What Earthquake?

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The San Fransisco Earthquake had great implications on the interactions between politicians, scientists, business, the media and the average citizens.  Most of the business people and boosters in the 1900’s believed the earthquake would deter people from investing in the city so they blamed the fire; even the Governor George Pardee proclaimed that the fire did more damage (Steinberg 108).  Business was not the only group to downplay the earthquake, newspapers argued that it was a “unique calamity” and for that reason people over emphasized what occurred (Steinburg 108).  As we now know, California is prone to many earthquakes but some residents of California in the early 1900s’ refused to acknowledge this fact even though there were other earthquakes prior to the 1906 earthquake ( Steinburg 106).  This being said, there were some people such as geologists Karl Gilbert, Andrew Lawson, and John Branner who tried to make the public aware of the dangers of earthquakes but they were ignored (Steinberg 111). Scientists weren’t the only ones involved with the destruction wrought by the earthquakes, insurance companies had to discern  between destruction caused by the earthquake which was not covered in the insurance plans or destruction from fires which was covered (Steinberg 111). By underselling the danger of earthquakes and instead focusing on fires, the people of San Fransisco suffered greater losses of lives and property in the future. Once people began to realize that earthquakes could not be ignored, laws were passed to make structures that could sustain earthquakes. In principle this was a good idea, but shortcuts were taken to reduce costs while simultaneously at the expense of the people occupying the structures . Steinberg points out that when a disaster strikes the people who take the brunt of the force are the underprivileged; this conflict is similar to the struggle between the bourgeois and proletariat something  ramsescastilloo3 mentioned in his post. The “seismic deniers” had a direct influence on the way the San Fransisco fire is remembered, their propaganda about the fire makes it difficult to discern how much destruction the earthquake really caused; it also affected the way people would view earthquakes in the future.