The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1893-02-15
IT Was A CLOSE CALL.
A Fire That Threatened to Sweep
Half the City.
But Two Brick Walls Enabled the
Firemen to Keep the Flames
Within Bounds.

The city had narrow escape yesterday
from confiagration which at one time
threatened to cause greater destruction
than any that has occurred here in the
last twenty years.
The danger came from the stiff north
west wind that prevailed throughout the
day, coupled with the fact that in build
ing adjoining one that was burned was
stored large quantity of coal oil, while
on the other side OF it were warehouses
containing lime, coal and other infiam-
mable materials.
brick firewall on one side enabled the
hremen to confine the flames to two
buildings, and good brick building pre-
vented the fire from reaching the oil on
the other side. But for the tire-wall re-
ferl ed to the flames would have got be-
You'd control Of the tirmen, with the
| probability that a large portion OF the
\ city would have been wiped out.
| The fire started in a one-story structure
on the north SIDE of street, Il few doors
east of Fifth, about halI-past O'CLOCK III
the afternoon. The building was occu-
! pied by " hitter, Fuller " Co. as a sta
! bic, ana the firm had four horses and a
delivery wagon therein at the time, which
were consumed.
As nearly as can be learned from the
occupants of adjoining buildings the hre
was the result Of the spontaneous COM
bustlon OF large heap of fresh manure
in the rear of the stable, and it quickly
communicated with the dry wooden
structures in the rear, the high wind rap
idly driving the flames into the interior.
Adjoining the stable on the west was
the lime depot of Henry Cowell 4 Co.
OF San Francisco, which was soon in
flames, being Il light frame structure. III
this building was stored large quantity
OF sewer pipe, cement, ETC., and some
5000 barrels OF lime.
AS soon as the firemen began to pour
water on the lime the result was very
ugly fire, which was difficult to manage,
| owing to the dense volumes OF smoke
and steam that poured from every open
! ing. On the west of Cowell Il Co.'s de-
! pot is Eolger's large BRICK warehouse, i'll
which the Sullivan Kelly Company mas
stored large stock of doors, sashes and
oil.
Fortunately this building resisted the
fierce flames, but the high wind drove
them easterly until they encountered
brick hrewall on the west side of KreuZ-
berger's lime depot, frame building.
The roof Of this caught fire, but the build
ing was saved.
Between the Folger building and the
firewall referred to the tiremen-aided by
the Southern Pacific Company's fire
train, which quickly took up a position
on the track directly in the rear-were
able to contine the flames, and between
which points the destruction was COM
plete.
OF the horses consumed in Whittier
Fuller " Co.'S stable one was owned byJ.
j. Merry, dray man for the firm, and one
by General Tozer. MIR. Baughman, man
ager for Coweu IL Co., also had a horse
hnDDU h1t HOY
saved.
The stable was owned by Mrs. Gather
inc Hoehn, and was worth perhaps ST.
900.
Mr.. Baughman thought the building
occupied by Cowell IL Co. was worth
about $500, while the loss on lime,
cement, sewer-pipe, ETC., would amount
to many thousand dollars. The property
was not insured here, and he did not
know whether or not the firm had it in
sured in San Francisco.
There were stories about to the effect
that when the fire first broke out an ex-
plosion occurred, and that someone saw a
coal-oil can shoot up into the sky. but
Mr.. Baughman informed RECORD
| UNION reporter that there was no oil in
the Whittier Fuller stable at the time.
| They once did have a small quantity
stored there, he said, but removed it
some time ago.
Chief Engineer Guthrie and the other
firemen were complimented for their sue
cess in preventing general confiagra-
| ton. The promptnesS with which the
railroad tlre-train came to the rescue, and
the hard and effective work done by its
crew, also elicitedIgeneral commentator.
| Whenever fire occurs near a railway
track the tire-train renders valuable serv-
ice to the city without dollars expense.
On many occasions it has proved equal to
an additional tire-engine.
Had yesterdays fire once got beyond
| its eastern limit it would probably be
| burning yet, owing to the strong wind.