Comparing Activity
Compare the Chicago fire and its aftermath with the San Francisco earthquake. Fill out the chart below.
| Great Chicago Fire | San Francisco Earthquake | |
| What was the area of destruction compared to the total area of the city? | area four miles long and an average of three-quarters of a mile wide--more than two thousand acres | The ground had broken open for more than 270 miles along a great fault. |
| Compare the value of the property that was destroyed. | 200 million dollars in property, about a third of the valuation of the entire city | 490 city blocks, a total of 25,000 buildings Damage estimates 350 to 400 million dollars. |
| How many buildings were lost? | 18,000 buildings | Total buildings lost = 28,188 |
| How many people lost their homes? | 100,000 Chicagoans lost their homes | 225,000 from a population of about 400,000 |
| How quickly was the area rebuilt? | By 1875 little evidence of the disaster remained. The rebuilding effort was such a success that by 1890 - only 19 years after the fire - Chicago was the country's second largest city. | |
| How many people were killed or injured? | 300 deaths | 498 deaths in San Francisco 64 deaths in Santa Rosa 102 deaths in and near San Jose after extensive research, estimated that over 3000 deaths were caused directly or indirectly by the catastrophe. |