The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-07-10
Chief SuIIiVan's Scathing Re-
port on the City's Lack
of Water.
THE LESSON OF THE FIRE.
More Hydrants and Pressure
Needed-Spring Valley to Blame
for Big Losses.

> I
7. Sullivan was received. 1t was one OF
the most sensational documents the COM
mittee has vet had offered for It's CONSIDER
alton, and it had the Endorsement Oh tne
Board of Fire Commissioners.
Chief Sullivan reviews the big hres III tne
City from Christmas year ago, naming
the loss IN each and laying the blame on
the Spring Valley Water Company. III
every instance, he maintains, the depart
ment was handicapped by the lack OF
water, the want Of pressure anG the deaTth
OF hydrants.
The chief dwells at length on the ire Oh
June d. which was so destructive to prop
ertv in the district south OF Market street,
and suggests the laying OF larger mains,
not only in that portion OF the Olty' puo
all through the town, from the fer1es TO
the Paramount district and from Preside
HEIGHTS to the Potrero, including South
San Francisco and Ocean View. The re-
mort Is scathing one on the lack OF ire
lighting facilities, and so sweeping was it
that the committee gasped for breath ana
deferred its consideration Tor week.
SuIIivan's report began with the fire in
Francis Valentine 81 Co.'S printing Office
ON December %. 1893. The fire broke out
nj II O'Clock in the morning, and three
alarms were turned in. The lack of water
was noticeable, says the report, when the
extra companies responded to the second
and third alarms. The loss amounted to
So. 600. most OF which was due to lack of
water.
On November a second alarm was
turned in from box IS. The fire was in
cocoanut-liber factory at Sc Bluxome
street, between Fourth and Fifth. The
supply of water on Brannan and BluXome
streets was very poor. The hydrant near
St. Roses Church only yielded 70 pounds
pressure. Ten fire engines were used and
the loss was so, 600.
On November 4. 1894, three alarms were
turned in from box 296, and Goldberg,
Bowen & Lebenbaum's store was totally
destroyed, including the San Francisco
Press Club. The fire occurred on Sunday,
and therefore the pressure should have
been stronger. That it was not, however,
was evidenced by the weak streams thrown
by the engines. The loss at this fire was
SIS, 600.
On February %, 1894, three alarms were
turned in from box As, and the Golden
Rule Bazaar on Market street, west of
Kearny, was completely Quilted. 1t was
found that there was water enough for SIX
engines, but when the second and third
alarms were turned in, the extra engines
took all the water from those which were
first on the ground. The loss by this fire
was 1852, COO. On the second alarm the
water pressure was only ninety pounds,
and by the time the third alarm had been
responded to, the pressure had fallen to
sixty pounds. The Chiefs report reverts
to the losses occassioned by other fires
where more than one alarm has been
turned in, and then it gets down to the
last disastrous blaze in which 1000 and
81, 600 worth Of property was lost. In
regard to this the report says:
THIS fire started in the rear of anil or box
factory on Fifth street, between Bryant and
Brannan, in particularly inf amable district
and known to have g poor water supply Tor
fire beyond the ordinary. 1t proved TO be one
OF the largest fires that the department has
ticeable from the start. and the department
was greatly handicapped Tor that reason En-
gines and 10 responded to the first alarm and
both companies went into the water COM
pany's yard on Bryant street, where it is
claimed that there are two yard hydrents. The
fire showed speed at that time and was adysnc-
ing rapidly. Both engines are new and have
been in use seven months ana are OF the nrst
size very powerful and equipped with three
inch hose capable OF standing $50 pounds
pressure. No. 4 engine got 80 pounds press
ure for ten minutes or so and 1t then dropped
to thirty pounds aud did not vary much from
that during the fire No. 10 engine never got
any more than that pressure ct any time while
connected 10 the hydTant in the yard.
1t has been cOnclusiyely demons trated that
at all fires any magnitude in any part of the
City the water supply and hydrants have been
There is not a small street in the City with
one exceptionl with a hydrant in the middle
OF the block, where il would be safe to put an
engine at large fire.
Take any part OF the City where II would be
possible 10 mass twenty engines in radius OF
four blocks and ii would simply amount to
half of them taxing the water from the other
hall. third alarm, using about sixteen en-
gines, hiss demonstrated that fact time and
again
In conclusion, Chief Sullivan has sub
mitted a list of districts wherein there is
an inadequate supply of water, and there
fore dangerous in case of fire. In the dis
trict south of Market street large fires are
of most frequent occurrence; east of First
street are planning mills and foundries; fur
Their west are large four to six story build
ings, many Of them built partly or wholly
of wood; on, Rincon Hill are many resi-
dences now practically unprotected from
fire; on King street, near Third, are oil
works and gas works, the former already
three times burned; on Townsend street
are warehouses, and on Brannan, Bluxome
and Berry streets, between Fourth and
Sixth, are large mills; at Fifth and Bry-
ant are mills also, besides large wood en-
stables once already completely destroyed;
on Folsom street, between Eleventh and
Twelfth is the Turn Verein Hall, large
frame building in the very heart of the
block. AT every large fire in this district
a scarcity of water has been expert
enced, proving the entire ineficiency
for fire purposes of the large
number of and inch mains
in the principal streets. In order to rem
edy this system of 8 and Il inch mains
should be adopted, with 16-inch feed
mains in Ninth and Brannan streets in
addition to those already laid in Howard
and Seventh streets. For the purpose OF
carrying out this plan a 16-inch main
should be laid from a connection with the
37-inch main at Ninth and Harrison streets,
along Ninth street to Brannan and along
Brannan to First.
Twelve-inch mains should be laid as fol-
lows Mission street, from Beale to East;
Folsom, from Steuart to Twelfth; Bryant,
from First to Eleventh; Berry, from Third
to Seventh; Fourth, from Market to Chan
mel; Seventh from Howard to Market;
Howard, from Second to East; Harrison,
from Third to Spear; King, from Second
to Third; Third, from Brannan to Berry;
Sixth, from Market to Channel.
Eight-inch mains should be laid as fol-
lows: East, Mission to Howard; Spear,
Market to Mission; Beale, Market to Bry
ant; Steuart, Mission to Folsom; Main,
Market to Bryant; Fremont, Market to
Harrison; Second, Brannan to King; Rim
con place, Harrison to Bryant; Stanford,
Brannan to Townsend; Eighth, Market to
Mission. Fleveu4b Market IN Howard