by Liane Corrales
PROCLAMTION
“The federal troops, the members of the regular police force, and all special police officers have been authorized by me to KILL any and all persons found engaged in looting or in the commission of any other crime.”
Mayor Schmitz, April 18, 1906
On April 18, 2011, the City of San Francisco shook again at 0513 hours at the site of the historical Lotta’s Fountain. The ground shook on this brisk San Francisco morning from the wailing sirens of the police cars and fire engines that were present for the annual commemoration of the 1906 earthquake and fire.
Following the sirens, there was a moment of silence in honor of all the San Franciscans who perished that morning from falling buildings or the raging fire. Then, as we do every year, the mayor, the police chief, and the fire chief placed a wreath on Lotta’s Fountain.
Although there are still three known survivors, only Mr. William Del Monte was able to participate that morning. Mr. Del Monte is 105-years-young and is a very charming, native San Franciscan. His family came from Italy to open the famous Fior D’ Italia Restaurant, and he was a tiny baby when the Great Quake hit.
After the ceremony at Lotta’s Fountain, we proceeded to the Gold Fire Hydrant at 19th & Church Streets. This magical fire hydrant is the hydrant credited with saving the City that flaming morning. As we do every year, different people, representing different causes, squirt a spot of gold paint onto the hydrant in honor of someone or something. Then-Chief of Police Jeff Godown took his first spray at the hydrant in honor of the San Francisco Police Department ( I informed him that this made him an official San Franciscan!).
We then traveled to Lefty O’Doul’s for our annual breakfast, where we were able to chat a bit with Mr. Del Monte, and various authors and historians (Included in this group were authors James Dalessandro and Carl Nolte who wrote 1906 and The San Francisco Century: A City Rises from the Ruins of the 1906 Earthquake and Fire, respectively).
I want to remind my police family that we are in the process of building a police, fire, sheriff, EMS museum named “Guardians of the City,” to honor the crime fighters since the Barbary Coast days, and the firefighters who saved our City that day, and continue to do so.
I would also like to acknowledge our hard working committee, SFPD Captain Al Casciato, SFFD Firefighter Paul Barry, retired Fire Captain James Lee, Deputy Sheriff Mike Anderson, and museum curator Jaime O’Keefe. Remember, we have only to look to our SFPD patch to see the Phoenix rising out of the ashes of the 1906 fire to sense the power of our history.
In closing I want to honor Officer Max Fenner who died in the line of duty when the earthquake struck, pushing a young mother out of the way of a crumbling building.
