:06:45,800 --> 00:06:48,440 Speaker 1: of fireman in the earthquake. Initially, Yeah, we're going to 128 00:06:48,520 --> 00:06:50,479 Speaker 1: talk about it a little bit later, but Sullivan in 129 00:06:50,520 --> 00:06:54,560 Speaker 1: particular was a particularly hard loss. Uh two fires started 130 00:06:54,680 --> 00:06:56,960 Speaker 1: right after the quake, one south of Market and the 131 00:06:56,960 --> 00:06:59,599 Speaker 1: other north of Market Street near the water, and the 132 00:06:59,600 --> 00:07:03,080 Speaker 1: following day two additional fires began, one on Hayes Valley 133 00:07:03,160 --> 00:07:06,680 Speaker 1: and another in a restaurant and whend conditions really helped 134 00:07:06,720 --> 00:07:09,800 Speaker 1: these various fires spread to the west and then from 135 00:07:09,840 --> 00:07:12,720 Speaker 1: there they like got a stronghold and they just kept spreading. 136 00:07:13,120 --> 00:07:15,440 Speaker 1: At six thirty am on eighteenth, which was a little 137 00:07:15,440 --> 00:07:18,240 Speaker 1: more than an hour after the quakes started. All the 138 00:07:18,360 --> 00:07:21,520 Speaker 1: troops from Fort Mason were requested to report to the Mayor, 139 00:07:21,800 --> 00:07:26,400 Speaker 1: Eugene Smith's immediately. Within about thirty minutes, army soldiers were 140 00:07:26,480 --> 00:07:29,040 Speaker 1: arriving at the Hall of Justice and were assigned patrol 141 00:07:29,120 --> 00:07:32,280 Speaker 1: duties around the city to assess damage and to offer help. 142 00:07:32,680 --> 00:07:35,000 Speaker 1: Just as the troops were getting started with this effort, 143 00:07:35,040 --> 00:07:38,320 Speaker 1: and after shock hit at fourteen am, and a lot 144 00:07:38,360 --> 00:07:41,280 Speaker 1: of buildings that had remained standing after the main quake 145 00:07:41,360 --> 00:07:45,080 Speaker 1: a few hours earlier had sustained significant structural damage and 146 00:07:45,120 --> 00:07:48,720 Speaker 1: they collapsed in this aftershock. Then at ten am, more 147 00:07:48,760 --> 00:07:52,280 Speaker 1: troops arrived. These were coming from Fort McDowell on Angel Island. 148 00:07:52,760 --> 00:07:56,560 Speaker 1: The U. S. Navy cruiser the USS Chicago, received word 149 00:07:56,600 --> 00:07:59,080 Speaker 1: around the same time about the situation that was unfold 150 00:07:59,120 --> 00:08:02,040 Speaker 1: against San Francisco. It made its way to the city. 151 00:08:02,800 --> 00:08:05,240 Speaker 1: This was the first use of a telegraph to communicate 152 00:08:05,240 --> 00:08:08,640 Speaker 1: a natural disaster. The U. S. S. Chicago would become 153 00:08:08,720 --> 00:08:11,960 Speaker 1: instrumental in the evacuation of the city's residents, and then 154 00:08:11,960 --> 00:08:14,520 Speaker 1: the USS Prebble made its way to the city to 155 00:08:14,520 --> 00:08:18,880 Speaker 1: to offer medical assistance. Fires continued to claim buildings throughout 156 00:08:18,920 --> 00:08:23,240 Speaker 1: the city, including government buildings, the financial district, fire stations, 157 00:08:23,240 --> 00:08:27,360 Speaker 1: and hospitals. As the fire spread, crews worked frantically to 158 00:08:27,400 --> 00:08:30,160 Speaker 1: try to move people to safety and combat the blazes 159 00:08:30,160 --> 00:08:32,760 Speaker 1: that were starting at this point all over the city. 160 00:08:33,160 --> 00:08:35,199 Speaker 1: Coming up, we are going to talk about a really 161 00:08:35,640 --> 00:08:37,840 Speaker 1: bad move that was made in an effort to combat 162 00:08:37,880 --> 00:08:39,880 Speaker 1: the fires, and we'll get to that after we have 163 00:08:39,880 --> 00:08:49,400 Speaker 1: a quick sponsor break. In the afternoon of April eighteenth, 164 00:08:49,520 --> 00:08:51,920 Speaker 1: so at this point several hours had passed since the 165 00:08:51,960 --> 00:08:55,000 Speaker 1: quake and the fires were beginning, a decision was made 166 00:08:55,040 --> 00:08:57,360 Speaker 1: which has come to be seen pretty clearly as one 167 00:08:57,400 --> 00:09:01,640 Speaker 1: of the worst possible moves. The plan was to dynamite 168 00:09:01,640 --> 00:09:04,440 Speaker 1: some buildings in the city to create a firebreak. So 169 00:09:04,480 --> 00:09:06,760 Speaker 1: the idea was that if some buildings were destroyed but 170 00:09:06,920 --> 00:09:09,400 Speaker 1: before the fire got to them, they then could not 171 00:09:09,520 --> 00:09:12,720 Speaker 1: catch fire and continue to spread the fire, and thus 172 00:09:12,760 --> 00:09:15,439 Speaker 1: a barrier around the blaze would be created. This is 173 00:09:15,480 --> 00:09:17,959 Speaker 1: actually an approach that the fire chief engineer, Dennis T. 174 00:09:18,120 --> 00:09:21,040 Speaker 1: Sullivan that we've talked about earlier, had been an advocate of. 175 00:09:21,160 --> 00:09:23,600 Speaker 1: He had been talking about this long before this incident 176 00:09:23,720 --> 00:09:26,800 Speaker 1: happened as a way to potentially fight big fires, and 177 00:09:26,920 --> 00:09:29,560 Speaker 1: he would have been the one to execute such an idea, 178 00:09:29,679 --> 00:09:32,760 Speaker 1: but because he was dying, he could not, and there 179 00:09:32,840 --> 00:09:36,000 Speaker 1: weren't other people on hand with his level of expertise, 180 00:09:36,120 --> 00:09:39,760 Speaker 1: so proceeding without him and without a real understanding and 181 00:09:39,800 --> 00:09:42,560 Speaker 1: knowledge of how to do this turned out to be disastrous. 182 00:09:42,880 --> 00:09:44,880 Speaker 1: And like, this is not a technique that he was 183 00:09:44,920 --> 00:09:47,040 Speaker 1: just making up. This is something that had been used 184 00:09:47,040 --> 00:09:51,440 Speaker 1: in other historical fires, in some cases successfully. Yeah, and 185 00:09:51,480 --> 00:09:53,559 Speaker 1: he had done a lot of research about it to 186 00:09:53,640 --> 00:09:56,960 Speaker 1: figure out how it would work in their city, right, So, 187 00:09:57,240 --> 00:10:00,320 Speaker 1: like the core idea of it was not the issue. 