The morning call., 1890-07-05
VERY FEW FIRES.
For Once the Fire Department
Was Not OYerwOrked.

Preparations for yesterdays fires we're
not made on a large scale by the depart
ment, as they were not necessary. Every
member of the Fire Department was re-
quired to be ON hand from o'clock in the
morning until this morning, and no one was
allowed to sleep. The horses were kept
nearer the engines than usual. But beyond
those minor provisions nothing was done.
The department proved that no more was
necessary and arrived at the scene OF each
fire in short order.
The total number of bell alarms during
the day and up to 80 o'clock was twelve.
Last year there were only nine. At 2:30
o'clock yesterday afternoon the first alarm
was turned in and from that time they came
In about two hours apart until o'clock,
when there were four in one hour. The
cause of the increase at that hour was the
large amount of fireworks exploded and the
decrease in precautions taken up to night
fall.
Yesterday afternoon. about 2:15 o'clock,
some careless person. it is presumed,
dropped lighted match in the grass in
Golden Gate Park, about opposite the Olym-
pic Club grounds, in the valley between the
upper and lower south roads. In few
minutes the flames spread with great rapid
ity, sending3 volumes Of smoke over the
whole park. The alarm was given and all
the force, police officers and laborers, has
tened to the scene, armed with shovelS, and
commenced to battle with the flames. The
brisk breeze setting in from the ocean car
ried the flames almost as fast as
a man could run, soon leaving behind
the small force sh0yeling sand on it in the
vain hope of stopping its progress Specta-
tors seized bushes from the trees and joined
in the fight, but with no apparent effect.
The fire took a swath of from one to two
hundred yards in width and swept the val
ley for three-Quarters Of mile, till stopped
by the road near the music-stand. No great
damage was done, however, as the area
over which the fire ran is yet in its print
tive state and only covered with grass and
weeds, there being only clump of cedars
here and there which .were badly scared.
but being green, and the prevailing wind
sweeping the fire with great rapidly, they
were not killed. The fire burned nearly an
hour before it was finally subdued.
AT 2:10 o'clock in the afternoon an alarm
was sounded from Box 123. 1t was caused
by fire-cracker having set fire to the roof
of a house at 1900 Union street. Only
few shingles were destroyed
The alarm turned in from Box 25-Wash-
ington and Dupont streets-was for burn
ing chimney. Jimmy Poy. a Chinese
cook, sounded the alarm. No damage.
The alarm from Box 10 at A 40 o'clock
was for some grass which had become
ignited from exploding crackers.
Shortly after 2 o'clock B. Fross, tailor
at 324 Bush street, discovered that his avn
ing was on fire. Before the flames could
be controlled his new sign had burned.
The loss WAS $50, and the cause fire-crack-
ers.
at $50 an alarm was turned in from
Box for fire on the roof of a two-story
frame at 627 Green street, owned and occu-
pied by Mrs. PlatZ. The flames were soon
extinguished, the damage to the building
amounting to $50. The fire was caused by
the sparks of fire-crackers careessly thrown.
The alarm at 9:35, from Box 6S, was for
street, near Fourth, and was caused by a
skyrocket having lodged on the roof, which
soon caught fire. The attention of people
in the neighborhood was soon called to it.
and efforts were made to put out the flames.
The janitor was absent, and access could
not be gained through the building to the
roof, and, after several Intellectual attempts
to reach it from surrounding buildings it
was seen that the hook and ladders would
have to be called, and the alarm was
sounded. The danger was nominal.
A needless alarm was sent in at o'clock
from Box 139-O'Farrell and Hyde streets
ON account of some burning brush.
At 9: 20 O'Clock the engines were called to
the residence of J. R. Mcneil. at % Seventh
street, by an alarm from Box 70. The fire
two-st0ry one. Cause, fireworks; loss
about So.
The alarm from Box 176 at :55 was for
the burning of the roof of two-story frame
Dullulng at 40 IoSG Streel, occupied by
Max Brooks. The loss is about $40.
At II 10 an alarm was sent in from Box
3d. for small blaZe on the northeast cor
ner of Turk and Jones streets, which bad
caught from a skyrocket. The loss was
nominal.
At IL :55 an alarm was turned in from Box
%, from the corner Of Dupont and Wash
ington streets. A number of engines and
one OF the patrol wagons were soon on the
scene, as the locality is recognized as dam
gerOus. Some time was occupied in diSc0v-
ering where the fire was, as no flames
nor smoke could be seen. 1t was
then learned that the fire was
in the rear of 615h Dupont street, in
crockery-store occupied by Fong All Lee.
1t was started in two places in a back room
packed with straw and ticking. A hose
was run through the hallway, and the
flames soon extinguished. The loss was
$500 and the cause unknown.
A rocket set fire to the awning and large
sign in front of b. Frosrs tailOr-shop at 324
Bush street.
small fire occurred last night on the
roof Of large building on the northeast
corner of Kearny and Commercial streets.
1t was caused by skyrocket, which came
over from Chinatown. No alarm was
sent in.