[SAN FRANCISCO EARTHQUAKE]. Mercury-Herald. San Francisco Reported Destroyed. San Jose, CA, 18 April 1906. 4pp., 4to (292 x 210 mm), old folds, few splits. A VERY RARE SAME-DAY PRINTING OF THE EARTHQUAKE, printed on higher-quality paper stock, indicative of a smaller press which probably printed them in a small print run. On the morning of 18 April 1906, the earthquake struck with a magnitude of 7.9, ravaging the city for several days with subsequent fires, mostly caused by ruptured gas lines. To this day, the earthquake and fires of 1906 rank as the deadliest natural disaster in California’s history. It is estimated that over 3,000 people were killed and over 80% of the city destroyed (some 25,000 buildings on 490 city blocks). The only copy we could locate is in the San Jose Public Library.