Not in history has a modem, city been so completely destroyed. San Francisco is gone. Nothing remains of it 1memories and a few homes that were near the edge of the city. The factories, great stores and newspaper buildings, the hotels and the huge homes of the very 2 are all gone.
Within 3 of the earthquake the fires began. Within an hour a huge tower of smoke 4by the fires could be seen a hundred miles away. And for three days and nights this huge fire moved in the sky, 5the sun, darkening the day and filling the land with smoke.
There was nothing 6the flames. There was no organization, no communication. The earthquake had destroyed all of the modern 7 of a twentieth century city. The streets were broken and filled with pieces of fallen walls. The telephone and telegraph systems were broken. And the great water pipes had8. All inventions and safety plans of man had been destroyed 9 by thirty seconds of movement by the earth.
By Wednesday afternoon, only twelve hours after the 10half the heart of the city was gone. I watched the huge fire. It was very 11 There was no wind. Yet from every 12 wind was 13 upon the city. East, west, north and south, strong winds were blowing upon the 14 city.
The 15 air made a huge wind that pulled air into the fire, 16into the atmosphere. Day and night the calm continued, and yet, near the flames, the wind was often as strong as a storm.
There was no water to fight the fire.17decided to use explosives. (炸药) to destroy buildings in is path 18They hoped this would create a block to 19or stop the fire. Building after building was destroyed. And still the great fires continued, Jack London told how people tried to save some of their20from the fire.
