The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, June 28, 1895, Page 3

4 THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, FRIDAY. JUNE 28, 1895, ng his ng and i however, and the blanket bre | he escaped with a severe sh a few burns. The convent, parochial school and the St. Ro Church were all a complete The latter was a new building, and not quite complete, but now all that re- waains of it are the brick walls. The prop- treet, near Fourth, zent was rector. ost about $20,000, and the loss ered by insurance. re the Sisters of the ught about 500 children | — - NARRCW ESCAPES. Assistant Chief Dougherty Res- cues a Man and Kennard Badly Hdrt. Chief Dougherty, by his pres- | 1ind, saved one of his men from The wall the Horstm: sw t work al veral men c It was im, but he did not at Dougherty rushed d pulled his subordinate to a place of fety. Both were knocked down by some | the falling timb but they continued | work as though nothing had happened. Second Assistant Ck George W. Ken- | nard had a narrow escape from being severely inju Just as he was leaving the b as ihe Great Eastern | and Weste: se and Mule Market the ce over the front ance sell on the back of the head knocking him to the ground ily, the casing struck worn by Kennard, and ow was broken. Several to help him, and a more was averted. Engineer tired on the 30th of this large fire will, no one for him, ALMOST A FATALITY. and str accident is to be id hi month, doubt, be a me Thomas Hogan Rushes Into the Flames to Save His Mother. One of the most thrilling incidents oc- irred on Fourth street about 8 o’clock. eet, in a cheap lodging- d an aged widow named Hogan Thomas, who works in a fac- She escaped long be- se, liy and her son tory at the Po her abode, and fled from her rooms with a few trinkets. She | was soen lost in the crowd. Attracted by the blaze her son hurried from the Potrero | et in time 1o see | ames. The poor v seemed to lose his mind, for witha f “Mother, mother,”” he dashed volicemen and ran builc He ap- twenty feet of the checked by the renewed desperation | dash to the docor- s driven back, but only | He hastily threw his coat face and w: bout to make an- 1 into the burning structure, zed by Officers Coleman clared that the man d the combined flaming within was to and With lowed to go to his mother, put to no avail. He raved like a madman, til at last some one told him that his was moth ¥ fe, when he wept like a child. s who rescued him were almost e heat and their hair was e they to the flames. - FREELON STREET. Where the Fire Was Conquered | After a Very Stubborn Fight. Assistant Chief Doungherty had charge of the firemen on reelon street. The scene of mo’ street after the flames es description. ee stories high ilies. The exo- and the procession from t , children, mothers with | and canary | pictures and | risof house- | d crowded with dog 1 others with al es filled the street Brya the same impulse. | e people were mov out the | the line of | Meanwhile | ng strong 8 ed greatly, and the | firemen wi able to get close up to the rged his men forward, | et, a three-story | his men got the upper d on the south side of Freelon. e house where the fire was stopped, 1gh it is in ruins, was owned by Wil- hose. been blow T n Gleason, who lived in the upper story. he floors below were occupied by the family of James Haughton The hou street, where 3 Mr. § cupied by veiger, w pt cery and saloon. The weak pre water was here i ock across Zoe s point of the contest, but Dougherty <onducted the ing, and went ri; thickest, urgi that basement FIRE HOSE DESTROYED. nd right into the house. Several Vgluable Steam Fire En- gines Narrowiy Escape Destruction. al times valuable fire apparatus was in danger of being destroyed. So rap- | idly did the flames run with and against | the that the men had barely time ! to move their engines, hose | ladders before the | them. Engine 6, became | sireat, near Fifth, from-the big blaze that it was to bank its fires, turn off the | d play a hose upon it to save it | from being ruined. It was run to a piace | of safi on Fifth street, near Brannan, erience, except that | re becoming ovnr-" ted. 5 i Engine 1, on Fourth and Walsh, had to be removed on a run when the Shirley Hotel went up in a blaze, On several occasions quick moves had to be made to gel hose out of the way of the f but as it was a large amount was de- stroyed. In the vicinity of Fifth and Brannan at least 