188 00:10:00,400 --> 00:10:04,120 Speaker 1: The army had provided the fire department with explosives, but 189 00:10:04,160 --> 00:10:07,200 Speaker 1: the type of explosive that was provided was black gunpowder, 190 00:10:07,679 --> 00:10:10,760 Speaker 1: and the novice use of those explosives did not really 191 00:10:10,880 --> 00:10:13,679 Speaker 1: level the buildings as intended. It was more like it 192 00:10:13,720 --> 00:10:17,120 Speaker 1: blew them apart, and it sent burning shrapnel through the air. 193 00:10:17,800 --> 00:10:20,360 Speaker 1: That was in a city that was already engulfed in flame, 194 00:10:20,640 --> 00:10:24,000 Speaker 1: with water nearly impossible to come by, it's easy to 195 00:10:24,040 --> 00:10:27,200 Speaker 1: see how this really went wrong. In some cases, the 196 00:10:27,240 --> 00:10:30,480 Speaker 1: soldiers who were tasked with facing the blaze took out 197 00:10:30,520 --> 00:10:35,640 Speaker 1: buildings using artillery these incorrect methods just kept being used 198 00:10:35,679 --> 00:10:38,640 Speaker 1: while the city was burning, So as the firefighters and 199 00:10:38,640 --> 00:10:42,280 Speaker 1: the soldiers retreated from the spreading flames, they kept trying 200 00:10:42,320 --> 00:10:45,319 Speaker 1: to blow up the areas they had just left, not 201 00:10:45,360 --> 00:10:49,400 Speaker 1: realizing that they were making the whole situation worse. Yeah, 202 00:10:49,440 --> 00:10:51,839 Speaker 1: it's one of those things where it's a directive given 203 00:10:51,880 --> 00:10:55,040 Speaker 1: to people who don't have any training. So it's not 204 00:10:55,160 --> 00:10:58,640 Speaker 1: as though they understood why, like, oh, this, this is 205 00:10:58,640 --> 00:11:00,680 Speaker 1: the wrong way to do this, Like no, he really knew. 206 00:11:00,920 --> 00:11:03,719 Speaker 1: They were really grasping at straws. And the fire made 207 00:11:03,760 --> 00:11:06,679 Speaker 1: its way through Knob Hill in Chinatown, North Beach and 208 00:11:06,720 --> 00:11:10,480 Speaker 1: the Mission District. As residents fled, often with nothing but 209 00:11:10,559 --> 00:11:13,520 Speaker 1: the clothes that they wore. The dead that could be 210 00:11:14,120 --> 00:11:16,880 Speaker 1: collected that we're not trapped in buildings were brought to 211 00:11:16,920 --> 00:11:20,120 Speaker 1: public squares and parks. Some were buried in those same 212 00:11:20,120 --> 00:11:23,040 Speaker 1: spaces because there was just nowhere else to take them. 213 00:11:23,080 --> 00:11:26,920 Speaker 1: As the casualties mounted. Charles B. Sedgwick, who was editor 214 00:11:27,000 --> 00:11:30,320 Speaker 1: of the periodical The British Californian, wrote an account of 215 00:11:30,400 --> 00:11:32,920 Speaker 1: his experience in the earthquake and fire in the nine 216 00:11:33,320 --> 00:11:36,760 Speaker 1: six American Builders Review, and his account is really fascinating. 217 00:11:37,160 --> 00:11:40,520 Speaker 1: He writes candidly about the severity of the destruction and 218 00:11:40,600 --> 00:11:44,079 Speaker 1: his personal revelation that what was happening was a historic 219 00:11:44,160 --> 00:11:48,320 Speaker 1: level tragedy. He mentions like other historical moments where cities 220 00:11:48,320 --> 00:11:50,760 Speaker 1: have been destroyed, and kind of being very aware that 221 00:11:50,760 --> 00:11:53,640 Speaker 1: that this was happening where he was. But he also 222 00:11:53,679 --> 00:11:56,480 Speaker 1: writes this quote that night I climbed to the summit 223 00:11:56,480 --> 00:11:59,560 Speaker 1: of Russian Hill to view the conflagration, and never shall 224 00:11:59,600 --> 00:12:03,320 Speaker 1: I forget the site. It was weirdly beautiful. A thousand 225 00:12:03,320 --> 00:12:06,160 Speaker 1: banners of flame were streaming in the cloudless sky from 226 00:12:06,200 --> 00:12:09,839 Speaker 1: spires and domes and lofty roofs, the underseen being a 227 00:12:09,960 --> 00:12:13,800 Speaker 1: sea of glowing gold and tumultuous but brilliant, beyond anything 228 00:12:13,880 --> 00:12:17,680 Speaker 1: I had ever seen or conceived of, and magnificent in 229 00:12:17,720 --> 00:12:21,400 Speaker 1: the irresistible power. It's great flaming waves leaping upon or 230 00:12:21,520 --> 00:12:26,280 Speaker 1: dashing against the strongest creations of man and obliterating them. 231 00:12:26,440 --> 00:12:29,480 Speaker 1: Noise as of a hundred battles in progress with myriad 232 00:12:29,600 --> 00:12:33,240 Speaker 1: giant guns in play, told of the fierce, relentless destruction, 233 00:12:33,360 --> 00:12:37,800 Speaker 1: as towering buildings eaten, loose, toppled, and fell, or were 234 00:12:37,800 --> 00:12:41,560 Speaker 1: lifted skyward by thundering dynamite to then scatter and drop, 235 00:12:41,880 --> 00:12:45,840 Speaker 1: throwing up huge fiery splashes from the burning sea. But 236 00:12:45,920 --> 00:12:48,240 Speaker 1: he also writes in this account that during the fires 237 00:12:48,280 --> 00:12:51,920 Speaker 1: and even during the evacuation, most people seemed pretty upbeat 238 00:12:51,960 --> 00:12:54,320 Speaker 1: and cheerful. They helped each other out as much as 239 00:12:54,400 --> 00:12:57,840 Speaker 1: they could. This was almost undoubtedly because they were in 240 00:12:57,920 --> 00:13:00,560 Speaker 1: shock and having to focus on the basic hasks of 241 00:13:00,640 --> 00:13:04,160 Speaker 1: rescue and survival, and Sedgwick wrote quote, few of the 242 00:13:04,200 --> 00:13:07,440 Speaker 1: people who went through the San Francisco experience will ever again, 243 00:13:07,480 --> 00:13:10,679 Speaker 1: no fear I think. He also wrote that in the aftermath, 244 00:13:10,720 --> 00:13:13,959 Speaker 1: when the fires were finally put out, then the emotional 245 00:13:13,960 --> 00:13:16,840 Speaker 1: crash came as people saw how much they really had lost. 246 00:13:17,440 --> 00:13:19,920 Speaker 1: But this is a different take on the situation than 247 00:13:20,000 --> 00:13:24,080 Speaker 1: most accounts suggest. So other accounts describe the scene in 248 00:13:24,080 --> 00:13:27,200 Speaker 1: