The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1895-07-02
AWFUL FIRE IN ,rRlsco.
Acres of buildings and Lumber Yards
DestrOyed In q Few HOnrs.

Acres of buildings and Lumber Yards
Destroyed In n Few Hours.
SAN FRANCISCO, CAL, June 27.--The
worst fire San Francisco has had in
thirty years started before 6 O'clock
tonight In the San Francisco ok Fac
tory, located at Fifth and Harrison
streets. Before the department reach
ed the ground the flames were sweep
ing through q number of frame build
ings on Fourth street which backed
the box factory and leaped across the
street to the Southern Pacific hay
barns.
The second alarm was turned In only
to be followed by q third and fourth in
rapid succession. Chief Sullivan was
one of the first to reach the scene and
realized the danger at "a glancc. Before
one half OF the department. mad out
their lines 1T was u that the fire
vas entirely beyond control. Word
was telegraphed across the bay to
Oakland and Almeda for assiatunce.
The sister cities quickly responded
with two engines each. They were
located along the water front and used
us pumps to supply the water from the
bay.
The Southern Pacific pumps had
lines Of hose connected ant dIu good
work in bringing salt water to supply
the fast weakening fresh water mains.
A strong wind was blowing from the
west and famed tho flames across the
broad streets stepping rigbtin its path.
Shortly aftor the second alarm va
turned in II heavy explosions shook the
city and it was found that four kegs OF
powder stored in one of the big ware
houses of tho Southern PacIfc had
blown up. Heavy timbers were whirl-
ed through the air for blocks. These
landed on the light frame buildings
further east and in u short time the
fin emen were hemmed in. For u time
it looked as though the fire would be-
gotten under control. The wind died
down but h suction Of the now roar
ing acres of imfammablu material con.
tinued to carry embers three and fuul
feet long through the air. Shortly
after Z o'clock the wind suddenly
changed to the east and drove tn,
flames back over the burning district
AT 9.45 the fire was gotten under
control. The high brick wall OF tn,
deserted Southern Pacific Offices "a,
. 18th and Townsend streets acted as ;
barrier over which the flames coult
not work. The water from the bay O
the Oakland engines and the SoutherI
Pacific pumps soon had the outer cde,
of the ilames subdued.
During the progress of the fire al
: sorts OF rumors were current. 1t wa,
reported that when the powder explod
ed several persons had been killed
but this is hardly true. About
o'clock 1t was reported that severa
= tramps who had been seer to ente,
n of the big lumber yards early il
the evening had been cremated whei
the fire swept through the piles o
lumber. Several iremen were injured
by falling timbers but none are re
ported killed. Three fremen e
overcome by heat and taken to til,
{ hospital.
In addition to the destruction O
mills. factories, foundries and hotels
over fifty dwellings were destroyed
} Three hundred families are homeless.
b though some of them managed to save
! q portion of their goods.
Thus fa- no authentic account of tn,
loss OF life has been given cut. Rumor
are plentiful but it is impossible t,
/ penetrate the burnt district to ascer
tain whether any bodies are in tn,
ruins or not. One fireman was slightly
injured by the fall of u floor and it was
reported he had been killed, but he wa.
gotten out with NJ greater injur,
than q bruised shoulder and>a sprainec
back.
One Of the buildings to go down be
fore the flimes were was The Kos.
Church, Il new structure upon which
thousands of dollars have tn en- ry
pended. 1T Had not been quite finished
"A conservative estimate OF the luss
8 $1,000, Geo. There is about $500 OO(
Insurance..