2 1 . ▁ ▁The ▁earth qu ake ▁did ▁not ▁cause ▁major ▁struct ural ▁damage ▁to ▁the ▁hotel , ▁but ▁it ▁did ▁begin ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁fires ▁along ▁the ▁water front ▁which ▁began ▁to ▁swe ep ▁west ▁across ▁the ▁city . ▁It ▁also ▁broke ▁the ▁water ▁main s , ▁so ▁fire men ▁were ▁unable ▁to ▁fight ▁the ▁fires . ▁An ▁hour ▁after ▁mid night ▁the ▁fire ▁reached ▁Union ▁Square ▁and ▁g utt ed ▁the ▁hotel . ▁ ▁When ▁the ▁fire ▁was ▁finally ▁ex ting u ished ▁after ▁three ▁days , ▁it ▁was ▁found ▁that ▁the ▁St . ▁Francis ▁had ▁suffered ▁little ▁serious ▁damage . ▁The ▁co pper ▁cor nice ▁had ▁war ped , ▁and ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁en am elled ▁facing ▁br icks ▁had ▁fallen ▁off ▁in ▁the ▁heat , ▁but ▁otherwise ▁the ▁building ▁was ▁int act . ▁Re const ruction ▁began ▁almost ▁immediately . ▁A ▁small ▁temporary ▁hotel , ▁the ▁little ▁St . ▁Francis , ▁with ▁ 1 1 0 ▁rooms , ▁was ▁built ▁in ▁the ▁middle ▁of ▁Union ▁Square , ▁to ▁house ▁temporary ▁guests . ▁The ▁hotel ▁re - open ed ▁in ▁late ▁ 1 9 0 7 . ▁ ▁Through ▁the ▁Jazz ▁Age ▁▁ ▁After ▁its ▁re - open ing , ▁the ▁St . ▁Francis ▁hosted ▁do z ens ▁of ▁cele brit ies ▁who ▁came ▁to ▁San ▁Francisco ▁for ▁the ▁Pan ama – P ac ific ▁International ▁Ex position ▁( P PI E ) ▁of ▁ 1 9 1 5 , ▁r anging ▁from ▁Helen ▁K eller , ▁three -