An earthquae srtuck the city of San Francisco,California, at twelve minutes past five in the early morning of April 18,1906. It lasted one minute. Aminute is a short time when you are in a pleasant palce, and sometimes it passes much too quickly. But in an earthquake it is very long. At one moment you are living your usual life. At the next your chairs and tables are dancing on the floor,your house is moving about,and your world is suddenly changed. You cannot be sure what will happen next. You cannot be sure if you will be alive to see what happens next. So it was at San Francisco that morning. People found their beds,tables and chairs moving about. A strange noise could be heard on all sides. Then stones began to fall down nito the rooms and into the streets outside. Walls and
building started to come down. Thecries of those who were hurt could be heard from far and near. In some places the roads themselves opened like wide mouths. Stree cars fell on their sides. Electric wires came down and started fires. At the end of one minute the earthquake stopped. Many of the people who had run into the strees in their nigth clothes went back home to dress properly.