San Francisco Earthquake 100th anniversary

20 years ago

It is now 10 PM. on April 17th, here in California. In 7 hours from now, it will be exactly 100 ears since the San Francisco Earthquake began on April 18th, 1906.

My grandparents lived through it...my mother wasn't born yet. Like so many Californians we have a smattering of stories about the earthquake but not really enough to get a feeling of what it was really like. However, co-incidently, I found a book about a week ago that used the earthquake as a background for the mystery story and I felt closer to the city when I finished it than ever before.

The title is "Locked Doors".The book is written by Laurie R. King. It is written as if by a Mary Russell, who supposedly married Sherlock Holmes in the later part of his career and who accompanied him on some of his mystery solving adventures. I know...Holmes was a character of fiction, and I have to keep reminding myself of this as I read. The author does not write in a way that confuses the traditional Holmes characterization, but instead she develops another new character in Mary who is entirely believable. In addition,the mystery stories are well written and interesting.

The story tells about the Chinese as well as the Russell family and of how the San Franciscans lived in the days after the 'quake.

I hope some of you who are interested in the San Francisco history are able to find this book. It should be available; it was published in 2004.

I have also read another of her books..."The Moor"...and although this book is set in England, there is a short part on the Gold Rush in Alaska as described by one of the characters. This interested me since my grandfather (on the other side of the family) went to Alaska for gold with some of his friends.

Off topic...my daughter lives in San Francisco and when I asked her what the mood was up there, she said at least among the younger set...it is an excuse for parties.

As to the countdown..it is now less than 7 hours ......

Lina.

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Comments (8)

laa_laa
Original Author
20 years ago
I'm sorry...the title of the book about the earthquake is "Locked Rooms", instead of Locked Doors. I have returned the book to the library and although I have another book by King, it didn't list "Locked Rooms".
Hope everyone reads this before they try to find the book. Lina.
anyanka
20 years ago
Mmh. I always felt that Sherlock Holmes wasn't the 'Marrying Kind' if you know what I mean.
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ginny12
20 years ago
That may be because of his portrayal by the actor in the long-running PBS series, who played the character that way. Forget his name but he has since died. Jeremy Brett? I read the Sherlock Holmes stories--years ago--and I didn't get that impression from them.
carolyn_ky
20 years ago
No, no. Remember Irene, the only time Holmes was defeated.
magda
20 years ago
I have recently read A Crack in the Edge of the World : America and the Great California Earthquake of 1906 by Simon Winchester. A very thorough report!
ginny12
20 years ago
He was one of the "talking heads" on the History Channel documentary about the earthquake a night or two ago. He certainly scared me about the possibility of another earthquake one of these days.
litlbit
20 years ago
I live in the Bay Area - have since 1986, so I was here for Loma Prieta, and numerous small earthquakes. They've taken some getting used to, but I've made sure we have our "kit" stocked and prepared. Especially after the Gulf States' storms and aftermaths, I think it's prudent to be prepared for at least a week of "no services"....

Anyway, I've read most of Laurie King's books, the ones that I can find - the series started with "The Beekeeper's Apprentice", and I've found them pretty good. While the concept that Holmes might've married so late, and to someone so much younger seems a bit of a stretch, King makes the stories interesting, and the characters consistent. She addresses Holmes' previous attachments, or lack thereof, and makes some plausible rationales. The books also cover a lot of geographical territory, and adds some historical interest as well.

There's another book that was prescient in discussing the effects on earthquakes and levees - "A Dangerous Place" by Marc Reisner. (He also wrote "Cadillac Desert", which discussed the development of the American West and the effect on water use.) Considering the current focus on earthquakes, I'm sure Mr. Reisner, if he were still alive, would be feeling pretty vindicated...

take care!
litlbit
ccrdmrbks
20 years ago
There was a striking photo in our newspaper, taken at a church service on the anniversary day. Two women, one 100 years old and the other 101, who survived the quake. The older seemed to be crying. Although neither of them could have very much first-hand memory of the quake, I'm sure that their life was filled with the stories told by others. The article didn't really talk about them-I'd love to know if their families survived, and what their experiences were after the quake, but I couldn't find any info. The beauty and the dignity of those two fragile faces, heads tilted toward each other until they were all but touching, was heart-stopping.

San Francisco Earthquake 100th anniversary

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laa_laa
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San Francisco Earthquake 100th anniversary

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laa_laaOriginal Author

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laa_laa
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