2000 feet was burned before the firemen could get it away, so rapidly did the fire sweep into those districts. —— e THE HOMELESS. Scores of Poor Families Were Made Destitute by the Fire. Mingled with the hoarse yells of the fire- wen the greater roar of the flames and the | been burned out. | to Bluxome. rumble of falling builaings were the cries | of destitute women and shivering chi ail over the burnt district, who were ren- | dered homeless by the flames. | On Welsh and Freelon strects, from | Third to Fifth, the fire made terrible head- | way, leveling almost every house. | Furniture, bedding and other household effects were strewn in riotous disorder along Townsend, Fourth and Fifth streets. Anxious mothers and hali-crazed fathers | ran hither and thither gathering together | their household effect rving to | comfort their frightened littl One little girl, with that could weep no one: stained eyes e, sat on a leather | trunk on the corner of d Harri- | son streets and watched the flames as they | vt down toward the channel. Too dazed to give her name, she man- | aged to tell a policeman that she lived on Welsh street, and that hermamma had | She was taken in charge | by the ofiicer. from the Spring Valley pipes it looked for a time as though a fire would break outin spite of all care. At this point the wine men came for- ward and attached a long two-inch hose to an 8000-gallon tank of claret wine that is perched upon a shed outside of the winery. r nearly an, hour this supply of costly liguid held out, and over half an acre of lumber and dry roofs was drenched with wine. Had it not been for the wine the fire would probably have continued its course to the bay. While this method of fighting i vas expensive, it saved thousands of dollars’ worth of property and prevented a large section of the City from being de- stroyed.. e THEY FOUND SHELTER. All of the Homeless Taken in by Friends and Neigh- bors. Tor all that hundreds of people were left RENDERED HOMELESS BY THE FIRE. [Sketched by a “Call” artist.] On both sides of Fourth street, below ! Welsh, not a building stocd. On Welsh strect, east of Fourth, eight or ten families | narrowly escaped from their burning | houses. It was a clean sweep along Fourth street Dozens of express-wagons and lighter | vehicles were kept busy moving furniture and bedding through the fire lines. Through all the horror, heat and desola- | tion of the catastrophe, the corner-groce man and the steam-beer saloonist thrived. | With the heat blistering their beer signs | | and burning their faces, they served up drinks galore. l It was simply impossible to secure any- thing like a complete list of names of per- sons rendered destitute by the fire. Among them were the following: | On Welsh street, east of Fourth, to | Third, half a dozen houses were burned | and their inmates made homeless. Among homeless and destitute but few if any act- ually suffered from exposure during the night. People living in the surrounding districts gave shelter to their less fortu- nate neighbors. Many of the destitute have friends in other parts of the City, and they bundled themselves into express wagons and accepted their friends’ hospitality. Sergeant Hanna, at | the Folsom-street Police Station, sent out word that homeless people could find shelter in the police station. Only one accepted the invitation and he was a stranger in the City who had had a room on Fourth street. e FOR THE DESTITUTE. bscription Fund Promptly Started by the California Cannery Company. While the fire still blazed a movement was inaugurated by the California Canner- Su LCREEEE] ANVAYY LS NVYNNYNG jiRsS IANOXNIG &S DIAGRAM OF THE TIRE. [The shaded portion shows the blocks over which the fire raged.] these sufferers were: Thomas Cordan who kept a tobacco-store on the southeas corner of Welsh and Fourth; Mrs. Moor and Mrs. Carroll. Mrs. Wells, who ki store on Fourth, below side, lost her store a a fancy-goods | :1sh, on the west | h FLOODED WITH WINE. Thousands of Gallons of Claret Used to Save Prop- erty. The employes of 8. Lachman & Co., whose winery is at 453 Brannan street, near Fourth, adopted heroic measures when the fire approached the large brick building, where thousands of gallons of | wine are stored. Across the winery yard is the Pacific Box Factory, where large quantities of lumber are stacked. Sparks and burning material carried on the wind fell in showers upon the dry wood ahd