Question

Read the paragraph from “The Story of an Eyewitness.”

The great stand of the firefighters was made Thursday night on Van Ness Avenue. Had they failed here, the comparatively few remaining houses of the city would have been swept. Here were the magnificent residences of the second generation of San Francisco nabobs, and these, in a solid zone, were dynamited down across the path of the fire. Here and there the flames leaped the zone, but these fires were beaten out, principally by the use of wet blankets and rugs.

What is the most likely reason the author included the details about wet blankets and rugs?

The Story of an Eyewitness

1 to show the extreme danger the firefighters put themselves in
2 to show how inventive the people of San Francisco were
3 to show how ordinary people began to help fight the fires
4 to show the poor quality of the resources the firefighters had to work with.
i think it is 4

Answer 1

There's a better answer.

Remember: This was in April, 1906, and the fires spread fast. What were firefighters' tools and equipment back then? Did non-firefighters pitch in and try to help? Did they use anything they could get their hands on?

I hope you get to read the book <i>Dragonwings</i>, by Laurence Yep. Part of the story in that book is about what happened to the city and how people survived … or didn't.

Answer 2

OH its 3

Answer 3

No its not 3 that was wrong. i think its 4