The San Francisco call., 1896-05-03
There Is Considerable Mystery
Surrounding the Origin of
=. the Fire.
MANY RESIDENCES DESTROYED
Nearly a. Score of Poor People Are
Left Home ess-Fireman and
Policeman Injured.

The most disastrous fire seen in San
Francisco since the Brannan-street con-
fagration nearly a year ago occurred yes
terday morning when the reduction works
of w. P. Fuller & Co. on Fremont and
Beale streets, between Howard and Fol-
som, were totally destroyed. In addition
to this the machine shop of Murray Bros.
and some half dozen residences in the
kame block were also burned.
:. The buildings named were completely
gutted, the loss being variously estimated
. at from Sf30, 600 to 100000.
The cause and origin of the fire is at
Pfesept unknown At $40 O'Clock an
early pedestrian passing along Folsom
detected an intense glare. When he
reached Beale street the flames were to be
seen issuing from the shop of Murray
=. Bros. 252 Beale street. Back of this estab-
. lishment lay the reduction works and
there the flames were burning briskly. An
alarm was turned in from box 81 at 3.52
@. "A. NJ. and five minutes later a second cali
wAs sounded. At Alb Chief Sullivan or
dered general alarm, fifteen engines re-
spending to the call.
=. To. conquer the fiames, in view of the
start and the .combustible material on
Which they FED. was a physical PIN
energies. toward keeping the fire within
the block bounded by Folsom, Howard,
Beale and Fremont streets. 1t was hard,
. long drawn out battle, but the firemen
finally won.
:. The reduction works of W. P. Fuller &
Co.. extended flom Beale to Fremont
streets. 1t was q large, three-storv frame
structure with about 100 feet frontage and
filled from garret to cellar with COM mbusti-
bic materials, oils forming large part of
the. stock OH hand. An effort was made to
: prevent the fire from extending to the
, watts, but the result showed it was so much
time wasted. In less than fifteen minutes
the. entire building was seething mass
of flames, the various arms of which shot
skyward some fifty feet or more.
. Adjoining tho reduction works to the
north was the big four-story brick build
ing used by Fuller e. Co., as a paint and
. oil factory. This also extends through to
Fremont street. After a time the heat
grew so intense that the big iron shutters
on the South side became warped, and in
two or three instances actually melted.
In few. moments the second story caught
fire near the center, and with astonishing
rapidity soon Quilted the building for
distance of125 feet to gard Fremont street.
Every. effort was made to save the con-
tents, but the heat was SO intense as to
prevent the firemen from approaching
near enough to do any actual good. Their
efforts therefore were directed toward the
front of the building, which ESCAPED any
serious damage. Much of the costly
machinery however, was confined in the
Fremont end of the building, and it went
tumbling to the basement mass of ruins.
On Folsom street, between Beale and
Fremont, were nun Der of one and two
story frame dwellings. abutting in many
instances the reduction works When the
fire was first discovered, the occupants
were. asleep,- but when they were finally
aroused, not many stood on the order of
their going. Gathering such wearing ap-
parel as was within easy reach, the occu-
pants fed hastily to the street, satisfied to
escape with their lives. In many instances
men, women and children reached the
street in scanty shivering attire. A few
hazardous spirits succeeded in rescuing