The City of San Francisco suffered a severe earthquake on April 18 , 1906 . Lane , who was living in north Berkeley while awaiting Senate confirmation , hurried to the city within hours of the earthquake to do what he could to help . Mayor Eugene E. Schmitz immediately appointed him to the Committee of Fifty to deal with the devastation of the earthquake and subsequent fire , and plan the rebuilding of the city . According to Lane 's friend , writer Will Irwin , Lane did not content himself with committee work , but personally fought the fire , helping to save much of the Western Addition . In late April , the commissioner-designate took the train east to Washington , where he unsuccessfully fought to obtain Federal money to help the city 's recovery
a severe earthquake
1906 San Francisco earthquake
Franklin Knight Lane