Throwback photo: Fire forces hospital to move to riverboat

A river paddle steamer called Medoc had been transformed into a floating hospital


An 1906 earthquake in San Francisco touched off fires that wiped out part of the city and forced the evacuation of St. Mary’s Hospital to a river paddle steamer called Medoc that had been transformed into a floating hospital, according to a "Throwback Thursday" article on the Health and Hospital Networks website.

“Surgical dressings, trolleys, instruments, [and drugs] were dumped into laundry boxes, loaded onto trucks and rushed to the Pacific Mail dock,” wrote Gordon Thomas and Max Morgan Witts in their book, The San Francisco Earthquake.

Rows of mattresses stretched across the deck for about 150 patients. Those who died were laid inside a lifeboat. The Sisters of St. Mary’s later set up a tent hospital near Golden Gate Park.

Read the article.

 

 



August 20, 2015


Topic Area: Industry News


Recent Posts

Achieving Better Treatment Spaces Through Co-Design

How a 20th Century industrial building became a safe space for youth seeking mental health support.


Prisma Health to Acquire 36 Urgent Care Sites in South Carolina from Novant Health

Following the close, expected November 1, 2026, the centers will operate under Prisma Health Urgent Care.


Modoc Medical Center Discloses Data Breach

Modoc reported the event to federal law enforcement and appropriate government regulators.


Creating Healthcare Campus Master Plans That Allow Movement and Respite

A thoughtful campus master plan looks beyond buildings to the corridors and transitional spaces that shape how people experience healthcare environments.


Aspirus Health Celebrates Opening of Chippewa Falls Hospital and Clinic

The new facility combines hospital and clinic services in one location and is designed to support patients with coordinated, patient-centered care.


 
 


FREE Newsletter Signup Form

News & Updates | Webcast Alerts
Building Technologies | & More!

 
 
 


All fields are required. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.