threatened to start the fire east of the brick wine warehouse. The water in the tanks on both buildings was scon emptied, and as the men were unable to draw any ies Compay of 425 Brannan street to relieve the pitiful necessities of the people ren- d destitute by the dual destruction of heir homes, and of the mills and factories where they gained their livelihood. Mr. Isador Jacobs, manager of the can- neries, has started the relief fund by sub- seribing $100, Doubtless other equally generous sub- seriptions will follow. e i O A TRICK OF THE WIND. How a Line of Buildings on Bryant Street Escaped From the Flames. On the south side of Bryant street, from Fiith to Fourth, a line of factory buildings and residences—a few destroyed but most of them saved—stands to indicate the oblong lines of the fire-swept block where the fire started and raged fiercest. By an odd caprice of the wind they es- caped destruction, although a few of the buildings were destroyed. - Washburne's stables, at 663 Bryant street, e TWO |COME O FIFTY NEW TC-DAY—CLOTHING. UT FRIDAY FOR SURPRISES! =@t If you can’t come out Friday, positively come Saturday. We’ve got 1000 Boys’ Suits we want to part with, It’s a very great sale. sales. with the fact. e || all choice and pretty goods; very choice, as you i . know that the big store handles only the very | | choicest of Juvenile apparel. We’re going to offer HeH | youthe pick of these 1000 Suits at We only conduct great People in this State know it; they’re familiar TWO FIETY A WEALTH OF PRETTY SUITS, made in the double - breasted style, jauntily gotten up; for lads between the ages of 4 and 15, IN BLUES, IN BROWNS, IN GRAY MIXTURES. Suits for wear and tear that cannot be beat in America; not thin weights, bear in mind ; they’re full weight goods. Friday and Saturday These Choice Suits at -=$2.50-- Lz | SAILORS, TWO FIFTY A NUMBER OF Pretty Styles in both long and short pants,made from | fine blue yacht | cloths, trimmed | with wide braid, | including lan- jyard and whis- | tle. A NUMBER CF Pretty REEFER SUITS, our pret=- ty Reefer Suits; you know how handsome they are. The very can make, in blue and in pretty Tweeds. The Tiny Price Prevails FRIDAY AND SATURDAY, ==$2.50-- TWO choicest that)| skilled hands| FIFTY Tiny Tot Suits==== Ova Made in our very TO]‘ cutest styles, for the little fellows between theages of 3 and 8, with deep Reefer col- lars. Pretty things in blue; . some very hand- some things in Tweeds; some very handsome things in Chev- iots. It would take a page to enumerate all the pretty styles and go into de- tails about ’em, but you know | how pretty our little tots’ clothes 'are. Well we’re going to give you a pick from ’emj Friday and Saturday at S Kl ==$2.50== 9 Raphael’s (INCORPORATED), 9,11, 13 and 15 KEARNY STREET. ' Raphael’s i (INCORPORATED). A San Francisco House Run by San Francisco Boys Raphael’s (INCORPORATED). 2 Entire Buildings—8 Floors. 130 Employes to Serve You. Yacht Caps Forlittle fellows, made from fine Blue Cheviots, trimmed with wide Hercules braid. In our big Hat Department Friday and Sat- urday at Windsor Ties In high class Silks, all new and pretty colorings, in plain Surah Silks, Checks, Plaids and Stripes, at ==10C== FIFT a rickety frame structure that has not been tenanted for some time, was de- stroyed. George W. Phela'ns carriage manufac- tory at 657 Bryant was very nearly de- stroyed. Phelan was insured for $1500, which fully covers his loss. He owned the building. Corbeil Brothers, at the Humboldt lum- ber-yard, adjoining Phelan’s carriage fac- tory, had a rather fortunate escape. Most of their great lumber piles were saved, and the firm’s loss will not exceed $1500, which is fully covered by insurance. The Spring Valley Water Company’s sup- ply yards also escaped. e POLICE WORKED HARD. Their Well - Directed Efforts to Save Life and Prop- erty. The third alarm of fire brought to the scene the entire police force. Their work was almost as hard as that of the firemen, for it was not by any means parade duty. The officers and Jsergeants were under the direction of Sergeant Wittman, who di- rected their efforts. The police went through nearly all the buildings before the fire reached the structures and hustled out the inmates, many ‘of whom were inclined to take chances on their lives to save a few | dollars’ worth of property. In the Shirley Hotel the police no doubt saved many lives by driving the lodgers from their { rooms by main force. They had a hard | fight to'hold back the erowds that insisted upon crowding every avenue leading to the scene of the big bl They alsa con- stituted themselves as special guardians of nds of dollars’ worth of furn ousehold goods piled upon the SEEN AT OAKLAND. Crowds Watch the Increasing Con- flagration on the Other Shore. ‘When it became evident in Oakland, from the leaping flames and intense refiection in the sky, that the fire was gaining headway and threatening a ger L conflagration, interest urose to a high pitch and positions where an unobstructed view in the direc- tion of the city could be obtained were at a preminm. As the evening advanced and the flames were seen to spread, hundreds left their homes and flocked to the ferries going to the city to obtain a near view of the con- flagration. The sight from Oakland was a beautiful one, and resembled a volcano in action. The bright glow of the flames as they rose from the burning buildings contrasted briliiantly with the davk hues of the sky and houses, and. made the fire-swept area seem immense. Above the fire the flame-tipped billows of smoke spread out into the resemblance of a huge Japanese umbrella, growing smaller or larger as they were swayed by the wind. The crowds of passengers on the ferries threatened to render the boats unsafe by congregating on the side of the decks near- est the fire. When the boats landed the crowds rushed ashore and hurried in the direction of the conflagration. - AT THE HOSPITAL. Two men who were injured at the fire were treated at the Receiving Hospital. Jake Strachler of 2605 Mission street was on the roof of a house on Brannan street pouring water on it, when he slipped and fell to the ground. He received a lacer- ated wound on the scalp and his back was contused. James McDonough, 753 Bran- nan street, was on the roof of his house pouring water over it, when he also slipped and fell, but escaped with a sprained wrist. A WOMAN INJURED. Mrs. Conroy, who lives at 13014 Shipley street, while on her way to see a friend, Mrs. Devlin, living on Freelon street, be- | tween Bryant nn( Zoe, fell over a fire | bose stretched across the street and broke her kneecup. focilt Gl FIRES OF THE PAST. 1876—The City’s Biggest Losses. San Francisco’s fir. on December 24, 18 great fire occurred | | Washington and Cla were the most valuable in the City, Among them was the Parker House, a two-story frame building which served asa ho gambling house. The total lo 000. The second great fire occurred May 4, 1850, about six months later. ‘I'hree blocks were swept by the flames. Two of | these were between Clay, Jackson, Kearny and Montgomery, and one was bounded by Washington, Kearny, Jackson and Du- pont. The first fire had chiefly injured the gamblers and speculators. In the second the heaviest losers were the merchants. The loss at this second fire was estimated | Six weeks later, on June 14, there was a third conflagration which swept away evervthing between Clay, California and Kearny streets and the water front, which was then near Sansome street. The loss again reached $3,000,000. The ground burned over was in afew months covered again with buildings. But they were of a more stable character than the former houses, as a fire-limit ordinance had been passed. This prohibited the Conflagrations ‘of 1849, 1851 and | It burned down all | of the buildinzs on Kearny street between | which, at that time, | erection of buildings covered with cotton cloth. Then came the ‘‘Great Fire.” It oc- curred on May 4, 1851, just one year after the second large conflagration. The loss footed up $7,000,000. The fire is called the fire of May 4. It really began a little before 12 o’clock, the night of May 3. The entire business por- tion of the City was swept away. This| meant nearly everything, for at that time there were few family dwellings. The burned district was three-quarters of a mile long and a quarter of a mile wide, More than 1500 houses were destroyed. Sixteen blocks were burned, ten being in the district bounded by Pine, Jackson, Kearny and Sansome streets; five were bounded by Sansome, Battery, Sacramento | and Broadway, and one was bounded by Kearny, Montgomery, Washington and | Jackson streets. There were fractions of five other blocks. Among the buildings burned out were the Custom-house, the Jenny Lind The- | ater, the Union Hotel and the banks of Page, Bacon & Co.; Burgoyne & Co. and