The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1895-07-05
BIG FIRE IN FRISCO.
SEVERAL BLOCKS OF BUILDINGS
ARE DHSTROYED.
After Property Valued at Two MIL.
len Dollars 10 Destroyed o Change
In the wind Prevents the Destrac.
ti0A Of q Large Portion Of the City

sore y OctOck lubt evening d ure DIOke
out In the rear of the San Francisc0
box factory located on the corner of
E,fth and Bryant streets. The factory
was a two story frame building, filed
with inhammable material. The fire
spread rapidly. and it soon became ap-.
parent that serious conflagratlon
was threatened. The first alarm was
turned in from Box No. SO. and it was
Immediately responded to by the de.
partlnert. A second alarm was sent
In upon the fire spreading rapidly to
the Liberty Sofa works adjoining on
the other side of tue lock. Within IL
few minutes the entire east end Of the
block bounded by Bannon and Bryant
streets was mass Of flames. A very
strong southerly wind was blowing,
Gnd 1t was deemed est to turn in a.
second alarm. The flames soon ex-
tended all over the lock, destroying In
n few minutes the yards of the Spring
Valley Water works and the furniture
factory of II. Eueller. The bOx> fac
tory Of Korbell Bros. ut No. 723 Bry-
ant street, also the stable of II. WASH
burn ut No. G57 Bryant street, and the
carriage factory Of g. w. Phelan and
the soda factory of j. Horstmann
were all destroyed in short order.
The high wind which famed the fire
and swept 1t on in mad career drove
the fireman back by degrees, and the
situation ecame critical.
Long Tongues OF Flames
shot out from the flaming mass clear
across the street, and from time to
time the hose had to turned on the
buildings which threatened to involve
II still lnrger territory in the cOnfiasrl-
ton. The tiremen were reinforced by
the full department by this time, and
fought lnanfully to contlne the hre
within the block where it started.
by G:4j the whole of the block
bounded by Fourth, Fifth, Bannon,
and Bryant streets was destroyed,
with the exception of the machine
shops on the corner of Fourth and
Bryant. At that hour the fire was
spreading rapidly toward Bluxom
street, sweeping on its way the lunl-
Der yard of Van Wart, OH the corner
Of Fourth and BannOn, the Mehan
Lumer company, on Brannon street,
and various small machine shops and
tenements.
The intense heat made 1t difficult to
utilize to its full capacity the water
supply, which was anything but suftt-
cicnt. owing to the unusual nulner of
lytlrnnts called into play all over the
district. The water tower rendered
most efficient service. furnishing a jet
Of water which could he rendered SER
IL, NHv1Nn IN nt ctr f1,nk
were thrown upon the flames We're
turned into steam before they had
barely left the nozzles. Tho Wright.
Carrick & Williams OK factory ia en-
tirely destroyed. Main Il Winclles-
ter's harness factory on Fifth and
Bryant streets is n complete loss.
The Wind Changes.
At 9:3O p. M. the fire department Of
flcials pronounced the fire practically
under control. The wind shifted to
the southewest, driving the flames
back over the burned area. The lim-
it's Of the fire We're confined to the
houses Immediately about the burned
district. The flames were within 100
yards Of tl,c railroad yards and their
offices. Over 100 families have lost
their homes and all they possessed.
The burned district includes factories,
stores, wineries aud dwellings.
One death is reported. A Miss GIL
roy, while attempting to save some Of
her belongings. was covered with the
burning oil and burned to death. A
number Of people received injuries
from falling walls and flying timbers.
The change in the wind and the big
brick wineries and the railroad offices
are what saved the day for the fire.
mcu. The flames were checked by
the structures, and the tiremen had
chance to do some work. Sow that
the fire has gone ack over the burned
district, tho tlremen are paying no at
tention to 1t, but are watching the big,
buildings that seem to be in danger
The loss will probably he $2,OOO,UN. a
hundred families are homeless.