The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-11-10
HI HAD NO FAULT TO FIND,
But a Thousand Thanks for
Brave Firemen.
The Rescue Of People From Burning Build.
ing-A Graceful Compliment for Chief
scsunell and His Men.

The average citizen who goes about his
business from day TO day in the United
states IS so accustomed TO the blessings of
civil government that be seldom akens to
realizing sense they are actual, potential
ana substantial blessings. 1t Is only when
something happens out of the ordinary run
which jeopardiZes ones life or limb, or when
one is suddenly deprived of some accus-
toned privilege that there is au awakening
to this great truth
Ii citizen be unfortunate enough TO be
knocked down and run over on the street he
VIII regard the appearance of the patrol
wagon and its officers to bear him away to
the City Receiving Hospital with the same
degree Of grateful regard with which the
shlpwreeked sailor cOntemplates the rescuing
hfsboat and its crew.
LIZ citizen discover his house on fire there
Is nothing in the world so cheering to him
as the Quick descent upon his premises of
the flremen with their steam engines,
trucks and hose carts. lie then becomes
suddenly conscious that the city which
maintains these men and appliances Is
something more to him and his household
than an abstraction. In his hour of su-
preme peril he feels that the municipality
is Itself a ministering angel.
Inc San Francisco Fire Department is
not surpassed in any other city in the
Union I'D one respect at least and that Is in
the fidelity OF its members to duty, and
their courage in Drawing dangers. That
there is not more loss of life by fires In this
city Is. undoubtedly. owing to this fact.
GENERALLY after IRE where people have
oeen In extreme peril and have been rescued
by the hremen, no more Is heard about IL.
ana hardly so much as word OF thanks Is
uttered to the gallant men. This. no doubt.
is largely due TO the fact that the rescued
people have been too much terrified at the
time 10 be courteous to their deliverers.
An exception is noted in the case of the
fire in the old ST. Ignatius College building
On Market street shortly after midnight On
Saturday.
The building was filed with smoke before
the inmates OF the upper floor knew the
basement was on fire. There was no escape
Kimball, Mrs. Upton or Colonel Shaw
aud his family except through the
windows. The fremen had reached
the building before these people were
aware of their peril, and Assist
ant Chief Sullivan and the members of
truck / safely brought all of them out by
the ladder route just in the nick of time.
The fire was confined TO the basement, and
the inmates returned 70 their apartments
without any loss on Sunday morning.
Chief SeaDnell on the following day re-
eeiyed from Colonel Shaw letter acknowi-
edging his heartfelt thanks to the gallant
6remeD, of which the following is copy:
thousand thanks to yen and your brave men
for the prompt rescue of my wife, children and
self at the IRE in this building on Sunday morn
Ing. The woods may be fun of calamity bowlers
ana the city may be boss-ridden and all that sort
OF thing. but we have a fire department OF which
every citizen should be proud. You and your
men with apparatus we're Ia front OF our build
Ing when we were startled from our midnight
sinmber by the snfocating smoke. When / saw
my wife ana little ones taken out OF the window
by your gallant men. felt that /. for one, had no
fault to find with the city OF San Francisco, and
my gratitude could find no words save ia my
prsyer, God bless Dave Scanneli and his In
trepid hremen!" Yoyrs, sincerely,
HENRY G.. SHAW.