The morning call., 1892-06-02
BURNED TO THE GROUND. :
A Loss of $4,000 Caused by the Burn
ing of Wool Warehouse.

o
ing of Wool Warehouse.
Early yesterday morning fire broke outin
George Abbott 81 Co.'s woolhouse on the
southwest corner Of Fifth and Bluxome
streets. In all probability the fire would
have caused but nominal loss II foolish
persons had not turned in alarms from vari-
Gus stations in the vicinity. thus misleading
the Fire Department As it is the large
brick building occupied by Abbott & Co. is
no more, nor its contents either. he total
loss is estimated at 100000
About O'clock in the morning smoke was
seen issuing from the roof of the warehouse
which was one-story brick building cover
ing 50-vara lot A Waterman ran to the
building and peering in through creVlce
under a door saw that the Interior was
ablaZe. Instead of running 10 the nearest
box and turning in an alarm, he ran up
Fifth street TO Mint avenue and called En-
CINE II. Other individuals who discovered
the fire ran with the news to Engine on
Sixth street, and to Engine 10 on Brannan
street. The result was that all the engines
were leaving their houses when Specs al Or
ficer Thompson, who had discovered the fire
later, turned in an alarm from Station 1885,
Then two more alarms were sounded from
other stations in the vicinity and the depart
ment was perpIexed
When the engines and hosecarts reached
the warehouse 1t was mass of flames.
TIC was SHOOtiIlR ItOuI SfSlJ pdtL VI IT. huu
District Engineer John D0herty, seeing
that nothing could be done to save the
building directed the attention Of his men
toward saving adjacent structures.
Of these buildings. that on Fifth street.
occupied by the California Oil Company,
c. j. Woodbury. agent, seemed to be in
the most danger. The fre-wall between
it and the burning warehouse aided
the efforts of the iremen consider
ably to prevent the FIRE from spreading In
the course of an hour everything In Alb
bolts warehouse which could burn had
the rear of Platshek & Harris warehouse,
at 40 Townsend street, damaging it consld
eraby before streams of water were turned
on it.
When the roof Of Abbott's warehouse
crashed iu, the brick walls cracked and
shortly afterward fell to the ground. When
daylight came on 1t was seen that nothing
except piles Of brick, q few burned timbers
and damaged wool presses remained Of the
warehouse.
The building was owned by j. l.. Moody,
and was insured for $4,000. George Abbott
& Co.. who occupied the building, estimates
the whole loss at 100000. The warehouse
was filled with wool, all personal property.
They were moderately insured, and estimate
their loss at $4,000. Platshek q Harris.
stock and building were damaged to the ex
tent OF $1,000, while the building occupied
by the California Oil Company was dam
aged TO the extent of $500
The cause OF the fire is unknown. In the
burned warehouse there was an engine used
for running the presses, and as smoke was
first seen to issue from the roof over it, it is
thought it started there from the careless
disposition of Goals and ashes.
The beilding was the one in which the
late Emil Grisar established his wool bnsi-
ness nearly a quarter of a century ago.
Fire broke out in the plaster-mill of the
Ventura company, located on Bay street,
between Webster and Fillmore. shortly be-
fore noon yesterday. An alarm was turned
in from station 257, but the fire department
experienced such difficulty reaching the
scene and obtaining water from the small
mains that the building was damaged to the
extent OF $500 before the fire could be put
out.
Officer Hugh DOwd extingnished fire on
Wetm0re place yesterday morning by the
judicious use of a bucket of water. The
fire was caused by defective flue in a res
taUFant