The record-union., 1895-06-28
Death.

SAN FRANCISCO, June 27.-The blocks
of buildings bounded by Fifth. Third
BraEnan and Bryant streets were swept
away by flames this evening. which, not
satisfied. leaped across Fourth street and
eat ravenously into the block eastward
toward the water and the Mail docks.
A lack of water and the presence of q
gale of wind gave every reason to those
who witnessed the almost insistent sweep
of the fire, that a tremendous path OF
ruins would extend through the half
mile of frame structures that extended
from the point of the initial blaze to the
water front and its shipping. The veer-
ing wind, however which turned the big
blaze back over the ruin it had already
wrought, and where the completeness OF
it's work had left nothing for it to Iced
upon. saved the south of Market street.
As it was there was enough. All the
horror and panic and pathos of those
great fires, such as come rarely into the
SSNAA
in San Francisco these ten years-horror
and panic and pathos, with a back
ground of lurid magnifcence such as
lifts the spirit of mere spectator and
makes him Indifferent for the time be-
ing to all its cost.
Before the swift speed of the fire, with
its heat, its hungry, eager aDd awful roar,
its arms flung into the sky, fled Shrek
ing women, bearing their children in
their arms, and men, and other children
with them, carrying what of their be-
longings they could; horses struggling
and panic-stricken behind other wagon
loads of hastily piled-up furniture; po-
licemen battling with an unnumbered
mob of people pressing at the fire lines at
eyerv approach to the fire around the
threatened area; while tiremen, with i'm
potent hose nezzles that threw no water,
rushed here and there in desperation,
and men with ladders did what they
could to break the progress of the fire.
For two blocks in the direction the fire
was speeding before the wind the resi-
dents carried their goods into the streets
and stood guard over them, waiting the
sign of imminent danger before moving
further, while the hundreds Of people
whose houses were destroyed made their
escape into neighboring streets, out
OF the path of the flames, and there bly-
ouacked until late into the night. Some
of them were heartbroken over their
losses and added their walls to the gen.
eral confusion.
DETAILS OF THE CONFLAGRATIoN.
SAN FRANCISCO. June N.-The worst
fire San Francisco has had in over thirty
years started shortly before O'Clock to-
night in the rear of the san Francisco
Box Factory, located at Fifth and Harrl'
son streets. Before the department
reached the ground the flames had swept
through number of frame buildings Oh
Fourth street, which backed into the box
factory and ieaped across the street to the
Southern Pacific hay barns. The SECOND
alarm was turned in. only to be followed
by the third and fourth in rapid success
sion.
Chief Sullivan was one of the first to
reach the scene, and realized the danger
at glance. Before half the department
had connected their hose lines, the fire
was beyond control. Word was tele-
phoned across the bay to Oakland and
Alameda for assistance. They quickly
responded with two engines each. They
were located along the water front, and
used as pumps 10 supply water from the
bay. Southern Pacitic pumps did good
service in bringing salt water to supply
the fast weakenin. mains.
A wind was blowing from the west
and famed the flames across the broad
streets.
shortly after the second alarm was
turned in a heavy explosion shook the
city, At this writing the statement can
only be made on rulnor, but Il is that
four kegs of powder stored III one OF the
big warehouses of the railroad had blown
up. Burning embers were hurled
through The air for blocks. ana the ire
men were literally henned m 1t Iookeo
rs though the tire would be gotten
under control, but grad uaIly as the WIND