San Francisco as completely chaotic, not this sort of oddly 249 00:13:27,240 --> 00:13:31,480 Speaker 1: pleasant experience that Sedgwick had, with looting and other lawless 250 00:13:31,520 --> 00:13:35,040 Speaker 1: behavior a primary concern. This was so worrying that the 251 00:13:35,080 --> 00:13:39,520 Speaker 1: mayor issued the following proclamation on day one of the disaster. Quote, 252 00:13:39,800 --> 00:13:42,800 Speaker 1: the federal troops, the members of the regular police force, 253 00:13:42,840 --> 00:13:46,440 Speaker 1: and all special police officers have been authorized by me 254 00:13:46,600 --> 00:13:50,040 Speaker 1: to kill any and all persons found engaged in looting 255 00:13:50,400 --> 00:13:53,280 Speaker 1: or in the commission of any other crime. I have 256 00:13:53,360 --> 00:13:56,480 Speaker 1: directed all the gas and electric lighting companies not to 257 00:13:56,559 --> 00:13:59,240 Speaker 1: turn on gas or electricity until I order them to 258 00:13:59,320 --> 00:14:02,240 Speaker 1: do so. You may therefore expect the city to remain 259 00:14:02,240 --> 00:14:06,600 Speaker 1: in darkness for an indefinite time. I request all citizens 260 00:14:06,600 --> 00:14:09,679 Speaker 1: to remain at home from darkness until daylight every night 261 00:14:09,760 --> 00:14:13,760 Speaker 1: until order is restored. I warn all citizens of the 262 00:14:13,880 --> 00:14:17,679 Speaker 1: danger of fire from damaged or destroyed chimneys, broken or 263 00:14:17,760 --> 00:14:21,960 Speaker 1: leaking gas pipes or fixtures, or any like cause. Law 264 00:14:22,080 --> 00:14:25,640 Speaker 1: enforcement was so concerned that drunkenness would lead to violence 265 00:14:25,920 --> 00:14:29,440 Speaker 1: that many saloon owners found their supply seized and destroyed. 266 00:14:29,800 --> 00:14:32,600 Speaker 1: It's estimated that thirty thousand dollars worth of liquor was 267 00:14:32,640 --> 00:14:35,520 Speaker 1: destroyed as this preemptive move to try to keep the peace. 268 00:14:36,120 --> 00:14:39,120 Speaker 1: Later on, those saloon owners made claims for restitution to 269 00:14:39,160 --> 00:14:41,800 Speaker 1: the government, and by the time the fires were put out, 270 00:14:41,880 --> 00:14:45,000 Speaker 1: which only happened after three days of the city burning, 271 00:14:45,600 --> 00:14:48,240 Speaker 1: San Francisco was obviously not the city that it had 272 00:14:48,280 --> 00:14:51,920 Speaker 1: been on April eighteenth. Before the earthquake, five hundred and 273 00:14:51,960 --> 00:14:55,800 Speaker 1: eight city blocks covering four point seven square miles had burned. 274 00:14:56,360 --> 00:14:58,760 Speaker 1: More than twenty eight thousand of the city's buildings had 275 00:14:58,800 --> 00:15:02,640 Speaker 1: been destroyed by fire, more than three thousand people had died, 276 00:15:03,240 --> 00:15:05,960 Speaker 1: and of that population of four hundred thousand that we 277 00:15:06,000 --> 00:15:10,480 Speaker 1: mentioned earlier, two hundred fifty thousand were left homeless. There 278 00:15:10,520 --> 00:15:13,880 Speaker 1: was an estimated four hundred million dollars worth of damage. 279 00:15:13,960 --> 00:15:16,800 Speaker 1: You'll see various different numbers, some a little higher than that, 280 00:15:17,240 --> 00:15:19,400 Speaker 1: but that is nineteen o six value. That is not 281 00:15:19,520 --> 00:15:23,760 Speaker 1: a number adjusted for modern equivalents. The ferry building had 282 00:15:23,800 --> 00:15:26,320 Speaker 1: been saved by the U. S. Navy, so fairies were 283 00:15:26,320 --> 00:15:28,360 Speaker 1: able to get people out of the city, and the 284 00:15:28,480 --> 00:15:31,480 Speaker 1: railroads suspended fair collection while they took people to other 285 00:15:31,560 --> 00:15:34,600 Speaker 1: towns for refuge. A lot of people stayed and started 286 00:15:34,640 --> 00:15:36,720 Speaker 1: clean up as soon as they could return to their property. 287 00:15:37,280 --> 00:15:40,520 Speaker 1: While this devastation led some to proclaim that San Francisco 288 00:15:40,720 --> 00:15:43,240 Speaker 1: was gone for good, that was obviously not the case. 289 00:15:43,960 --> 00:15:48,000 Speaker 1: We mentioned San Francisco's founding an explosive and organic growth 290 00:15:48,080 --> 00:15:51,080 Speaker 1: at the beginning of the episode. Because of its unplanned nature. 291 00:15:51,080 --> 00:15:54,000 Speaker 1: Of course, the city's infrastructure and layout had not really 292 00:15:54,040 --> 00:15:58,000 Speaker 1: had much forethought. In the aftermath of the devastation. Plans 293 00:15:58,000 --> 00:16:01,200 Speaker 1: were made to rebuild with a clearer and grander vision 294 00:16:01,240 --> 00:16:04,040 Speaker 1: for the city, but government officials were feeling the need 295 00:16:04,120 --> 00:16:06,760 Speaker 1: to prove their cities resilience and they rushed a lot 296 00:16:06,800 --> 00:16:10,520 Speaker 1: of this work. Also, things became mired in bribes and 297 00:16:10,680 --> 00:16:14,360 Speaker 1: underhanded dealings during the process that eventually led to a 298 00:16:14,440 --> 00:16:19,280 Speaker 1: series of trials known as the San Francisco Graft Trials. Sure, 299 00:16:19,320 --> 00:16:23,560 Speaker 1: outside of the scope of today's episode, but Holly assures 300 00:16:23,600 --> 00:16:26,960 Speaker 1: me it will be a show in the future. There's 301 00:16:27,000 --> 00:16:29,520 Speaker 1: no way I can't do it. There's like shots fired 302 00:16:29,560 --> 00:16:32,080 Speaker 1: in a courtroom. There's like a crazy argue. It's a 303 00:16:32,160 --> 00:16:36,480 Speaker 1: really good story, full of high drama and illicit behavior. 