SAN FRANCISCO EARTHQUAKE AND FIRE APRIL 18, 1906

ANTONE MARINOVICH: On April 18, 1906 early in the morning at about 5:12 a.m., a strong earthquake hit San Francisco, California, for full three minutes. The citizens were mostly in their beds when suddenly they felt the terrible swinging and breaking of the walls. Many of them lost their consciousness and died under the ruins, while the others ran in the nightgowns out on the fields. The worst was for guests of big hotels located the most beautiful and the most crowded part of that nice town.

Due to the earthquake, the fire burst out in all parts of town and spread quickly. The burning town could have been seen from the highest mountain peaks in San Jose, which is twenty-five miles south from San Francisco. The fire spread towards the coast where numerous warehouses with cereals and other merchandise were situated. Market Street, Van Ness Avenue, Greenwich Street and all the buildings at the seacoast were reduced to ashes. All the buildings in Bay and Montgomery Avenue east from Hyde Street were burned down. The south part of Market Street was also reduced to ashes, as well as the buildings north of Market Street and those located at Guerrero and Dolores Street.

The population of San Francisco before that fatal earthquake and fire was 450,000. The citizens ran away during the fire, so about 200,000 homeless people found their shelters in the Golden Gate Park, 6,000 in Presidio and several thousands elsewhere. The number of dead was hard to tell since there were no exact data, but it was estimated that several thousands of people were killed.

Anton Marinovich, the Croatian who at that time was in San Francisco, wrote about that disaster the following: "There is still a state of siege. On April 29 I went to San Francisco from West Oakland together with Franjo Krstinich and I. Matkovich. When we saw what a disaster the earthquake and the fire made, our hearts broke of sadness. All we could see were ruins and dead bodies, carcasses of horses, dogs and other animals. The town awfully stinks and it is not possible to go around all parts of the town because of dust and smoke. The most of people live and sleep in tents, on the streets and in the parks. Soldiers keep order and peace day and night. In San Francisco there are now 100,000 persons. The clothes and food are given for free at many places. Once wealthy families are seen with their children asking a piece of bread. The first three days people were suffering from thirst and hunger, but that has been solved. Our Croatian people were hit by a big distress. From 4,000 Croatians that lived in San Francisco, only 200 remained today; about 1,000 found their shelters in Oakland, Berkeley and vicinity, and the rest went to Los Angeles, Watsonville, Angel Camp, Jackson, Sacramento and elsewhere. About 200 left for East and up to 50 went back to their homeland. In Vermont Street live up to 200 Slovenians and since there was no fire, almost everything is fine. Due to the big distress and suffering, and having no place to sleep but together, four of our countrymen got married. Could you imagine, getting married in these sad days! This is to describe the disaster that happened to Croatian people. The earthquake and fire destroyed the following: Dr. V. G. Vecki, office and home; Dr. O. Kucich, office and home; grocery retail, Srezovich and Co., Ivankovich and Co., Chuda and Co.; paper factory of $100,000 value owned by Stuparich Brothers; metal factory Vranjican and Co; shoe and furniture shops J. Dragicevich and V. Mirko; cooper's shop owned by Kucich Brothers; grocery shops Pilkovich and Co., A. Cvietich; coffee shop Spiro Kucich; Croatian Church of Nativity; shoe factory Tornich and Muzinich; bank office Turato-Marelja; fruit factory and shop Braticevich and Co.; restaurant and two homes of M. Krezalja; restaurant and home of N. Mortigia; restaurant and home of Mortigia Brothers; restaurants of the following owners: Jakov Medo, Lutich and Bilafer, Bellin and Skaramuca, P. Domacin, J. Bencich, Marovich Brothers, Santich and Kalasich, M. Jerkovich, Ivan Sutich, J. Klecak, F. Krstelj, Krstinich and Kosulich, I. Martincich, M. Ivanovich, S. Perkovich; brewery Svetinich and Radich, and finally saloons owned by Susanj and Co., Petar Kocelj, T. Mihovilovich and many others. It is estimated that the total of 125 Croatian merchants are broke and about 30 remained more or less damaged."

