H26.1971

Knife, fork and spoons. Badly burned, have been thru the San Francisco fire, 1906. From the History Information Station: Object: Burned spoon and disfigured fork. History: The fires that swept over San Francisco in the days following the 1906 earthquake destroyed everything in their path. The heat was intense enough to melt metal, ceramic glazes, and the asphalt that paved the streets. This fork and spoon are one indication of the widespread damage that the fires caused. Additional Information from the History Information Station: The earthquake of April 18, 1906 was followed by a series of fires that lasted for four days. Since the quake ruptured the city's water mains, the fire department was without water to fight the flames. The Palace Hotel burned when its own inside cistern and well ran out of water to fight the flames The fires demolished most of the downtown area, from Townsend St. on the south, up to Chestnut, and from the waterfront to Van Ness Ave.. The heat was so intense that some of the streets melted. Over fifty fires started as a result of the quake. One of the most destructive, called the "Ham and Eggs" fire, was started by a woman cooking breakfast on a stove with a damaged flue. But gradually, fire fighters were able to contain the fires where isolated hydrants were working, or along the wharves where fireboats pulled water from the bay.

Used: fire