The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-06-28
FURIOUS FLAMES AT FRISCO.
THE LOSS si.5OO.OOO WITH INsUR-
ANCE OF sSOO,OOO.


Many Rumors AaOat Of Loss of Life,
hut All of Them Unconhrmed Mt
Last ACCOMPLISHMENT Mills, Fac
tories. FOundries, Hotels and Fifty
Dwellings fn the Path of the
FInmes-POwder ExDIodes I'm n
store During the Progress of the
Fire.
San Francisco. June 27.-The worst fro
this city has had in over thirty years
started soon after o'clock tonight in
the rear Of the San Francisco box factory.
located at Fifth and Harrison streets.
Before the department reached the
ground the flames were sweeping through
a number OF frame buildings on Fourth
street. which backed into the box factory
and leaped across the street TO the South
ern Pacific hay barns. The second alar1n
was turned in. only to be followed by a
third and fourth in rapid succession.
Chief Sullivan was one OF the first 10
reach the scene, and realized the danger
at glance Before one-half OF the de-
partment had connected their lines IL
was seen that the fire was entirely beyond
control Word was telegraphed across the
bay to Oakland and Alemeda for aid. The
sister cities quickly responded with two
engines each. They were located along
the water front, and used as pumps to
supply the water from the bay. The
Southern Pacific pumps had lines OF hose
connected and did good work in bringing
salt water to supply the fast weakening
fresh water mains.
A strong wind was blowing from the
west and famed the flames across the
broad streets, sweeping everything IN It's
path. Shortly after the second alarm was
turned In heavy explosion shook the city,
ana II Is said that four kegs OF powder,
stored IN one OF the big warehouses Of
the Southern Pacific blew up.
Heavy embers were hurled through the
air for blocks. These landed on the light
frame buildings further east, and in a
short time the ilremen were practically
hemmed in. For a time It looked az
though the fire would be gotten under con-
troll. The wind gradually decreased, but
the now roaring acres Of inhammable ma
terial continued to carry embers three and
four feet long through the air. Shortly
after o'clock the wind suddenly changed
to the east and drove the flames back over
the burning district
The following are some Of the build
ings destroyed: Heuler, furniture fac.
tory; George w. Phelan's wagon and truck
factory, Capitol box factory, fremont ho-
tel, l. H. Small iron foundry, Vander-
berg & Lewis, stair builders; Commer-
cial feed mill, Independent feed mill Ir-
win Neuh's hardware store, August Stein-
metz, Beck a Hillman. furniture factory;
Custom feed mill and Garrick, Williams &.
Wrights box factory.
At 9A5 o'clock the fire was gotten un-
der control The high brick wall of the
deserted Southern Pacific Offices at Fourth
and Townsend streets acted as a barrier
over which the flames could not wosA
The water from the bay. from the oak
land engines and the Southern Paciic
pumps soon has the outer edge Of the
flames subdued.
During the progress Of the fire all sorts
OF rumors were current IL was reported
that when the powder exploded several
persons had been killed. but this is hardly
true
About o'clock It was reported that
several tramps who had been seen 10 en-
ter one OF the big lumber yards early in
the evening had been cremated when .ho
fire swept through the piles OF lumber.
Several hremen were injured, by falling
timbers but none are reported killed.
Three tiremen were overcome by the heat
and taken 10 hospitals
In addition to the destruction Of mills,
factories, foundries and hotels, over fifty
dwellings were destroyed. Three hundred
families are homeless, though some OF
them managed to save a portion of their
goods.
Thus far no authentic account OF loss
OF life has been given out. Rumors are
plenty, but II is impossible to penetrate
the burned district to ASCERTAIN whether
any bodies are in the ruins.
One fireman was slightly injured by the
fall of a floor and at first 1t was reported
he had been killed. but he was gotten out
with no greater injury than a bruised
shoulder and sprained back.
one OF the buildings to go down before
the flames was st. Rose church, a new
structure on which thousands OF dollars
have been expended. 1t had not been quite
finished
A conservative estimate OF the loss is
N,500,000. There is about $780, 600 insurance.
SIX FIREMEN KILLED.