The morning call., 1891-11-17
FIRED BY BENZTNE.
Seventy-five Thousand Dollars
Lost in Flames.
Disastrous Blaze on Tehama Street Destruc.
tion Of the Pacific Cleaning Works.
Two Firemen Injured.

block bounded by Howard, Fifth, Folsom
and Fourth streets.
The fire started in the highly infiammable
four-story wooden building extending from
353 to 355 Tehama street, owned and occu-
pied by j. SpauldiDg & Co. as the Pioneer
Carpet-beating and Pacific Cleaning and
Dyeing Works. 1t was recently enlarged
from two 10 four stories In height by per-
mission of the Board of Supervisors, and
against the combined protests OF the entire
Fire Department and insurance companies.
Within an hour the fire was subdued, but
during that brief time damage was done
that will cause an expenditure of at least
s75,0 to fully repair. Owing to the fact
that two immense tanks belonging to the
San Francisco Gas Company were located
on the north side of Tehama street, and
almost opposite the cleaning works, insur-
ance rates we're very high in the neighbor-
hood. and some of the adjoining property
was not insured at all. So there will be
total loss TO property-owners at from S25, 600
to $4,000
ORIGIN OF THE FIRE.
There were Just 125 persons employed by
Spaulding IL Co., and nearly all were within
the big building when the fire started III the
following manner:
A boy. named Willie Dobbins, was clean
ing vest with beuZine in a rear work
room in the upper story. In one of the
pockets of the garment was bunch of
matches, and while the vest was being
rubbed by the benzine brush the matches
accidentally ignited.
In an instant the garment was in flames,
which spread with great rapidity TO the
benzine-jar and the cleaning-table. Willie'S
cries attracted dozen other employees.
who brought blankets from an adjoining
room, and in minute the flames were
nearly smOthered Then some one inju-
dicously opened window, moved the
burning table into draught and started the
big lire that caused so much destruction.
Famed by a breeze the flames shot forth
in ell directions, lapping benZine and
greedily consuming clothes, wooden parti-
tlons and everything within the big
structure. In less time than would be re-
quired to relate IL, the flames were rushing
with terrible rapidity in all directions.
Great confusion among proprietors and EN-
ployes ensued during the mad rush to escape
from the building aud death. Men and boys
screamed with fear, and fairly rolled over
each other during the flight into the street.
MASS OF FLAMES.
Fire. fire, fire" they screamed, as great
tongues Of flame shot through the roof, and
clouds of smoke rolled skyward. The cry
was taken up and repeated until the fire.
bells joined in the chorus. Some one had run
to the corner of Fourth and Folsom streets
and turned in the alarm from Station 157. 1t .
was then just 3e55 o'clock, and in pursuance
TO the call Engine Companies 2, 4. 6, 9, 10,
II, Trucks l and 3, the water tower and the
two chemical engines responded with
alacrity. So did Chief Scannell, Assistant
Chief Sullivan and several District Engi-
neers.
Before stream could he brought to bear
on the blazing esta blishm meut the big frame
structure was a seething mass from ground
floor to roof. The larg- elevator-well In
the front OF the building had assisted the
flames in the downward course, and the
horses and wagons in the stable on the
ground-foor were removed just in time TO
escape destruction.
Seeing that the seat of the fire was
doomed, the Gre-fghters turned their atten-
tion TO the adjoining buildings and battled
nobly for their preservation.
A SECOND ALARM.
1t was then that Assistant Chief Sullivan
requested Captain White to turn in second
alarm from the same station. This was
done at precisely 05 o'clock, ten minutes
after the first was sounded, and it sum-
moned additional firemen and paraphernalia
within the district. The dense clouds of
smoke that rolled up and driited westward
attracted attention all over the city. and
within few minutes it required half the
police of the Southern District to keep the
crowds OF spectators outside the lines
stretched across Tehama street.
Then new danger sprang up. The top
and sides of Spaulding & Co.'s building
were taking off and falling into the street,
while blazing brands we're being carried to
the roof of the California and Nevada Ice
CompaHy's building on the opposite side OF
Tehama street and upon the two storage
tanks of the San Francisco Gaslight Com
pany. Several times the roof of the ice COM
pany's building ignited, but the employees
were there with streams and promptly
quenched the flames whenever they broke
forth.
A SOURCE OF DANGER.
Another force of men guarded the big gas
tanks and kept dozen streams constantly
playing upon them. The paint upon the
sides of the tanks was bIStered off, but for
tuDately the heat did not become sufficient
ly intense to ignite the very explosive sub
stance stored within them. Had an explo-
sion occurred hundreds of lives would have
been LOST and all the buildings on the entire
block, and perhaps many others, would
have been burned
In the meantime he firemen, totally un-
aware of the danger from an explosion of
the hundreds of thousands of cubic feet of
coal gas, were making gallant fight to save
property along the south side of Tehama
street, in the rear of the cleaning works and
also adjoining on either side. The wind be-
ing from the east the main progress of the
fire was westward.
Adjoining to the westward was the two
story frame building owned and occupied
by the firm of WanZ " Empey as a steam
sausage factory. This building was totally
destroyed as was also the silk mandatory
of William HigginbottOm at 359 Tehama,
adjoining. Then the path of the flames was
over the roofs of the two twO-stOry frame
dwellings at $50 and Sol. owned by
James Landray and occupied by the
families OF Landray and A. Jonas.
There was little left of these dwellings
when the flames made their way to the roof
Of the two-Story frame structure at No. 363
occuried as stable by the San Francisco
Gaslght Company. Within two minutes
the stables were little more than smoking
Of hnrc 1nho rnA NtN,, l,,,+
the fire went no farther westward toward
Fifth street, for its progress was ch ecked
by vacant lot
ALMOST DESTROYED.
The two-story frame building, No. 3l7,
adjoining the east side of the building in
which the fire originated. was owned by
Mrs. Craig and occupied by the Cahill fam
lily. Mrs. Craig also owned the two two
story frame dwellings in the rear which
were completely destroyed.
1t was while trying to save these two
houses in the rear that two members OF
Truck Company were badly but not seri-
ously injured. Extramen Hunter and
Adams were near the top of building and
directing stream from their perilous perch
upon ladder, when falling timber
knocked Adams OFT the ladder. Hunter
tried to catch his companion, but in doing
so lost his balance, and the two men rolled
headlong to the ground. They were picked
up badly bruised and bleeding but as no
DOnes were Drohen they soon nerOlcalIy re-
sumed their dangerous work.
The dwellings extending to the eastward
from S45 TO 349 Tehama street were badly
scorched upon the roof and slightly dam
aged by water. While the fremen were
fighting the flames, occupants of the build
ings within the block were hastily remoy-
ing furniture and other personal property.
With the exception of the establishment of
Spaulding 81 Co.. most of the contents of
the other burned buildings were saved.
PROMPT ACTION.
Fire Commissioner Schmitt was on the
scene and danced around merrily to escape
falling timbers. He was delighted with the
manner in which the flames were handled,
and declared that by their forethought and
prompt action, Chief Scannell and Assistant
Chief Sullivan had saved the entire block
from destruction. They did it by using
what is called three-way hose in the rear
This was done by combining the streams
from engines Z, 8 aud 10. and thus increas-
ing the force three-fold. The pressure of