304 00:16:36,920 --> 00:16:39,680 Speaker 1: But it is also because of the events of nineteen 305 00:16:39,680 --> 00:16:45,040 Speaker 1: o six that the areas outside of San Francisco grew significantly. Oakland, Fremont, 306 00:16:45,120 --> 00:16:48,840 Speaker 1: San Jose and other areas all experience population growth, first 307 00:16:48,840 --> 00:16:51,560 Speaker 1: as people moved there away from the fire, although San 308 00:16:51,640 --> 00:16:53,920 Speaker 1: Jose had damage of its own, and then as the 309 00:16:53,960 --> 00:16:57,480 Speaker 1: Bay area rebuilt, more people moved there from outside that 310 00:16:57,520 --> 00:16:59,080 Speaker 1: had not been there in the first place. And it 311 00:16:59,400 --> 00:17:02,080 Speaker 1: it really did have this large explosion of population again, 312 00:17:02,120 --> 00:17:04,719 Speaker 1: but this time with a little more planning. But this 313 00:17:04,800 --> 00:17:08,240 Speaker 1: growth came with its own problems. Racism was pretty rampant. 314 00:17:08,320 --> 00:17:10,800 Speaker 1: There were some areas that were very clear that they 315 00:17:10,800 --> 00:17:13,480 Speaker 1: were not going to be welcoming to, for example, immigrants 316 00:17:13,520 --> 00:17:16,440 Speaker 1: or people of color. Uh So it wasn't as though 317 00:17:16,560 --> 00:17:20,760 Speaker 1: everything was rebuilt in a uh utopia where everybody was 318 00:17:20,840 --> 00:17:23,160 Speaker 1: cool with each other. But it was a huge time 319 00:17:23,200 --> 00:17:25,800 Speaker 1: of growth for the Bay Area and the city surrounding 320 00:17:25,840 --> 00:17:28,480 Speaker 1: San Francisco. The other big thing to come out of 321 00:17:28,480 --> 00:17:31,320 Speaker 1: this was a sudden focus on the scientific community on 322 00:17:31,359 --> 00:17:35,440 Speaker 1: the San Andreas fault system. The United States first seismographs 323 00:17:35,440 --> 00:17:37,960 Speaker 1: had been in use for less than twenty years. Other 324 00:17:38,000 --> 00:17:41,720 Speaker 1: countries around the globe had been researching the science of earthquakes, 325 00:17:41,720 --> 00:17:44,159 Speaker 1: but outside of a pretty small group of researchers, this 326 00:17:44,280 --> 00:17:47,080 Speaker 1: wasn't a significant area of study in the United States. 327 00:17:47,200 --> 00:17:50,879 Speaker 1: Yet the earthquake of six changed that though, And to 328 00:17:50,920 --> 00:17:53,960 Speaker 1: be clear, some of the seeming slowness in this space 329 00:17:54,080 --> 00:17:56,960 Speaker 1: was because seismology, even abroad, was still in its very 330 00:17:56,960 --> 00:18:02,000 Speaker 1: early stages. German scientists Alpha beganer, who you are going 331 00:18:02,040 --> 00:18:05,359 Speaker 1: to hear more about in coming episodes, was still six 332 00:18:05,440 --> 00:18:09,000 Speaker 1: years away from introducing the idea of continental drift and 333 00:18:09,040 --> 00:18:12,680 Speaker 1: the theory of plate tectonics wasn't developed until the nineteen sixties. 334 00:18:12,720 --> 00:18:16,000 Speaker 1: So even though other countries were working in earthquake study, 335 00:18:16,119 --> 00:18:20,440 Speaker 1: everyone was still really in the very beginnings of this science. Yeah, 336 00:18:20,760 --> 00:18:25,639 Speaker 1: by total coincidence, m researching an episode on Alfred beganor 337 00:18:25,800 --> 00:18:30,199 Speaker 1: right now as we speak, not literally while we're in 338 00:18:30,240 --> 00:18:32,320 Speaker 1: the studio, but as soon as we're done, I'm getting 339 00:18:32,320 --> 00:18:35,440 Speaker 1: back to it. So following this earthquake, you see, Berkeley 340 00:18:35,480 --> 00:18:39,800 Speaker 1: Geology Department head Andrew C. Lawson started amassing data and 341 00:18:39,880 --> 00:18:43,919 Speaker 1: he was named chair of the State Earthquake Investigation Commission 342 00:18:44,280 --> 00:18:48,879 Speaker 1: was established by California Governor George C. Party. That commission 343 00:18:48,920 --> 00:18:51,600 Speaker 1: published a full report after two years of work, and 344 00:18:51,640 --> 00:18:55,040 Speaker 1: that's generally referred to as the laws In report. The 345 00:18:55,119 --> 00:18:58,640 Speaker 1: report set the bar for scientific investigation and included work 346 00:18:58,680 --> 00:19:02,679 Speaker 1: from twenty different science tis. It's a really thorough compilation 347 00:19:02,760 --> 00:19:05,760 Speaker 1: of data, including maps and photos of the damage and 348 00:19:05,880 --> 00:19:10,080 Speaker 1: measurements of the movement of the earth around San Andrea's fault. Yeah, 349 00:19:10,119 --> 00:19:13,560 Speaker 1: as a complete science sidebar, I will mention that where 350 00:19:13,600 --> 00:19:17,240 Speaker 1: the epicenter was determined by research has shifted a few 351 00:19:17,240 --> 00:19:21,760 Speaker 1: times over the years. As our scientific knowledge has gotten 352 00:19:21,760 --> 00:19:24,960 Speaker 1: a little bit more refined along the way. So but 353 00:19:25,200 --> 00:19:28,240 Speaker 1: really with the loss and report, all of these ideas started, 354 00:19:28,280 --> 00:19:31,480 Speaker 1: and all of this research really began, and the report 355 00:19:32,000 --> 00:19:35,119 Speaker 1: formed the basis of earthquake knowledge related to California, and 356 00:19:35,160 --> 00:19:40,439 Speaker 1: it also informed future construction and scientific observational guidelines. So 357 00:19:40,520 --> 00:19:44,280 Speaker 1: that meant that earthquake hazards were reduced because predictive modeling 358 00:19:44,359 --> 00:19:47,800 Speaker 1: was developed as a consequence to warn people of impending quakes, 359 00:19:47,840 --> 00:19:50,919 Speaker 1: and buildings were made to better withstand shaking. And it 360 00:19:50,960 --> 00:19:53,960 Speaker 1: really all goes back to the scientific community really rallying 361 00:19:54,160 --> 00:19:56,560 Speaker 1: right after this event. Coming up, we'll talk about a 362 00:19:56,640 --> 00:20:00,840 Speaker 1: very different topic, and that's how racist attitudes towards Chinatown 363 00:20:00,920 --> 00:20:03,679 Speaker 1: played out in the aftermath of the nineteen six quake. 