The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-01-11

was the scene of more excitement and great
er crowds than that about the White House.
Clouds of smoke and then flames darting
high in air from one of the tall towers of
the house was the first warning even oppo-
site neighbors had that the Blaine mansion,
the pride and the most important structure
in that fashionable part Of the city. was on
fire. In another minute butler, footmen
maids and
MEMBERS OF THE FAMILY
Were bundling their precious possessions
out OF the house. The neghbors worked
like 1TOjans, and exec t for the smashing Of
a cabinet-load of precious old Chinese por
celaius the most valuable articles were saved.
The paintings were the first thought of
every one, and those gems, The Knitters,"
by Millett, CRbanei's portrait of Miss Lei
ter, known by its Paris salon name Of LA
Belle Americana" and canvases by Gerome,
MeiSsonier, Daubigny, COrot and Detaulle,
were raced through the streets by willing
hands and put in places Of safety. By that
time the entire fire brigade of the city was
there, and there was the finest possible dis
play Of machinery and ability on the part Of
the Fire Department. Extension ladders
unjOinted and stretched themselves NJ au-
tomaticallY to the top of the tall building
the fremen pranced around on gable edges
and knife-edged plnnacleS, and the great
open space and parks before the house was
crowded with an appreclatlye audience. The
audience cheered and applauded, and took
rushed out on the gable top of window
and with ringing blows cut Il hole through
states and timbers of a smoking cuDola.
Where 1t seemed no larger round than his
head he stretched his feet out and dropped
through, hose in hand. The crowd cheered
and clapped wildly. The smoke poured out
for little longer and then ceased. The ak
was passed inside and the fireman made the
hole larger and creptout. The crowd yelled
and clapped hands az lin, but the fireman
~ how M n
the knife-edged dOrmer gable, as an acrobat
or tlght-rope walker would have done. The
terrific streams of wafer at work on the
roof sent small Niagaras down the outside
Of the house, and by their force tore off the
states and broke them in bits. While Mr..
Letter stood damp, begrimed, detected aud
| looking forty years older Tran his wont on
| the steps of his ruined home,
SOME IRREPBESsIBLE CITIZEN
| Held his elbow ana talked and presented a
card, which Mr.. Letter was seen to auto
| matically pocket. One corner of the crowd
| cheered that bit of by-pay, and then a
| stream of maids issuing with punch-bowls
| and superb glassware went Scurrying down
the street, and young Dick Hatt0n and some
| other youths III cadet uniforms shouldered
more paintings and were off on the double
quick The carriage, which had been made
ready to take Mr.. Letter and his son ON the
round of official calls, came at the appointed
hour and conveyed the family and some
sheeted bundles to hotel. The police and
the insurance men took charge of the ruin of
the house, and the most splendid mansion in
the city, crowded with everything rare and
beautiful, was kindly hidden by the heavy
fog. A defective hue, leading into the linen
closet, began the fire, and the elevator shaft
at the back of the house sucked the flames
upward. All of the mansard floor was
burned out and all of the house ruined with
water. Mr. Blaine was well insured for
the house and furniture, but MIR. Letter had
no Insurance for the good million dollars of
Jewels, plate, paintings. works of art, cloth
ing, library and furniture of his own in the
house. There Is consolation III the fact that
he can afford his losses, and that the fire oc-
CURED in daytime and no lives were endan-
gered.
The fire was the great topic of the day
and furnished the one theme of talk at every
reception. The weather, with the horrible
slush under foot and the dense fog hiding
everything hundred feet away. was sec
ond TO the Letter fire. Energetic callers
drove past tile house to see what had hap
pened, and the-iog hid the burned roof from
sight SO completely that they tried to dis
| credit the tales. The first word that Secre-
! tary Blalne's house was OH fire caused panic
al the Wmte House and everywhere. The
Tracy hre was In every ones mind at once.
SECRETARY TRACY,
| with his daughter. Mrs. Wilmerdng, have
| taken house on X street this winter and
are living very quietly. Upon the site of
| their former home a new house is being
built. Everyone was rejoiced to see those
| smoke-grlmed walls, with blank window
| spaces and charred skeleton of the roof tim
! bers, come down. Secretary Tracy was
most anxious to be rid of the property, and,
after offering it to several clubs, he found a
| purchaser in Mrs. Augustus Tyler, wife
| of retired army officer. Mrs. Tyler is a
| young Kentucky woman. who Inherited
] from her father great fortune made by the