Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-06-20
MORE MUD.
ANOTHER CLOGGED HYDRANT CAUSES
HEAVY LOSS BY FIRE.
The Pacific Market Burns, While the
Hydrants Refuse to Give
Forth Water.

By the aid of coal-oil lamp and a n.y.
drant plugged with mud Messrs. A. D.
Christensen and D. Dierssen, proprietors
of the Pacific Market and Grocery, at 1853
street. had their finances reduced to zero
last night.
The proprietors were both at work in their
office at half-past o'clock, together with
their two book-keepers, when coal-oil
lamp exploded, severely burning Mr..
Christianson in the face and setting fire to
the store.
The men got out safely, and an alarm
was sent in from Seventh and streets,
but, as usual, the whistle at the water
works gave no indication at first as to the
locality of the FIRE. After q few minutes,
however, the correct number was given.
In the meantime the fire spread through
the store with great rapidity. The estab-
ment runs through to the alley, where
there were six horses kept on the ground
floor, and attention was first paid to them,
and they were all taken out. When the
firemen arrived and attached a hose to the
hydrant on the corner of Eighth and ],
only a few feet from the fire, no water
came from it-nothing but thick midland
at least ten minutes expired before even a
sickly stream could be got at that point.
1t was some time before streams could be
got from distant hydrants, and all this
lime the fire was rushing toward the rear
OF the establishment, destroying every-
thing as it went. Not until quarter of an
hour had passed did the fremen have any.
thing like an adequate supply of water,
and by that time the flames had Quilted the
main store and swept through the 16O feet
of building to the alley
1t looked as if nothing could prevent the
entire block from being DESTROYED, incIud-
ing st. PauPs Church, the Free Library
and other buildings across the alley. Only
few doors west of the building in which
the fire started is Warehouse & Testers
mammoth establishment. and many of the
thousands of people who filled the street in
front believed it to be doomed.
But the firemen finally got q couple of
good streams to playing from the alley, and
those in front were fighting the flames
vigorously from that side, and thus they
got the better of it.
The Windsor Hotel, adjoining on the
east, had a narrow escape. The flames had
burned out the windows of several rooms
IN the rear and above the roof of the mar
ket building and attacked the furniture.
Streams OF water were thrown into the
windows, however, and the hotel saved,
but Messrs. Flaherty & Neary, the proprie-
tors, say their damage from water will
amount to considerable.
A RECoRD-UNIoN reporter endeayored to
obtain from both Mr.. Christianson and Mr..
Dierssen an estimate of their losses, but
both were so nervous and excited that but
few facts could be learned. Mr.. Dierssen
said they had about $4,000 worth of goods
in the store, and book accounts amounting
to from $4,000 to $4,000. The former was
all gone, and he feared the books were de-
stroyed.
In addition to these losses he and his
partner had built an extension to the main
building at an expense of several thousand
dollars, and that had been ruined. He
said there was some insurance, but the
sum was small compared to their loss.
Mr.. Christianson would not take time to
talk about his loss except to say that he was
ruined.
1t was ascertained later from one of the
employees of the store that the safe was in
tact, and that it contained the firms ledger
accounts and some of the other books.
The building is the property of J. Guth.
1t is low one.story structure, and of little
intrinsic value, there being only the two
walls and roof. The loss of the building
in the rear will fall upon Messrs. Christian
son d Dierssen, whose actual losses will
doubtless foot up $4,000, including such
portion as may be insured.