A Crack in the Edge of the World: America and the Great California Earthquake of 1906

In the early morning hours of April 18, 1906, San Francisco and its surrounding area were rocked by an earthquake that registered 8.25 on the Richter scale. Lasting just over a minute, the quake destroyed 490 city blocks, toppled 25,000 buildings, broke open gas mains and cut off electric power lines throughout the Bay Area. But the earthquake was just the beginning. In its wake, fires ravaged the city for three days, leaving chaos and horror behind. At least 450 people were killed, and mor...