Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-03-17
FIRE IN CHINATOWN.
Quarter of a Block of Buildings De-
stroyed or Damaged.

! StrONtU
About 1870 P. NJ. yesterday great outer.
was raised by Cinnamon on Third street
near l. Deputy Sheriff Shellars, glancln
in that direction, saw that fire had broker
out, and Immediately turned ia an alarm
The fire originated in Chinese restauran
occupying one of a row of frame building
belonging to Daniel Mason, on the east sid
of Third street, north of the alley between
| and ], and owing to the inhammable ma
ture of the structure and contents, IN les
than two minutes the restaurant was IN ;
| blaze, and vast volume OF smoke wa
| ascending skyward in a column, there
being little air stirring, while the Chi
nese residents of the vicinity were
rushing around, shouting and yelling
| in a high state of excitement. Tht
response of the Fire Department wa,
prompt, and in very short time engine
| and hydrant streams were playing upon the
fire, but with little effect, the flames con
tinuing to spread with great rapldIty. The
heat became very great, but the tiremen
faced it brayely. and planted their Ladders
and conducted their hose where most good
could be done in defiance of it. Before
lOiip IL was GNltlClll liISlt tAiS ACh VI a. GIN
structures belonging to Mr.. Mason, extend
ing from the alley north to the brick build
ing on the corner of ] street,
COULD NOT BE SAVED,
And the blaze was rapidly destroying foI
about half 4 block the little porches and
sheds in the rear of the brick buildings
facing on | street. Every effort was then
devoted to the heading off OF the march OF
the fire eastward, and the saving of the
brick buildings, and nearly every foot OF
the departments hose was utilized, leading
from the engines or from hydrants, the latter
furnishing good streams, they being SO near
the large I-street main. One hydrant
stream, managed by Charley SERVER and
others from the roof of T. d. SERVER
stable, was especially good. The railroad
men also did some fine service with the
ward engine Governor Stanford, reinforced
by two water cars and furnished as good a
stream as was seen, and put in the right
place After the light frame structures
had been burned, or the fire among them
had been suppressed, 1t was found that the
interior of two or three of the brick build
ings had become ignited, and soon a dense
cloud Of smoke poured out, making it diff
Ecult and dangerous for the firemen TO
work. The fire had also commenced to
spread beneath the sidewalk on Third
street, toward |, threatening the basement
of the corner store, in which, it was re-
ported, there was a large quantity of coal
oil and nut oil stored. This latter attack
was soon rcpulSed by the Introduction of
two or three streams beneath the walk, but
1t was not until
ABOUT > O'CLOCK
That the fire in the stores was extinguished.
The ROW of frame buildings owned by Mr.
Mason included two little Chinese restau-
rants, a barber shop and two houses of
prostitution. The story brick building
on the corner Of | street, and that adjoining
it on the east, are owned by j. d. Tate, who
has frontage of 50 feet: next on the east
is a one-story brick, 20 feet front, belonging
to the estate of II. w Schacht, deceased
next to that frontage Of so feet belonging
to George Smith. which was as far as the
fire extended. The corner building was
occupied by groceries on the first floor,
while the Chinese Merchants Exchange
and lodging-hOuSeS were established in the
upper stories. Further along were two
butcher shops, groceries and gambling
houses, with a restaurant up stairs The
corner building and It's contents ESCAPED
damage by fire, but may have suffered
the next two buildings were quite badly
burned, and the goods seriously damaged
by water and smoke. Mr. Smiths loss is
not very large, being confined in great part
to the destruction OF the little frame addi-
tons in the rear and some damage by
water and smoke The Chinese merchants
and the owners Of buildings are reported to
have all been
WE'LL INSURED:
But many of the people living on Third
street and Others who lost their household
goods were not 50 fortunate During the
progress of the fire Professor Simons and
NJ. y. EIdred carried out paralyzed China.
man. who was unable to help himself and
would have persisted but for assistance.
There was Tumor that a Chinaman was
burned to death, but there does not appear
II have been any foundation for it. j boy
who was standing on street, between one
Of the water cars and the sidewalk. was
struck on the head by piece of balcony
railing which fell, and was knocked
down, but jumped up quickly and
was helped away, his loud cutlery attcsting
that his lungs were sound. His injury was
not considered serious, but he would prob
ably have been badly hurt if the railing
had not struck the side of the car before il
hit him. J. \. Rogers, member of the
Fire Department, was struck in the eve
with the full force Of stream, and hurt 50
badly that it was feared his sight would be
affected but in the evening he was report
ed to be much better. A report that there was
a quantity of powder in the grocery on the
corner kept the crowd at respectful dis
lance, more especially as now ana again a
few bombs and lirecrackers in other build
ings could be heard exploding, thus serving
as reminders. The tircmen were reinforced
during their fight with the fire by many old
members Of the Volunteer Fire Depart
ment and citizens generally, who worked
with will, despite the heat and FREQUENT
- duchings' from the hose.