In this situation the American Croatians helped Croatian people who were suffering from the consequences of earthquake and fire in San Francisco, by collecting donations for that purpose. The Croatian National Association also supported with $1,000, sending this amount to Josip Mender, the treasurer of the Committee for affected Croatians in San Francisco.

Anton Marinovich 1906

ANTONE KENTRA: "Watch out for my mother," the mustachioed husband shouted, pulling his wife and infant daughter from their four-poster bed. It was the morning of April 18, 1906, and the infamous San Francisco Earthquake had just broken their sleep with an ominous roar, shaking and cracking of walls. A huge framed portrait of his mother tumbled down from above their bed, the glass splintering where their heads had been a fraction of a second before. They fled in their night clothes to the street. These were Antone and Pere Kentra, the parents of Mary Kentra Ericsson, and she tells their stories in her book "Ragusan Bride: Dubrovnik to San Francisco," published by Ragusan press in Palo Alto. Ericsson, who is 71 and lives in Pittsburg, was the fourth child of that adventurous 20-year old woman who left Croatia for San Francisco, married a fellow Croatian and settled down to start a family. Then came the fateful day in 1906 when the earth shook and the clocks froze at 5:12 a.m. After the first convulsions of the quake, they grabbed their baby out and fled, unable to save any possessions. They ran past gaping holes in the street, fires from broken gas lines and people moaning in the rubble. They sought open space, away from the buildings that tumbled around them. Like many San Franciscans, they lived in Golden Gate Park for about a week, sleeping on the ground and cooking on makeshift stoves, waiting anxiously for word of missing relatives. Eventually, all turned up safe.

Then they moved to the small country village of Oakland, where they would live for the next 50 years. The young mother had always wanted to live in Oakland, because the houses had room for gardens, and life was more peaceful. Ericsson heard these stories from her mother on the long evenings as they waited for the lamplight to flame the gas streetlights. They rarely saw their father on week nights, because of his long working hours in a San Francisco restaurant. "Those were the days before unions," Ericsson remembers, "and he would leave at 6 in the morning and not get home until 9 at night. Sometimes we'd take the ferryboat over to see him at the restaurant, and he'd been working so hard, the perspiration just poured off him." On weekends, Ericsson remembers, their home was filled with Croatians, because her father could read and write. Illiterate immigrants brought letters from home for him to read. Ericsson's mother took in boarders and washed clothes to help support the family. After years of saving, the family was able to buy a home at 1432 16th St. And in his later years, her father and a partner owned their own restaurant, the Prosperity Grill on Seventh Street between Washington and Broadway.

The Dalmatians liked to make home-brewed wine, Ericsson remembers, and some of the neighbors complained because the mash attracted gnats. But for the most part, life was harmonious.

MINUTES OF THE SLAVONIC SOCIETY: Regular meeting of the Slavonic Illyric M.B. Society held Friday evening, May 18, 1906, at, 4228- 18th Street, San Francisco according to call of President and Secretary.

President John Sambuk called meeting to order. Officers present: A. Vrankovich, V.P., G. M. Santich, Tres., J. B.- Bilafer, Fin. Sect., J Vicin, Rec. Sect., and G. Bencich, Director.

Members present: G. Depolo, P. Grassi, A. Eterovich, J. Matulich, J. Morich, F. P. Carevich, A. Sumich, R. Barasin, J. Rustan and M. Bilafer.

On motion, reading of the minutes of previous meeting were dispensed with. The President then rose and stated that on April 18, 1906 the hall in which the

Society had always held meetings with all its contents had been destroyed by the great fire, which also destroyed so many business houses and homes of the citizens of San Francisco and of many members of this Society.

The unsettled conditions of affairs which have driven so many people from the city amongst which were so many members, had made it impossible to call a meeting before, and until Fin. Sect. J. B. Bilafer had offered the hospitality of his home. He was pleased to report that three bank books of the savings banks in which the funds of the Society were deposited, were safe in his possession; that the banks themselves were also safe and there was no loss to be expected in that quarter. He then requested the officers to report on the property of the Society. Brother Financial Secretary J. B. Bilafer reported that all books and papers belonging to his office were safe. Brother Recording Secretary J. Vicin reported that Book of the Minutes was safe, but all other books, the Seal of the Society, papers and all old records were burned and destroyed. Adam S. Eterovich