Wells & Co. The Custom-house, which was a three-story building on the corner of Montgomery and California streets, con- tained a Jarge amount of goods. A number of persons perished in the | flames. How many is not known. The fitth great fire came within two | months. The date was June 22, 1851. This | | time the loss was only $2,000,000. The fire began on Pacific street, near | Powell, and burned eight blocks, bounded | by Broadway, Jackson, Powell and Mont- | gomery streets. Then ihree blociks be- tween Stockton, Montgomery, Jackson and Washington streets followed. Fractions of five other blocks were also destr: . The principal buildings burned were the City Hall, which had been the Graham House, the ital, the Jennie Lind Theater and an old adobe on the plaza. These were the great fires of the earliest period of the growth of San Traneisco. | | The fire of May, 1851, was attributed to in- | | cendiarism. One man, charged with ar- | | son, was beaten to dezth while the fire | | was raging. So much valuable property | | was exposed in the street that a vigilance commiitee was formed to actas a petrol, and summary justice was dealt out to lar- cenists. * The merchants, not able to secure their property on land, put their goods into old hulks, which served as storeships.. But by | 185¢ there were many fireproof buildings. | The materials had all to be imported, the | granite coming from China and Quincy, lava from Honolulu, and bricks from Syd- ney, New York and London. The electric fire-alarm system was not established until 1865, It was resisted by strong political influences and by many crimes, such as incendiary fires, false alarms, breaking of the fire-alarm boxes | { | and cufting the wires. Those who op- posed it were the men making up the Volunteer Fire Department. The fires had grown more numerous and the Volunteer Fire Department at last be- came insufficient to cope with them. In 1866 the paid department, with better ap- paratus, was instituted. The next large fire was on tne night of August 28, 1876. Then the block bounded by Third and Fourth, Brannan and Town- send streets was almost destroyed. Several lumber-yards and nearly 100 dwellings were destroyed. The fire broke out in a cizar-box manu- factory on Brannan street, adjoining the German Hospital. As the cigar-box fac- tory was only one of a number of similar shops in the same block, it was found nec- essary ten minutes after the first alarm to bring out the full force of the fire brigade. The German Hospital was built of brick, but soon succumbed to the flames. Thence it spread to the lumber-yards and the car- houses and stables of the Fifth-street Rail- | way Company. The woodyards toward Fourth street had been entirely destroyed within an houp after the alarm was sounded. The flames had at that time been carried to the west side of Third street also. The spread of the fire in that direction was, however, stayed by the firemen. It was only their prompt action in this direction that saved the Pacific Mail dock and the buildings lying toward Second street. The block devastated by the flames was bounded by Third, Townsend, Fourth and Brannan streets, and was intersected by three small streets—Ritch, Liberty and Crook. On it were the railroad offices, the German Hospital, several factories engaged in woodwork, and a number of wooden dwelling-houses. Of the ten acres of buildings on the block only two structures remained, larze brick building of the Central Pacific Company and the grocery-store at the cor- ner of Third and Brannan. There were on the block twenty-one one- story frame houses, five one-and-a-half- story frames, forty-seven two-story frames, nine three-story frames, two four-story frames, three two-story brick buildings, one three-story brick,. five stables and , making in ail made the num- zs. ber destroyed ninety-four. The losses in the aggregate were es- timated at $750,600. Since the fire of 1576 there was no notable confiagration until last night. here have been numerous small fires entailing heavy loss, but in no instance has the extent of territory covered been of so great extent. — Value of Brick Walls. “The value of brick walls,” said Fire Marshal Towe, “has been made forcibly apparent. The row of brick-front ware- houses on the south side of Bluxome street is the only thing that prevented the flames from crossing the street and reaching the freightsheds of the Southern Pacific Com= pany.