364 00:20:03,840 --> 00:20:06,400 Speaker 1: But first we will pause and have another quick word 365 00:20:06,400 --> 00:20:16,639 Speaker 1: from one of our sponsors. In the wake of the 366 00:20:16,680 --> 00:20:20,600 Speaker 1: earthquake and fire, the displaced population of Chinatown in particular 367 00:20:21,040 --> 00:20:23,800 Speaker 1: based a really harrowing situation. The whole city was in 368 00:20:23,840 --> 00:20:26,119 Speaker 1: a bad state, right, people were displaced, more than half 369 00:20:26,160 --> 00:20:28,520 Speaker 1: of the city had lost their homes. Water was very 370 00:20:28,560 --> 00:20:32,680 Speaker 1: difficult to get, but Chinatown had a whole different problem 371 00:20:32,720 --> 00:20:34,840 Speaker 1: and We've talked on the show before about the Page 372 00:20:34,840 --> 00:20:37,560 Speaker 1: Act of eighteen seventy five and the Chinese Exclusion Act 373 00:20:37,560 --> 00:20:40,359 Speaker 1: of eighteen eighty two, both of which were intended to 374 00:20:40,440 --> 00:20:43,800 Speaker 1: stop immigration from China to the US, and as the 375 00:20:43,840 --> 00:20:47,639 Speaker 1: initial swell of the Gold Russia's prosperity had ebbed, animosity 376 00:20:47,680 --> 00:20:51,160 Speaker 1: toward immigrants had swelled, particularly Chinese people that were living 377 00:20:51,200 --> 00:20:55,439 Speaker 1: in California and San Francisco's Chinatown was viewed with suspicion 378 00:20:55,640 --> 00:21:00,280 Speaker 1: and outright hostility. This neighborhood was destroyed in the earth quake. 379 00:21:00,320 --> 00:21:04,240 Speaker 1: An estimated fifteen thousand of its residents lost their homes 380 00:21:04,240 --> 00:21:08,000 Speaker 1: in the disaster. It offered city officials this chance to 381 00:21:08,040 --> 00:21:11,720 Speaker 1: try to push the residents of Chinatown out permanently and 382 00:21:11,840 --> 00:21:14,920 Speaker 1: take over their neighborhood's real estate, which was really lucrative. 383 00:21:15,520 --> 00:21:19,800 Speaker 1: Most of Chinatown's displaced population sought refuge in nearby Oakland, 384 00:21:19,960 --> 00:21:23,240 Speaker 1: that also had its own well established Chinatown, but the 385 00:21:23,280 --> 00:21:26,760 Speaker 1: people that stayed behind were segregated away from other refugees 386 00:21:26,800 --> 00:21:30,240 Speaker 1: at the presidio. Meanwhile, all the other residents were allowed 387 00:21:30,280 --> 00:21:34,520 Speaker 1: to return to their property immediately after the fire was extinguished. Yeah, 388 00:21:34,520 --> 00:21:38,000 Speaker 1: but those Chinese residents were not they continued to be held. 389 00:21:38,520 --> 00:21:41,720 Speaker 1: City officials wanted to keep the displaced residents away from 390 00:21:41,760 --> 00:21:45,919 Speaker 1: their neighborhood to prevent rebuilding efforts in Chinatown. The city 391 00:21:45,920 --> 00:21:50,320 Speaker 1: government established a General Committee for the Chinese Relocation with 392 00:21:50,440 --> 00:21:53,199 Speaker 1: the intent to determine exactly what to do with this 393 00:21:53,480 --> 00:21:56,960 Speaker 1: entire community of people that the city no longer wanted, 394 00:21:57,400 --> 00:22:00,040 Speaker 1: and one possibility was to establish a new area of 395 00:22:00,160 --> 00:22:03,440 Speaker 1: for them outside the city limits. But even early on 396 00:22:03,520 --> 00:22:06,320 Speaker 1: it was recognized that this was not the best idea 397 00:22:06,400 --> 00:22:08,720 Speaker 1: because there was a lot of business done among the 398 00:22:08,760 --> 00:22:12,200 Speaker 1: occupants of Chinatown as well as tourism, and that included 399 00:22:12,240 --> 00:22:15,520 Speaker 1: taxes that the city desperately wanted to keep collecting. It 400 00:22:15,600 --> 00:22:17,119 Speaker 1: was going to need that money as part of the 401 00:22:17,160 --> 00:22:20,760 Speaker 1: rebuilding effort. And while this isn't in any way suggesting 402 00:22:20,880 --> 00:22:23,160 Speaker 1: that racism was not an issue in all of this, 403 00:22:23,640 --> 00:22:25,960 Speaker 1: there is an interesting thing that happens where there's a 404 00:22:26,000 --> 00:22:29,399 Speaker 1: mentality shift that's noted. Uh. It came up in a 405 00:22:29,440 --> 00:22:32,800 Speaker 1: paper that I was reading, where this is the first 406 00:22:32,880 --> 00:22:37,600 Speaker 1: time on record that people kind of acknowledge that instead 407 00:22:37,640 --> 00:22:40,760 Speaker 1: of thinking that Chinese immigrants were hurting the economy, they 408 00:22:40,760 --> 00:22:43,880 Speaker 1: were recognizing that they were a significant and important part 409 00:22:44,000 --> 00:22:46,679 Speaker 1: of the city's financial well being. That was something that 410 00:22:46,760 --> 00:22:50,879 Speaker 1: Chinatown's residents already knew, and they weren't passively waiting to 411 00:22:50,920 --> 00:22:54,080 Speaker 1: see what city officials would do. They immediately spoke out 412 00:22:54,080 --> 00:22:57,840 Speaker 1: against what was happening. Through their relationships with the Protestant 413 00:22:57,880 --> 00:23:01,440 Speaker 1: and Catholic churches, which offered spaces to gather, the residents 414 00:23:01,440 --> 00:23:05,320 Speaker 1: of Chinatown got organized. Leaders from the Chinese community gave 415 00:23:05,400 --> 00:23:07,480 Speaker 1: statements to the press that made it clear that they 416 00:23:07,480 --> 00:23:10,480 Speaker 1: would fight efforts to relocate them and that they were 417 00:23:10,560 --> 00:23:14,080 Speaker 1: as a community united in this stance. On May one, 418 00:23:14,280 --> 00:23:17,200 Speaker 1: nine six, the San Francisco Call ran an article. This 419 00:23:17,320 --> 00:23:20,119 Speaker 1: contained some very outdated language in terms of how Chinese 420 00:23:20,119 --> 00:23:24,080 Speaker 1: people were referred to, but it reported quote Celestial landowners 421 00:23:24,119 --> 00:23:27,479 Speaker 1: hold that they cannot be deprived of their rights. Fifty 422 00:23:27,600 --> 00:23:30,800 Speaker 1: Chinese owners of property in Old Chinatown have decided to 423 00:23:30,920 --> 00:23:34,600 Speaker 1: rebuild on the sites where their buildings were destroyed. Legal 424 00:23:34,640 --> 00:23:37,919 Speaker 1: advisers of the Chinese, the Chinese Consul General and the 425 00:23:38,040 --> 00:23:41,280 Speaker 1: Vice Consul King Ao Yang, gave it as their opinion 426 00:23:41,400 --> 00:23:44,840 Speaker 1: that the owners or lessees of land in Chinatown cannot 427 00:23:44,840 --> 00:23:47,920 Speaker 1: be deprived of the right to rebuild if they so desired. 