[The following is in regards to the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake. It is an excerpt of a memoir written by Jack London. At this point in the memoir, he is detailing the horrific and widespread fires which had occurred in the aftermath of the quake, which lasted for several days. Altogether, about 3,000 people died and approximately 80% of the city was destroyed.]
It was at Union Square that I saw a man offering a thousand dollars for a team of horses. He was in charge of a truck piled high with trunks from some hotel. It had been hauled here into what was considered safety, and the horses had been taken out. The flames were on three sides of the square, and there were no horses.
Also, at this time, standing beside the truck, I urged a man to seek safety in flight. He was all but hemmed in by several conflagrations. He was an old man and he was on crutches. Said he: “Today is my birthday. Last night I was worth thirty thousand dollars. I bought five bottles of wine, some delicate fish, and other things for my birthday dinner. I have had no dinner, and all I own are these crutches.”
I convinced him of his danger and started him limping on his way. An hour later, from a distance, I saw the truckload of trunks burning merrily in the middle of the street.
Source:
Stephens, John Richard. “Firsthand Accounts by Famous People.” Weird History 101: Tales of Intrigue, Mayhem, and Outrageous Behavior. New York: Barnes & Noble, 2006. 109. Print.
Further Reading:
My great Grandfather was a sailor on a Dutch merchant sailing ship and he was in the St Fransisco harbor during the earthquakes. According to my father he would tell the story very lively and i remember the quote "the flames where everywhere, fire seemed to be coming from the ground itself"