Famed Hydrant Painted Wrong Color During 1906 Quake Ceremony
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS 5) - Events marking the 106th anniversary of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire hit a snag overnight when the annual ceremony to gild the hydrant credited with helping save the Mission District was painted the wrong color.
Photos: 1906 Earthquake & Fire
The San Francisco Historical Association performs the ritual at Church and 20th St. Silver paint was brought to the hydrant, but the discovery was not made until after the pre-dawn paint job was completed.
KCBS' Doug Sovern Reports:
The group posted a photo of the silver hydrant on their Facebook page.
According to a statement on the page, the silver spray paint cans had gold caps.
The hydrant has since been repainted, which is said to have been the lone functioning water source that helped preserve the Mission District during the disaster.
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