The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-29
EXTEND THE FIRE LIMITS
Marshal Towe's Severe Criticism
on the Municipality.

Marshal Towe's Severe Criticism
on the Municipality.
Fire Marshal Towe was very busy all
day yesterday gathering evidence as to tn e
cause of the fire. At least half dozen
flames were first seen in the rear of the
San Francisco Box Factory, 515-519 Fifth
street.
Thamas Lapsley, who is employed in the
shoddy-mill, was the first man questioned
and he was positive as to the location OF
the start
John Gallagher, who was in the shoddy-
mill and who resides on freedom street,
first saw the fire all of twelve minutes be-
fore the alarm was turned in. He saw the
flames in the rear of the box factory among
lot OF shavings near lumber pile. The
factory used shavings for fuel.
George w. Phelan, who was in the rear
of his paint shop at 657 and $50 Bryant
street, saw the fire and told Officers O'Con-
nell and Joe Mcguire. Phelan saw the fire
at 5 :45 P. NJ. at the rear of the engine-room
OF the box factory in pile of lumber and
near shed where oil was stored. The
fire caught in pile of lumber, then spread
to the shed where the oil was. The box
factory closed at $50 P. NJ.
l.. r. Smith of 1903 Mason street also
saw the fire. He says that it caught from
spark from a smokestack in the open
space in the rear OF the box factory among
pile of dry lumber.
The official time of the first box pulled
was 5:47 P. NJ.
1t was all of ten minutes after the dis
covery of the fire that the shoddy-mill
caught.
The foregoing is the result of Marshal
Towe's investigation. Mr.. Towe is of the
opinion that the City was in big luck that
the ravages by the fire did not extend fur
Their, and he praises the efforts of Chief
Sullivan and the Fire Department highly.
eff we only had had brick wall to make a
barrier against the fames," said he, yes
terday, 1.-THE fire would have been checked
long before it was. But the department
had everything against it. There was a
lack OF water and lack of hydrants.
What is the lesson of the fire? Why-but
what is the use of talking on that head
The lesson will be remem bered a week and
then forgotten, until some day the whole
City will be wrapped in one big conhagra-
ton. Then perhaps the fire limits will be
extended.
What we need is bigger mains, more
hydrants and an extension of the fire
limits. Let the City tear up the mains in
that portion of the City and put in larger
ones, and instead of having all wooden
buildings give us brick wall here and
there for good fighting ground. The fire
limits should extend to all the business
and manufacturing portions of the City.
Chicago includes the whole city in the fire
limits. Now, here it is coming on to the
Fourth of July. / can tell you where
every fire will start. 1t will be on the roof
OF some wooden building every time, and
the most of the work will be done by the
trucks and chemical engines.
The mains in the fire-eaten portion of
the City should be from eight to twelve
inches in diameter. It is a scientific fact
that four-inch main corrodes at the rate
OF l-32 OF an inch each year, and where will
pipe like that be in twenty years?
"a 22-inch main runs along Howard
diagonally across to Sansome street. Three
years ago the Chief asked the Supervisors
to tap that main and run it down Market
street. 1t has never been done, and there
is only l2-iach main on the north side of
the great thoroughfare to protect all the
business houses in that district. How
many MIGRANTS are necessary for the pro-
lection OF the district of which portion
was burned last night / cannot say, but
there should be one on every corner and
one in the middle of each block. The
Chief should be allowed to have from 1000
to 25OO more hydrants throughout the City.
III course as soon as such proposition
IS voiced howl will go up from the dollar
limit sllurians, and while the howl is going
on the City may be destroyed by fire. l
believe, to obviate all such opposition, in
bonding the City for $4,000, 900. The City
claims that it is not in debt like other
great cities of the world. Well, what has
it got to show for it? Nothing. The i'm
provements to be made are not for the
present generation. They are for pos
terity, and let posterity pay for Them"