The morning call., 1893-08-27
TELLTALE COTTON
An Odor of Turpentine Is
Discovered.
CHEMIST PRICES ANALYSIS.
Report of Fire Marshal Towe to the
San Francisco Board of I'm
derwriters.

Fire Marshal Iowe has been engaged on
searching investigation of the great
BuslI-street fire. which occurred on July
81 last. From the very day of the fire IN
til yesterday he has been trying to dis
cover its true origin, and there was no
clew which he did not follow.
Every person employed at the buildings
burned has undergone searching exami-
nation. The owners of the stores burned
were also examined in regard to their bus
ness.
The Fire Marshal also went among the
ruins and examined the debris. Certain
pieces of excelsior and wadding covered
with yarn were found. which emitted
peculiar odor. The Fire Marshal had
these articles sent to Price, the chemist,
for analysis, and the result of the chem
lists laborS is stated in the Fire MarshaPs
report, which is liable to create somewhat
of a sensation. The Fire Marshal, after
concluding the fire TO have been the work
of an incendiary, advises the Board of In
derwriters to offer q reward for the arrest
of the arsoDist.
Speaking of his report. the Fire Marshal
said: Il believe this fire to have been set,
and / have so stated. | make no charges,
but only wish this TO be said: That my
investigation has been clear and exhaus-
tive. and without fear or favor, wherever
the blow may fall"
The following ID the Fire Marshal's re-
port in full;
Ed1rGrd BrOtOr Esq. Chairman Of Committee
Of Underwriters sctttirg the loss Of Buyer d
Reich fire at 221-223 Bush street-DEAK SIR:
Herewith please find The result OF my investiga-
ton into the cause of the fire that occurred at
The above-named place on July 81. 1893.
l arrived at the fire at about 6:15 p NJ and
found The fourth ana fifth stories OF 22I-223
Bush street all on fire; vast volumes of black
smoke and fIe were pouring OUT of Tie fourth
story windows, front and rear. | stayed a the
fire till 80 A. NJ; then left the place in charge
of Fire Marshal police. Tie next day. Au.
gust l, L began an investigation as to the cause
sudden, as during the fire many rumors
reached my ear as to the cause. 1
found the floor contained nothing but yarns,
wool and such like. On visiting the fourth
moor on August / found that the greatesT fire
had burned il the center Of the fourth floor
about twenty feet from the rear, and the debris
was all yarns and wool, partly burned; also
that another fiIe must have occurred at the
same time on the same floor, OH shelving stored
with yarn on the east wall, al the head OF the
stairs ana about Thirty feet from the front of
the building The yarn on the shelves was
burned only on the ends, but the woodwork was
all gone, and the yarn on the corner tiers
showed plainly that something had caused Tie
shelving TO burn, as the woodwork was entirely
consumed.
Lie Ire III the rear burned I'D 10 Inc MIN
floor. as traces OF The fifth floors flooring showed
tie under part burned while the upper part
was sound The fire in the rear was all of fly
feet from the fire on The shelving These TWO
fires were noticed by others on the floor
The floor beams on the fifth floor also showed
plainly that the under portions of them were
burned most and first; and the front portion of
the building shows very plainly that lie fire
and smoke went from the fourth 10 the fifth
q DOR.
Two DAYS after the fire I requested Won m
emulOy a whom | could n htu
In the debris OF the fourth floor which you did.
requested him 10 get 10 the floor in that
portion of the fourth floor where the heaviest
OF The lire had heen, and wh~re it showed
plainly IL had first started, about twenty feet
from the rear OF the floor The floor and every
tllng on 1t had remained the same as the fire
left IT,
While raking over the yarn on the floor In
mat spot be found small piece of excelsior
about the size OF an ordinary pear, aud burned;
also piece OF Wadding. burned.
They were covered with the yarn that
mad been burned and had been put out.
de gave them me, ana On bringing them 10
my office for examination / was satisti d that
some substance foreign TO the excelsior and
wadding was there.
To be positive that that was the case took
the excelsior and wadding to Thomas Price &
Bon To have the same analyZed and il possible
10 inform m If there was any foreign substance
contained in what had brought him.
On The 11ih OF August they made their report
to me, Which Is as follows:
Charles Tore Esq, Fire Adrshal-DEAR
DIX. VIC nave maui d analysis oil the
samples of excelsior and cotton brought o this
office by you Tor that purpose, and beg to report
as follows:
The sample OF excelsior was found to be
slightly damp and when heated emitted an odor
similar TO that of resn oil and turpentine IL
was found 10 contain / S07 per cent OF resin
Gus material, (Which would be ihlrty-six bounds
per ton OF eXcelsior) which on beating gave the
distinct Odor OF tui pentine. This resnous ma
teIial is oil the same general character as that
left on evaporation of American turpe milne.
The cotton you brought here was quite wet
and yielded 0.377 OK resinous mate ia SINH
lar 10 that which we extracted from the excel
sinr
A sample OF clean, dry excelsior which you