The record-union., 1896-09-15
FIRE ATTENDED With DEATH
Destruction Of the Capital Furniture
Company'S Plant Complete.
The Charred Remains of Jacob HentZ.
man, an Employe Of the Firm,
Found in the Ruins.

A pile of blackened and smouldering
ruins is now all that is left of one of
Sacramento's largest manufacturing
establishments.
AT 5 O'Clock a. m. yesterday the Cap
ital Furniture Company's factory and
warehouse was burned to the ground.
IN two hours $50, 900 worth of property
went up in smoke. This same mass of
ruins is also the funeral pyre OF Jacob
HentZman an old and trusted employe
Of the company. Hentzman was 90
years old and afflicted with rheuma-
tism- He was cabinet-maker and
worked at bench on the second floor
in the southeast corner Of the building.
sorely afflicted with rheumatism, and
it has been his habit to spread his
blankets at night on bed of shavings
near his bench. Sunday night he re-
tired as usual, and during the excite
ment Of the fire nothing was thought
of the old man. Yesterday morning
Hentzman was not to be found and
later in the day the firemen discov
cred his charred body under a pile Of
debris.
lie dldIIu Ol uIe WAS sent III lTO1l
Third and streets by officer May.
1t was fully quarter of an hour after
the fire was discovered before an alarm
was sent in. The flames ragged with
such terrific violence that those who
first noticed it appeared to be dazed
and did not call to mind the fact that
there was an alarm box a block away,
at Seventh and G streets
The fates appeared to be against the
doomed building, for on the way to the
fire Engine No. l broke an axle at
Fourth and / streets and was aban-
6oned. When the other engines took
up positions and were ready for effect
i've work it was found that there was
no water. The faithful engines puffed
and spluttered, but with all their effort
the stream of water would not reach
to the top of the telephone poles For
some minutes the firemen We're prac-
tically helpless.
The fire originated in the south end
of the lumbershed, near the alley, but it
quickly communicated with the ware
house, where 25O dozen chairs and a
large amount of the furniture was
stored. strong southwest wind was
blowing and the fire swept down the al
leyways through the furniture and sea-
sCned lumber with incredible speed.
Before the firemen got down to work
the fiery demon was beSieging the doors
and windows of the large three story
brick factory on the corner of Sixth and
II streets. In less time than 1t takes
to write it the fire had consumed the
doors and seized upon the inf1ammable
contents. The stacks of furniture
burned like piles Of kindling wood, and
in fifteen minutes from the time the fire
touched the building the roof and up
per floor came down with crash.
Chief Guthrie saw that to try to save
the building was useless, and he soon
directed the whole efforts Of the depart
ment to saving the adjoining buildings.
1t was only by heroic efforts that the
firemen prevented the flames from COM
municating with the neighboring build
ings, and this was done at the peril of
their lives Chief Guthrie kept a sharp
lookout, and several times he called his
men away just in time to avoid their
being crushed by the high and heavy
walls, which came down from time to
time with a tremendous crash.
The average Sacramentan is pretty
well posted on Tive wires" and when
sCme one sung out, Lookout for the
WireS," and down came a telephone
pole with it's net of electric conductors,
there was a general stampede. Several
persons were thrown down, but fortu-
nately no one was hurt or scared to
death by the dreaded live wire"
There was report on the ground that
the electric company, whose sub-station
is on the opposite corner from the furni-
ture factory, had notified the residents
within a radius of a block from their
building to get away in case their struc-
ture should catch fire, as in the event
of it's burning threre was material in
the basement which would create ter
rife explosion. Though it was after
| wards learned that this was only wild
rumor the sightseers steered clear Of
| that particular corner, and the firemen
| had the street at this point all to them
selves.
| How the fire originated is a mystery.
Where it started no fire is ever used. A
man living in an adjoining building is
| firmly of the opinion that it was the
| work of an incendiary. He declared
| that about 2 o'clock he heard some one
| scrambling over the high fence separat-
| ing the lumber-shed from his lot A
| few moments before the fire was dis
covered he heard a similar noise and
believes the firebug was then leaving
| the premises.
| The factory building, which Is the
personal property Of f. Mier, was val
ued at $4,000, and the furniture COM
pany's fixtures, stock and lumber at
from SOS, 900 to $4,000, all of which is
total loss. There was $1,000 insurance
on the stock and 81 900 on the building.
| The dwelling just to the east of the
| factory building belonging to F. Kripp
was damaged considerably by fire, and
the furniture and contents of the build
ing seriously injured by water. He es-
| Inmates his loss at 81 800, all fully COW
/ cred by insurance.
| When asked by a Record Union" re-
| porter whether the factory would be re-
built, the directors of the Capital Com
pany stated that it would not And
thus the ruins Of another factory will be
| like those of the wooden mills a monu.
ment of past industry in the Capital
| City