The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-12-12
Quilted BY FLAMES.
A Hot Fire On Tenth Street, With
Loss of Over $4,000.
Its Origin Was in Thomas Partisan Dye
Works-Four Firemen Net With Mis-
haps-Blockade of Street-Cars.

| benzine-a flash Of flame-a benzine-tank
| exploding, and ere the fire department could
respond building of three stories was
wrapped in flames that refused to be ex-
tInguished before about $50, 900 damage had
| been caused yesterday, and four fremen
injured, two seriously and two slightly.
About 80 o'clock an employe Of Thomas
| Partisan Dye Works, at 20 Tenth street, was
wringng out some silk cravats over tub of
benzine, when suddenly there was flash
| of fire, the tub being Immediately ignited,
| and before any one could think what to do
the tank containing behzine used in the
| cleaning department standing near at hand
| also became ignited and exploded, scatter
ing the burning fluid over everything in the
| apartment.
| The employe was badly burned. but man
| aged to get out of the building with the bal
ance of the working people in the place.
| and an alarm was quickly turned in from
Box rs. Before the department could re-
| spond the building of three stories. con-
stIueted of wood and very old at that, was
| mass of roaring, cracking flame.
NEXT DOOR TO THE WORKS.
Next door to the dye works, also three
story structure, was the carpet-renovatng
works of S. S. Ferguson, and next to that a
| as a Junk-shop for secondhand doors,
| Sashes and stuff of that sort with lime
! plaster, cement and paving stuffs, which
| business he combines with the first men-
| toned.
The burned property runs from Stevenson
| to Jessie street on Tenth street, and as all
| the buildings were old frame structures, the
| flames rapidly spread until it appeared as
| though several blocks would be destroyed
| before the department could gain control.
| BY hard work and well-directed streams,
| however, it was filmed to the limits above
| mentioned, although il occupied the strictest
attention of the department for nearly three
| hours. The dye works and the carpet beat
| ing works were entirely destroyed, as were
als0the oupper stories OF Scheerer's ware
house, and three other small buildings were
| slightly damaged.
They were S24 Jessie street, occupied as
dwelling by j. Arrogue; 81 Tenth street,
owned and occupied by NJ. Hopkins; and
cottage Immediately adjoining occupied by
John Iroute-the damage on all three being
not more than $500.
FIERCE AND HOT FIRE.
The fire was so fierce and hot that the
buildings on the other side Of Tenth street
were sc0rched and at one time broke out into
flames. which were quickly extingulshed.
As soon as the department arrived on the
scene the ladders were put into immediate
requlsltion to save the lives Of four OF five
girls in the upper story Of the dye works,
all means of escape having been shut off by
the flames spreading up the stairway before
they were even aware that the building was
on fire.
While the firemen were striving to place a
stream where it would do effective work in
the blazing building occupied by the carpet
works John O'Neill, foreman of engine,
was standing in front of the building direct
ing the men. The flames had almost en-
tirely DESTROYED the structure, only the
front wall and tin curnce being left, and the
cornice was on the verge of falling from
the blazing wall before any one knew it. A
moment more and the entire mass fell from
its three-story height, O'Neil being caught
and crushed to the pavement by it.
OTHER ACCIDENTS REPORTED.
The accident was seen by hundreds of
people, and the injured man was quickly
rescued from his perlIOuS position by a
score OF hands, and taken In an almost IN
conscious condition TO the nearest drug
store, whence he was afterward removed
TO his home.
When the alarm was turned in Engine 5
on California street, between Hyde and
Lsavenw0rth. responded, going down to
L1Tkin street and then turning into that
street On reaching the Sutter-street inter-
section, while on dead run, the engine
colilded with grip-car of that line with
such force that the strap holding Joseph
Blakely, the driver, in his seat broke, pre-
cipitating him to the ground. and the front
wheel passed over his body. The same
shock threw both L. Henry the foreman.
and James Fraser, the engineer. from their
positions on the engine TO thu stone pave
ment. Henry being dashed entirely over the
mind wheels.
Blakely was thought to be dead, but when
picked up he revived a lttle ana was borne
to his home at 10IS Leavenworth street,
where surgeon was called in to examine
him. He is very seriously and, perhaps,
fatally injured.
Fraser. who is brother OF Hugh Fraser.
and Henry were more fortunate, the first
named receiving few ugly scalp wounds
and the last named having cuticle, right
side and leg bruised and lacerated.
LOSS ABOUT S54, 200.
Another incident of the occasion was the
clubbing of an old man by too fresh police
man, which almost resulted in his being
mobbed by an Infatuated crowd. His name
or That Of his victim could not be ascer-
tanned, but it Is said charges will be pre-
ferred against him, as he inflicted a very
ugly wound on the head OF the old man.
AS soon as the fire was under control the
owners OF the property were found and the
damage was estimated as follows: Buildings
at q aud % Tenth street, occupied by S. S.
Eerguson's carpet-cleaning shop aud the
Thomas Dye Works, owned by Thomas,
$4,000; on the carpet-cleaning machinery
and other contents, $1,000; on the dye-works
machinery and contents of the works $780,
0O0; on 20 Tenth street, owned and occupied
by Joseph Scheerer 1000; which, with the
$500 loss on the three small dwellings be-
fore mentioned, will amount to S54.2
1t was rumoTed that several persons on
the grip were injured when il collided with
3 engine, but inquiry at the power-house
and In that vicinity failed TO reveal any
foundation for the report. The engine was
damaged to the extent of about 800 and the
grip-car was damaged to half that amount.
sTREET-CARs BLocKADED
The position OF the fire necessitated the
placing of the engines in such manner that
81 half-IOZeu pLad ed
to the great Inconvenience of the public
On Market street, beginning or either
side Of the intersection of Tenth street, the
cars were blocked going both ways until the
lines extended for about two aud half
miles.
All the lines of the Omnibus Cable Com
pany were also blocked, as was the Larkin-
street branch of the Sutter-street lines
+. Thomas Partisan dyeing and cleaning
works were recently attached by the Sheriff
and levied upon by Seth Warner for a debt
of $l4S5 The Sheriff took possession of the
Tenth street establishment ON November
30th.
Other Fires.
A still alarm was turned in at half-past 2
O'Clock on Thursday afternoon for fire at
765 Folsom street, occupied by w. Phoe-
donius as a dwelling. The blaze was a
trifling one. caused by the overturning of a
candle The damage was estimated at $40
The alarm from Box 2S4 at / AT o'clock
yesterday morning was for a fire in the two
story frame building 119 and 1913 Rchland
avenue, owned and occupied by Julius
Engelfeldt and G. II. MarchmOut respec-
lively. The damage is estimated at $500
The origin of the fire was not ascertained.
A MONSTER WAVE.