The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-02-28

able length of time rushed up the outlet
and burst into fame almost as suddenly as
gas jet lights when match is applied.
The evidence of this witness, taken in
connection with all the probabilities of the
case. seems conclusive. The engine and
boiler by which the elevator was operated
were in the basement, and near them were
kept quantity of paints. oils and other
highly inflammable materials.
The elevators were about twenty feet
from the Geary-street entrance. and the
fire must have burned some time before
the gentleman who jumped off Market
street car" and is credited with having
given the first alarm, could have seen the
light. AS matter of fact the fire patrol
had turned out on a still alarm before the
Individual referred TO cried ''fire," and it
is also true that when the waiohman sent
in an alarm from an auxiliary box in the
building a policeman had rung in No. 4S.
Marshal Towe said yesterday that he had
all along been apprenensive of an outbreak
| of fire in the bazaar. and had on several
occasions said to Mr.. Andrew Davis that
| if fire once started in the store nothing
could stop it. The head of the firm replied
that it was impossible for a fire o occur
exercised and the constant watch that was
kept. 81 know" continued the Marshal,
that Mr.. Davis took every possible pre-
caution against fire. The administrator of
the Blythe estate has been given the credit
OF constructing the walls that were re-
Gently built around the store as protec-
ton against fire, but the fact is that while
the walls cost $4,000 the Blythe estate
paid only $1,000 and Davis Brothers them
selves paid he other $4,000. Besides this
the walls would never have been built but
for the insistence OF the firm, which would
not be satisfied until they were put up.
The members of the firm we're ex-
tremely careful to keep the doors between
the store and the tall building Cd the west
on the Geary-street side closed. They had
the doors covered with tin. and It was the
duty OF one man to close them at night
and of the Waterman to visit them every
hour lest some one should pass through and
leave them open. If those doors had been
open last night nothing would have saved
the tall building. As it was it narrowly es-
capped. The tin lining was not sufficient
through when Engineer Shaughnessy came
to me aud told me of it. Ireported the
fact to the Chief, and got Is engines
stream into the Radovich building. We
went first to the Sc ond floor, opened the
door and put the stream right through it.
upstairs and repeated the performance.
Then we worked at first one door and then
the other. and that is the way the tall
building was saved and the fire prevented
from going Though TO the City of Paris
building.
Davis Brothers have fine salvage in
the front part OF the Markei-street store.
The fire patrol put down twenty covers.
and when L inspected the goods this morn
Ing they were IS dry as If there had been
no water near them. l think the firm as
been saved $4,000 by the work of the
patrol. The insurance get no benefit of
this because the total loss is not covered,
Ii it bad been the reverse of this the sal
wage would have gone TO the companies"
Chief Engineer Sullivan is very well
satisfied with the work of the department.
There was plenty Of water, for the Spring
Valley Company has superabundance of
lt.bnI the Chief was considerably impeded
In his operation by a scarcity of hydrants,
lie says there were not nearly enough.
and cites as an evidence of this the fact
that 10 engine had 10 lead all the way
from Stockton and Geary streets. All the
engines had work to do, but some of the
lines OF hose were so long that 1t took two
engines to work them. s'ln that district
and others like it there ought to be by-
drant for every 100 feet OF street," said
the chief.
Large crowds gathered about the ruins
yesterday. The place where Santa Claus
held his levees for so many years has
great interest, especially for the younger
part OF the population, and the complete
humiliation OF his temple is matter of
deep regret to them.
The exact amount of insurance on the
stock OF the bazaar fouts I'D S142 600. d.
vided between twenty-three compauies.
The loss incurred is placed at $50. 900. the
SALVAGE of $4,000 having reduced it to
that figure from $500. 200. the value of the
stock.
Although the fire had been practically