I Survived the San Francisco Earthquake, 1906

Wilkie leads Leo and Morris back down Market Street toward the abandoned house where he and Fletch always hide their loot. He tells them that they kept it there in case they got arrested again, at least it would be safe. As they get closer to the abandoned house, the damage around them gets worse. All around them “[t]rolley tracks are twisted like pretzels. On one block, men [are] trying to hoist a horse out of a hole in the street” (56). As Leo looks at all the buildings that have collapsed, he can’t help but wonder about all the people still trapped inside.

Meanwhile, the fires are growing larger by the minute. A man rushes up to the firemen nearby, who are trying to hook up their hoses to a fire hydrant. The man begs the firemen to help him, but they explain that they can’t connect to the water because the earthquake destroyed the water mains. “San Francisco [is] burning. And nobody [can] stop it” (58). Leo watches as the firemen roll up their hoses and leave, helpless as their city burns.

Suddenly, Morris spies Fletch walking on the street, carrying a flour sack full of goods.