The record-union., 1892-05-30
DESTRUCTIVE FIRE.
THE FULTON IRON WORKS LAID
IN RUINS.
Second Time Within Five Years That
the Establishment Has
Been Burned.

Special to the RECoRD-UNIoN.
SAN FRANCISCO, May 29.-For the Sec
ond time within five years the principal
part of the block bounded by Howard,
Folsom, Fremont and Beale streets was
destroyed by fire early this morning.
From small blaze quickly sprang a
raging fire that burned through the block.
wrecking in it's pathway two of the larg-
est manufacturing establishments of their
kind in the city, temporarily throwing
200 men out of employment and seriously
injuring two tiremen. The heaviest
losers are Hinckley, Spiers d Hayes, pro-
prietors of the Fulton Iron Works, and
John Hammond d Sons, owners of the
California Car Works. Nothing remains
Of these big industrial institutions but a
few charred walls and mass of black
ened iron and machinery, melted or
twisted into fantastic designs by the in
tense heat. The Fulton Iron Works was
situated in a two-stOry frame building
fronting on Fremont street, and eX-
tended through the block to Beale street.
Adjoining on the south was two-story
frame building occupied by the California
Car Works, fronting on Fremont, and
also extending to Beale street. 1t was
these two buildings that furnished the
best food for the flames.
The loss is estimated at $3.50. 900; insur-
ance, S95, 600. The fire started in core in
the Fulton Iron Works. and spread
rapidly to the Hammond Car Works, and
then to the other buildings. The struct-
ureS destroyed were all wooden. and
burned tiercely, the fire raging several
hours. Most of the damage, however.
was done to expensive machinery. The
Fulton Iron Works lose $3.50, 900, Ham
mond Car Works $4,000, and the rest is
divided up between Van brakes Brass
Foundry and smaller manufactures One
man was severely injured by falling
from a third-story window. The Fulton
Iron Works was one OF the largest iron
foundries in the city, and had many large
contracts on hand. The Hammond Car
Works manufactured street cars and rail-
road cars. -Four years ago similar fire
destroyed both the Fulton and Ham
mond works.
About $50 o'clock Watchman Berens
was in the rear of the Fulton Iron Works
getting up steam in the boilers, when he
saw volumes of smoke issuing from the
yreroom, located near the Fremont
street entrance small fire was kent
burning in the brick furnace there and
he supposed that some of the woodwork
had caught fire. Before he could reach
the coreroom the flames were spreading
i'll all directions, and it was with con-
siderable difficulty that he escaped from
the building,
boiOI6 Tie IlGSJ GIlSIlS dTIINeu lie IRE
had spread to an alarming extent, and
tongues of flame were shooting through
the roof of the iron works.
At 6:0l o'clock second alarm was
turned in, which summoned all the fire
lighting paraphernalia. The firemen
went to work with will, and streams
were brought to bear from Fremont
Beale and Howard streets, but with little
effect on the rapidly spreading flames
With such iightning-like rapidity did the
fire extend that the firemen had TO re-
treat from the Fulton Iron Works in
short order. They got out just in time
for portions of the roof fell in with a
deafening roar, burying everything be-
meath it.
Within half an hour the flames had
spread through the iron works, wrecked
the three-story brick building at 2I3
Fremont street, used as an Office, and
communicated with the tinder-like
structure of the California Car Works.
! This building was also consumed in
short order, and only small portion in
which the office was situated escaped
From the ruins of the Fulton Iron
Works the fire spread northward to one
story frame building occupied by NJ.
Greenberg S Sons Brass Works and
Van brakes Machine Shops. This
building and its contents were also
wrecked.
A two-story frame building occupied
by Outsen 81 Bruns' Feed Mill was also
badly wrecked, and considerable damage
was done to the contents.
Southwark the progress of the flames
was checked by the four-story brick
building OF Whittier. Fuller IL Co.'s Pio-
| neer Lead and Paint Works, which fronts
on Fremont. aud also extends to Beale
street. The fire scorched and blackened
the walls of the big building but did lit
tie damage to it beyond burning two
wooden tanks on the roof.