428 00:23:48,440 --> 00:23:51,040 Speaker 1: It has been decided to resist any attempt of the 429 00:23:51,040 --> 00:23:54,760 Speaker 1: authorities to compel the Chinese to establish themselves at Hunter's 430 00:23:54,800 --> 00:23:58,000 Speaker 1: Point against the wishes of those who owned property in 431 00:23:58,040 --> 00:24:01,960 Speaker 1: the old territory. So throughout all this conflict, the Benevolent 432 00:24:02,080 --> 00:24:04,960 Speaker 1: Six Companies, which he might see, sided with a number 433 00:24:05,000 --> 00:24:08,520 Speaker 1: of slightly different names, including the Chinese Six Companies, or 434 00:24:08,560 --> 00:24:10,399 Speaker 1: by the name that it's known by today, which is 435 00:24:10,520 --> 00:24:15,640 Speaker 1: Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association. I was vital to the organizational efforts. 436 00:24:15,680 --> 00:24:18,520 Speaker 1: This group has its own complex and nuanced history, but 437 00:24:18,600 --> 00:24:21,360 Speaker 1: by nineteen o six it was working essentially as an 438 00:24:21,359 --> 00:24:24,720 Speaker 1: internal support and umbrella organization for the people of Chinatown. 439 00:24:25,240 --> 00:24:28,199 Speaker 1: We should mention that the group had expanded outside of California, 440 00:24:28,240 --> 00:24:31,159 Speaker 1: but their headquarters were still in San Francisco, and the 441 00:24:31,160 --> 00:24:35,040 Speaker 1: Benevolent Six Companies organization was able to leverage its position 442 00:24:35,080 --> 00:24:37,840 Speaker 1: to reach out to the Chinese government, and as a result, 443 00:24:38,200 --> 00:24:41,320 Speaker 1: a delegation of Chinese officials made a public statement and 444 00:24:41,359 --> 00:24:44,879 Speaker 1: requested a meeting with Governor Party, and their statement began. 445 00:24:45,400 --> 00:24:47,840 Speaker 1: This is said in the point of view of the 446 00:24:47,880 --> 00:24:50,719 Speaker 1: person giving the statement, quote, I have heard the report 447 00:24:50,840 --> 00:24:53,840 Speaker 1: that the authorities intend to remove Chinatown, but I cannot 448 00:24:53,840 --> 00:24:57,120 Speaker 1: believe it. America is a free country, and every man 449 00:24:57,240 --> 00:24:59,920 Speaker 1: has a right to occupy land which he owns, provided 450 00:25:00,000 --> 00:25:03,399 Speaker 1: that he makes no nuisance. The Chinese government owns the 451 00:25:03,480 --> 00:25:07,080 Speaker 1: lot on which the Chinese Consulate of San Francisco formerly stood, 452 00:25:07,400 --> 00:25:10,040 Speaker 1: and this site on Stockton Street will be used again. 453 00:25:10,640 --> 00:25:12,840 Speaker 1: It is the intention of our government to build a 454 00:25:12,840 --> 00:25:15,520 Speaker 1: new building on the property, paying strict attention to the 455 00:25:15,520 --> 00:25:19,160 Speaker 1: new building regulations which may be framed. While that statement 456 00:25:19,240 --> 00:25:22,720 Speaker 1: was specifically about the consulate, the officials used their meeting 457 00:25:22,800 --> 00:25:25,600 Speaker 1: with the governor to make the convincing case that Chinatown 458 00:25:25,680 --> 00:25:29,280 Speaker 1: was a driver of significant tax revenue and trade. There 459 00:25:29,320 --> 00:25:32,199 Speaker 1: was also a request that Chinese officials be allowed to 460 00:25:32,320 --> 00:25:35,040 Speaker 1: enter the area of the presidio while the city's Chinese 461 00:25:35,040 --> 00:25:38,160 Speaker 1: refugees are being held under guard, so those officials could 462 00:25:38,160 --> 00:25:42,600 Speaker 1: administer aid. The city of San Francisco also started seeing 463 00:25:42,640 --> 00:25:45,480 Speaker 1: more and more just how valuable the economic influence of 464 00:25:45,520 --> 00:25:49,879 Speaker 1: its Chinese residence was. Some business owners just got tired 465 00:25:49,920 --> 00:25:52,040 Speaker 1: of this whole situation and opted to leave the Bay 466 00:25:52,080 --> 00:25:54,960 Speaker 1: Area and start over in new cities, often at the 467 00:25:55,000 --> 00:25:59,040 Speaker 1: invitation of those cities. Delegates from Seattle and Portland had 468 00:25:59,080 --> 00:26:02,440 Speaker 1: actually arrived in San Francisco to reach out to displace 469 00:26:02,560 --> 00:26:05,760 Speaker 1: Chinese business owners and offer them assistance if they wanted 470 00:26:05,800 --> 00:26:08,320 Speaker 1: to move to their cities. That was a little bit 471 00:26:08,359 --> 00:26:11,840 Speaker 1: scary for the leadership of San Francisco, who realized they 472 00:26:11,880 --> 00:26:14,000 Speaker 1: were clearly getting rid of something that other people saw 473 00:26:14,040 --> 00:26:17,400 Speaker 1: as an asset. And though this caused a permanent dip 474 00:26:17,400 --> 00:26:20,000 Speaker 1: in the Chinese population of the city, one that actually 475 00:26:20,000 --> 00:26:23,760 Speaker 1: took decades to make up, the majority of Chinatown's residents 476 00:26:23,880 --> 00:26:26,680 Speaker 1: really wanted more than anything to just continue their lives 477 00:26:26,680 --> 00:26:30,000 Speaker 1: in San Francisco, which they considered their home at this point. 478 00:26:30,520 --> 00:26:34,720 Speaker 1: After the lobbying efforts, protests, and statements that San Francisco's 479 00:26:34,760 --> 00:26:38,560 Speaker 1: Chinese community would not just accept relocation, as well as 480 00:26:38,560 --> 00:26:42,080 Speaker 1: a serious realization about the fiscal value of keeping Chinatown 481 00:26:42,160 --> 00:26:46,719 Speaker 1: inside the city's municipality, city officials finally relented and allowed 482 00:26:46,760 --> 00:26:49,160 Speaker 1: the residents of Chinatown to go back to their neighborhood 483 00:26:49,200 --> 00:26:52,600 Speaker 1: and start rebuilding the new Chinatown. As most of the 484 00:26:52,600 --> 00:26:55,440 Speaker 1: rebuilt San Francisco was built with city planning at the 485 00:26:55,480 --> 00:26:59,320 Speaker 1: forefront to make it better than before. Ride up with 486 00:26:59,359 --> 00:27:02,879 Speaker 1: the San Francisco Call described the newly rebuilt Chinatown as 487 00:27:03,000 --> 00:27:07,520 Speaker 1: quote barbarously gorgeous. Again, we're super not saying that racism 488 00:27:07,520 --> 00:27:10,800 Speaker 1: towards the Chinese and other Asian communities was suddenly abandoned. 