Birmingham age-herald., 1895-06-28
SAN FRANC|SCO'S B|G BLAZE
The Loss Will Reach One and a Half Millions.
GOOD WORK OF THE LADDIES
Fireman Caught Under the Walls at Mime apoIis Blaze and Nine of Them Known
 To Be Dead.

San Francisco, June 27.--The worst fire San Francisco has had in over thirty years started shortly after o'clock to- night in the rear of the san Francisco box factory located at Fifth and Harri- son streets. Before the department reached the grounds the flames were sweeping through a number of frame buildings on Fourth street. which backed into the factory and leaped across the street to the Southern Pacific hay barns. The second alarm was turned in, only to be followed by a third and fourth in rapid succession. Chief Sullivan was one of the first to reach the scene and ealized the danger at a glance. Before one half of the department had connected their lines it was seen the fire was en- tirely beyond control. Word was tele- graphed across the bay to Oakland and Alameda for assistance. 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 Pa eific pumps had lines of hose connected and did good work in bringing salt wa ter to supply the fast weakening fresh water mains. A strong wind was blow ing from the west and famed the flames across the broad streets sweeping every thing in it's path. Shortly after the sec ond alarm was turned in heavy explo- sion shook the city and it is said four kegs of powder stored in one of the ware houses of the Southern Pacific blew up.
 Heavy timbers were hurled through the air for blocks. These landed on the light frame buildings further east and in short time the firemen were practi- cally hemmed in. For a time it looked as though the fire would be gotten un- yi iaH down, but the suction of the now roar ing acres of infiammable material con tinued to carry embers and feet long through the air. Shortly after ' o'clock the wind suddenly changed to the east and drove the flames back over the burn ing districts.
 The following are some of the build ings destroyed: Heuler Furniture man. ufactory; George w. Phelan, wagon and truck manufactory; Capitol Ice Box fac tory; Fremont hotel; l. H. Small Iron foundry; Vanderberg & Lewis stair builders: Commercial Feed mill; Inde- pendent Feed mill; Irwin F. Neilhauf, hardware store; August Steinmetz; Becker & Hilman Furniture factory; Custom Feed mills Garrick, Williams & sWripht's box factory
 Ati9:45 D. m. the fire was gotten under control. The high brick wall of the Southern Pacific offices, at Fourth and Townsend streets, acted as a barrier over which the flames could not work.
 The water from the bay from the Oakland engines and the Southern Pa cific pumps soon had the outer edge of the flames subdued. During the progress Of the fire all sorts of rumors were cur rent. It was reported that when the powder exploded several persons had been killed, but this is hardly true
 About o'clock it was reported thae several tramps, who had been seen to enter one of the big lumber yards early in the evening, had been crema.el whef, the fire swept thu ougn the piles of lum- ber. Several flremep were injured by falling timbers, but none are reported killed. Three firemea were overcome by the heat and taken to tha hospital
 In addition to the distraction of mills factories, founderies and hotels, over fifty dwellings were destroyed. Three hundred families are homeless though some of them managed to save portion of their goods. Thus far no authentic account of loss of life has been given out. Rumors are plenty, but it is im- possible to penetrate the burned dis trict to ascertain whether any bodies are in the ruins or not. One fireman was slightly injured by the fall of a floor and at first it 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, upon which thousands of dollars have been expended It had not been quite finished
 A conservative estimate of the loss is $l,5CO,000. There is about $500, ,000 insur- ance.