On April 18, the Bay Area will mark the 108th year since the Great San Francisco earthquake and fire of 1906. While the great quake that struck San Francisco and Northern California caused 3,000 deaths and destroyed 80 percent of San Francisco, Vallejo was relatively unscathed. But eight years earlier in March of 1898, Mare Island and Vallejo experienced a temblor that closed down the yard for several days and wreaked havoc in Vallejo. The Wednesday, March 30 earthquake couldn’t have come at a more devastating time; the navy yard was in the midst of preparing for the Spanish American War with many of the 1,700 yard workers – the most ever employed in Mare Island’s history – busy repairing ships and vessels for the war effort. The quake left the majority of employees idle for days - and in some cases, weeks. The 1898 earth quake severely damaged the yard’s navy hospital, a 100 ft tall chimney next to the construction and repair department, the yard sawmill and numerous other buildings. Vallejo also suffered significant damages, including St. Vincent’s Catholic Church. Some naval officials estimated that it would take as much as $2 million to repair the yard. Vallejo officials estimated the quake caused $50,000 within the city. The naval hospital was described as a massive building of brick “standing on the north slope of a hill on the southern end of the island.” Originally, the building cost $175,000 to erect in the 1870s. An article that appeared in the April 1, 1898 edition of the SF Call described the hospital as being “built in the most solid manner – the thickness of its walls “can be measure in feet.” But despite its solidity, the quaked “split it in a hundred different directions and daylight could be seen “through some of it’…its walls.” The force of the quake threw patients from their beds “rousing all the inmates and driving them half-dressed out to the lawn in front of the building. Hospital patients were moved to the Marine barracks where a temporary hospital was set up. Marines from the barracks were moved to the USS Pensacola. In dry dock was the USS Charleston, which, as a result of the quake, “looked as if it would jump clear of the dock.” One crew member aboard the USS Independence said the receiving ship seemed as if it would “turn a hand spring.” Within a month of the quake, the government appropriated more than $300,000 to rebuild the hospital. The new facility, officials said, would be “ the finest and best-equipped naval hospital on the Pacific Coast.” The rebuilt structure would house double the number of patients. ‘”The plans provide for a building of beautiful architectural design, to be built of California redwood with stone foundation.” Anticipating future earthquakes, naval authorities directed the new hospital be constructed as light as practicable. They anticipated the new facility would be built within six months. Also severely damaged by the 1898 quake was St. Vincent’s Catholic Church. Vallejo officials feared the landmark would have to be rebuilt. “Its towers are wrenched and twisted from base, to battlement, and the walls are very shaky. At least $5, 000 will be needed to put it in condition again.”
Posted on: Fri, 04 Apr 2014 01:31:55 +0000
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