489 00:27:10,800 --> 00:27:13,160 Speaker 1: I mean, the fact the word barbarously is right there 490 00:27:13,160 --> 00:27:17,520 Speaker 1: before gorgeous nods to that. Um. Also, if you would 491 00:27:17,600 --> 00:27:20,400 Speaker 1: like to like hear more about this rebuilding process, there's 492 00:27:20,400 --> 00:27:24,400 Speaker 1: a great episode of Invisible that's like specifically about how 493 00:27:24,480 --> 00:27:29,919 Speaker 1: they redesigned Chinatown. Yeah, it's also interesting there are that 494 00:27:30,200 --> 00:27:33,399 Speaker 1: entire article that calls it barbarously gorgeous. It's a weird 495 00:27:34,200 --> 00:27:37,720 Speaker 1: series of praise and backhanded compliments where it's like, it's 496 00:27:37,760 --> 00:27:40,399 Speaker 1: so beautiful and amazing. I hope it doesn't start to 497 00:27:40,440 --> 00:27:44,639 Speaker 1: stink like it did before. Like it's a really strange, 498 00:27:44,680 --> 00:27:49,320 Speaker 1: horrible while they're like acknowledging, how like what an astonishing 499 00:27:49,560 --> 00:27:53,399 Speaker 1: and absolutely beautiful accomplishment it was in the rebuild, like 500 00:27:53,440 --> 00:27:57,320 Speaker 1: they couldn't resist getting in some really grossed racist barbs 501 00:27:57,359 --> 00:28:02,960 Speaker 1: along the way. Uh. Yeah, it's a again fascinating. Even 502 00:28:03,040 --> 00:28:05,560 Speaker 1: while they acknowledged people's value, they still had to like 503 00:28:06,440 --> 00:28:10,560 Speaker 1: getting insults, which is a very strange and dismaying thing 504 00:28:10,640 --> 00:28:15,200 Speaker 1: to read. Um. There is still information today that is 505 00:28:15,240 --> 00:28:20,000 Speaker 1: surfacing about the fire and Chinatown specifically, in two fifteen, 506 00:28:20,040 --> 00:28:22,480 Speaker 1: while construction was being done on the Muni light rail 507 00:28:22,520 --> 00:28:26,439 Speaker 1: line from Chinatown to South Market, in archaeological excavation that 508 00:28:26,520 --> 00:28:30,600 Speaker 1: was running, concurrently discovered a number of industrial showing machines 509 00:28:30,640 --> 00:28:34,119 Speaker 1: that were manufactured in the late nineteenth century. That find 510 00:28:34,320 --> 00:28:37,800 Speaker 1: was right in front of today's Chinese American Citizens Alliance 511 00:28:37,840 --> 00:28:41,040 Speaker 1: building on Stockton Street, and it offered inside into an 512 00:28:41,080 --> 00:28:44,080 Speaker 1: area of the city that wasn't particularly well documented in 513 00:28:44,160 --> 00:28:48,200 Speaker 1: nineteen o six. Even things in Chinatown that were documented 514 00:28:48,280 --> 00:28:52,480 Speaker 1: have been pretty elusive from historical standpoint because the documentation 515 00:28:52,520 --> 00:28:55,080 Speaker 1: of where things were was largely lost in the earthquake 516 00:28:55,120 --> 00:28:58,280 Speaker 1: and the fires that followed. City Hall, for example, had 517 00:28:58,320 --> 00:29:00,880 Speaker 1: burned to the ground and with it went the census 518 00:29:00,920 --> 00:29:06,680 Speaker 1: records and citizenship documentation. Yes, sorting that whole citizenship status 519 00:29:06,720 --> 00:29:11,080 Speaker 1: situation out uh was its own big mess. Uh. There 520 00:29:11,760 --> 00:29:16,400 Speaker 1: are certainly, um some indications that some people took advantage 521 00:29:16,440 --> 00:29:18,280 Speaker 1: of that situation and could just say like, no, I 522 00:29:18,360 --> 00:29:21,640 Speaker 1: was a citizen, but my records are burned. But also 523 00:29:21,880 --> 00:29:24,960 Speaker 1: people that were citizens had no proof either it was 524 00:29:25,000 --> 00:29:29,600 Speaker 1: a very strange time. Um. But because this area was 525 00:29:29,640 --> 00:29:31,800 Speaker 1: more than eight feet below the street where they found 526 00:29:31,800 --> 00:29:35,920 Speaker 1: these sewing machines, that discovery indicated that there was probably 527 00:29:35,960 --> 00:29:38,840 Speaker 1: a basement factory that existed on that site, and this 528 00:29:38,880 --> 00:29:42,920 Speaker 1: meant that researchers could use that information to try to identify, 529 00:29:43,040 --> 00:29:46,280 Speaker 1: from what records still do exist, the garment factory that 530 00:29:46,320 --> 00:29:49,800 Speaker 1: had been there and hopefully eventually identify some of the 531 00:29:49,840 --> 00:29:52,920 Speaker 1: workers that had been there, uh and thus create a 532 00:29:52,920 --> 00:29:55,920 Speaker 1: little bit more robust historical record of the neighborhood and 533 00:29:55,920 --> 00:29:59,760 Speaker 1: its citizens. And that's something that takes on considerable significance. 534 00:30:00,000 --> 00:30:02,840 Speaker 1: And you consider the treatment of the displaced Chinese population 535 00:30:03,000 --> 00:30:07,680 Speaker 1: after the disaster, and as the city continues construction projects 536 00:30:07,720 --> 00:30:10,239 Speaker 1: finds like these are more and more difficult, and pre 537 00:30:10,400 --> 00:30:13,880 Speaker 1: nineteen o six discoveries are becoming ever more rare. But 538 00:30:13,960 --> 00:30:17,880 Speaker 1: for Chinatown in particular, it's piecing together a big, big 539 00:30:17,920 --> 00:30:20,560 Speaker 1: gap in their record, so it becomes more and more important. 