Description
THE FRONT COVER IS BASED ON A HISTORIC PHOTOGRAPH SNAPPED ON THE MORNING OF APRIL 18, 1906, ONLY A FEW HOURS AFTER THE DISASTROUS SAN FRANCISCO EARTHQUAKE. NOW HOUSED IN THE BANCROFT LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA. IT IS BELIEVED THAT THE SCENE MAY HAVE BEEN SHOT BY ARNOLD GENTHE, A PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER WHO TOOK SEVERAL OUTSTANDING PHOTOGRAPHS JUST AFTER THE EARTHQUAKE STRUCK. LOOKING EASTWARD DOWN MARKET STREET, TOWARD THE BAY, WE CAN SEE THE TOWER OF THE EIGHTEEN STORY CALL NEWSPAPER BUILDING ON FIRE AT THIRD AND MARKET, ONLY AN HOUR OR TWO EARLIER, FIRE BROKE OUT IN THE TOWER OF THIS, THE TALLEST BUILDING IN TOWN, AND NOW IT IS GRADUALLY BURNING UNHINDERED, FLOOR BY FLOOR, TO THE GROUND. THE PAVEMENT BELOW LIES FLOODED WITH WATER FROM BROKEN MAINS, RENDERING THE CITY FIRE-FIGHTING EQUIPMENT USELESS. BY ORDER OF GENERAL FUNSTON AND MAYOR SCHMITZ, THE STREETS HAVE BEEN CLEARED OF ALL UNAUTHORIZED CITIZENS, AND TROOPS FROM FORT MASON AND THE PRESIDIO ARE PATROLLING WITH RIFLES AND FIXED BAYONETS. THE ALMOST-DESERTED STREETS TO PREVENT LOOTING. THE BACK COVER IS A RECONSTRUCTION OF THE SAME LOCATION THE DAY BEFORE. AMID THE BRIGHT COLOR OF SPRING, NO ONE DREAMS OF WHAT THE MORROW IS TO BRING./ LIGHTNING FROM THE EARTH, PSYCHIC WONDER LAND, A GIFT OF PROPHECY, APPLYING THE TESTS, TAKING UP THE PEN, IN JOURNEYS OFT, ANTICIPATING SCIENCE, RECOGNIZED BY OTHERS, SCRIPTURE ON A PROPHET, UNMASKING THE MASTERMIND, WARNING OF OUR TIME, THE TIME OF THE END, PLANET IN REBELLION, IDENTIFYING SATAN’S LIES, THE FINAL CRISIS, A WORLD ENDS, THE SWEEP OF CENTURIES, SATAN DISCUSSES HIS PLANS, COMPARING THE PROPHETS, THREE SCORE AND TEN, TREASURE CHEST OF INSPIRATION, INDEX, FOR FURTHER STUDY.