540 00:30:21,320 --> 00:30:23,240 Speaker 1: I don't know what the status is on the research 541 00:30:23,320 --> 00:30:27,000 Speaker 1: into what building was there and finding out who the 542 00:30:27,040 --> 00:30:29,920 Speaker 1: people that worked in that factory where I couldn't did 543 00:30:29,960 --> 00:30:31,720 Speaker 1: not manage to dig up more info on it. So 544 00:30:31,760 --> 00:30:34,640 Speaker 1: I'm not sure what status that that research is at, 545 00:30:34,720 --> 00:30:38,840 Speaker 1: but it's fascinating. I sure do love San Francisco's Chinatown, 546 00:30:40,880 --> 00:30:43,640 Speaker 1: the eating I have done in San Francisco's China Town. 547 00:30:45,040 --> 00:30:48,760 Speaker 1: That that invisible episode I think it's called It's Chinatown. 548 00:30:48,800 --> 00:30:52,880 Speaker 1: It's from I think Yum and it's it talks about 549 00:30:53,720 --> 00:30:57,960 Speaker 1: how they designed that that Chinatown neighborhood and then how 550 00:30:58,080 --> 00:31:04,480 Speaker 1: that influenced other city these chinatown It's really interesting. Yeah. Yeah, 551 00:31:04,480 --> 00:31:08,920 Speaker 1: I mean San Francisco's Chinatown is often uh considered like 552 00:31:09,840 --> 00:31:14,160 Speaker 1: the original United States Chinatown in a metro area, and 553 00:31:14,240 --> 00:31:19,080 Speaker 1: so it has been I said, very influential, um, throughout 554 00:31:19,240 --> 00:31:22,960 Speaker 1: our country and others. Frankly uh and again, oh the 555 00:31:23,040 --> 00:31:25,280 Speaker 1: food I have eaten there and I just love it. 556 00:31:25,280 --> 00:31:27,200 Speaker 1: It's it is a really beautiful part of the city. 557 00:31:27,280 --> 00:31:30,800 Speaker 1: It makes me so happy just to walk around there. Um. 558 00:31:31,000 --> 00:31:35,320 Speaker 1: I have two pieces of listener mail. One is about 559 00:31:35,320 --> 00:31:39,160 Speaker 1: our Halloween episodes. Uh. It comes from our listener Chip, 560 00:31:39,320 --> 00:31:41,280 Speaker 1: who writes, Dear Tracy and Holly on my list of 561 00:31:41,320 --> 00:31:44,000 Speaker 1: favorite things about Autumn and Halloween. Up there with camp fires, 562 00:31:44,040 --> 00:31:46,760 Speaker 1: pumpkin pie, and frosty mornings are the stuff you missed 563 00:31:46,760 --> 00:31:50,160 Speaker 1: in history class. Spooky History episodes The Devil's Footprints of 564 00:31:50,160 --> 00:31:52,880 Speaker 1: Devonshire and The Beast of Jevadon are my top favorites. 565 00:31:53,120 --> 00:31:54,840 Speaker 1: Thank you for making the best season of the year 566 00:31:54,880 --> 00:31:56,840 Speaker 1: even more enjoyable, and I hope the season is a 567 00:31:56,920 --> 00:31:59,280 Speaker 1: very happy one for you and your family's happy Halloween. 568 00:31:59,480 --> 00:32:02,320 Speaker 1: Even though we're past Halloween, every day is Halloween in 569 00:32:02,360 --> 00:32:05,320 Speaker 1: my heart, so I'm always happy to read more and 570 00:32:05,360 --> 00:32:08,840 Speaker 1: thank you so much. Chip, I too love all Halloween things. 571 00:32:08,880 --> 00:32:11,800 Speaker 1: Like I said, every day is Halloween to me. Our 572 00:32:11,920 --> 00:32:15,120 Speaker 1: second postcard is from our listener Katie, and it's just delightful. 573 00:32:15,680 --> 00:32:17,880 Speaker 1: S Hi, Holly and Tracy. I was at the Wisconsin 574 00:32:17,960 --> 00:32:21,760 Speaker 1: Historical Society's Historic Preservation Conference and this postcard made me 575 00:32:21,800 --> 00:32:23,200 Speaker 1: think of you. Thank you for all the work you 576 00:32:23,240 --> 00:32:27,000 Speaker 1: do making history accessible. And I wanted to mention this 577 00:32:27,040 --> 00:32:31,240 Speaker 1: postcard because the image on it is automobile suits for dogs, 578 00:32:33,160 --> 00:32:37,000 Speaker 1: which I love. It's super cute. It's basically it's funny 579 00:32:37,000 --> 00:32:39,360 Speaker 1: because it's a historical thing. But if you've ever known 580 00:32:39,400 --> 00:32:41,840 Speaker 1: people with dogs, you might know that there are things 581 00:32:41,880 --> 00:32:45,240 Speaker 1: called doggles, which are goggles made for dogs so that 582 00:32:45,280 --> 00:32:47,640 Speaker 1: they can stick their heads out of car windows or 583 00:32:47,720 --> 00:32:50,560 Speaker 1: right inside cars, etcetera, without debris getting in their eyes. 584 00:32:50,840 --> 00:32:53,479 Speaker 1: And that's essentially what most of these suits are based on. 585 00:32:54,200 --> 00:32:56,080 Speaker 1: They're like a little jacket for the dog with a 586 00:32:56,080 --> 00:33:00,000 Speaker 1: pair of doggles and one of the drawings it's all sketch, obvious, 587 00:33:00,040 --> 00:33:02,440 Speaker 1: slee and one of the drawings actually looks like a cat, 588 00:33:02,600 --> 00:33:05,000 Speaker 1: which cracks me up in a whole other way. So 589 00:33:05,040 --> 00:33:07,160 Speaker 1: thank you, Katie, because that made me smile and cackle 590 00:33:07,200 --> 00:33:10,320 Speaker 1: a little bit, which is always great fun. If you 591 00:33:10,320 --> 00:33:12,560 Speaker 1: would like to write to us, you can absolutely do that. 592 00:33:12,680 --> 00:33:16,240 Speaker 1: Our email address is History Podcast at how stoneworks dot com. 593 00:33:16,280 --> 00:33:18,520 Speaker 1: You can also find us everywhere on social media as 594 00:33:18,560 --> 00:33:21,160 Speaker 1: Missed in History, and you can visit our website missed 595 00:33:21,160 --> 00:33:23,479 Speaker 1: in History dot com to check out every episode that's 596 00:33:23,520 --> 00:33:26,320 Speaker 1: ever existed, as well as all of the new ones 597 00:33:26,400 --> 00:33:29,480 Speaker 1: going forward. Uh. If you would like to subscribe to 598 00:33:29,520 --> 00:33:31,680 Speaker 1: the show, that sounds like a grand idea to me. 599 00:33:32,000 --> 00:33:34,720 Speaker 1: You can do that on the I Heart Radio app, 600 00:33:34,800 --> 00:33:42,800 Speaker 1: at Apple Podcasts, or wherever it is that you listen Stuffy. 601 00:33:42,840 --> 00:33:45,440 Speaker 1: Missed in History Class is a production of I Heart Radios. 602 00:33:45,480 --> 00:33:48,400 Speaker 1: How stuff Works for more podcasts for my Heart Radio 603 00:33:48,560 --> 00:33:51,720 Speaker 1: visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you 604 00:33:51,760 --> 00:33:53,000 Speaker 1: listen to your favorite shows.