The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-12-26
Francis, Valentine & Co. and
the Buswell Bindery Are
Gutted by Flames.
THE TERRIBLE FALL OF FIRE
MAN PETER M'CABE.
While Fighting the Fire He Topples
From High Cornice-Offers
to "The Call"

Printers row had its second Christmas
FIRE yesterday, and by a strange coinci-
dence the flames started in the same spot
in an alleyway between buildings. The
whole scene of three years ago when
Printers row was visited by fire on a
Christmas day was again enacted, the
same general alarm, the same light with
flaming paper and woodwork, only there
was sad accident yesterday, when Peter
McCabe, fireman, slipped from the top
cornice of a building on Commercial street
and fell to the sidewalk, thirty or forty
feet below-a probably fatal fall. The Fire
Department and the Underwriters Fire
Patrol did remarkably efficient work. with
the result that only the establishment OF
Francis, Valentine & Co. suffered to any
extent.
Shortly after the noon hour two bells
and then seven bells charming the City
gave warning of the fire. The alarm was
looked for by many OF the oId-time print
ers and pressmen, and as 81 was counted
more than one man exclaimed, There
she goes again ~ Then followed general
rush TO the scene of the fire, and in ten
minutes the streets around were thronged
with spectators
A second alarm re-enforced the firemen
already busy with the flames, which, with
the rapidity of a fash, assumed proper
tions that threatened to spread through
out the block. Great masses of black
smoke rolled up from behind the building
of Francis, Valentine & Co. at 516 Com
meroial street, and even in the bright
light OF day tongues OF fire could be seen
leaping upward and cutting through the
angry cloud.
At first sight it was hard to tell whence
the smoke and flames emanated-whether
from THE CALLS publishing and editorial
department building at 517-519 Clay street.
or from the printing houses in the same
block. The fremen, however, attacked
their common enemy from front and rear
and in very short time were victors.
The second alarm came so quickly after
the first one that nearly ali available ap-
paratus was put in operation at the same
time. Streams from several engines were
united into half dozen pipes, and these
com bined soon deiuged the burning
building and quenched the blazing masses
OF papers. machinery and WOO n parti-
tions, though not until the bookbinding
works of the Buswell Booking and Mail
ing Company and Francis, Vale tine &
Co.'s csta blishment were almost totally
destroyed.
The fire WAS first seen almost simultane-
ously by i've or six men. H Cohn and
q W. F. Ferguson, employees OF Francis,
Valentine e. Co., were al lunch in Smith s
restaurant, 517 Clay street, the rear win
doWs of which look into the light well
command a view of Francis, Valentine &
Co.'s pressrooms. Conn and Ferguson
saw smoke in the alley and mentioned l t
TO Smith, and then while they we're speak
ing there came a burst of fame through
the windows.
Ferguson ran out and gave the alarm.
He encountered Thomas B. Valentine. his
employer, who was frantically shouting
fire, and III the race were some compost
tors of THE CALL. They had all seen the
fire break out like an explosion.
Presently the engines and fire appara-
tus were upon the scene. and as the flames
were threatening relief was summoned.
started. On Commercial street TWO "siam-
es, d. streams were plying at either end
OF the printing house, doing excellent
work 1t was the water-tower. however.
that finished the angry fire. This machine
was hauled up Immediately in front of the
burning building and let loose with sew
eral streams united IN a perfect avalanche
through the top-story windows where the
fire was raging. Wherever the nozzle of
the tower poin ted there was darkness, for
1t raked the com bustibie material with
mighty force and drove the fire to the wall.
And su this was accomplished in half an
hour.
Meanwhile three double streams were car
ried through THE CAL LIS composing rooms
and turned into the rear of the blazing
structure, and kept persistently upon the
uprer floor and roof Such food falling
between the four fre-proof walls actually
washed everything downward and from
the beginning had control OF the fire In
every part of the large space affected.
An hour or two after the first burst of
flame startled all who saw it, the fire was
extinguished. All that remained was a
wreck of the newest and most complete
printing house in San Francisco, of
twisted and ruined machinery, charred
timbers and publications. But an odd
straggler remained to view the ruin, the
fire engines were gone and few gangs Of
men worked in and about the scene of
the fire.
THE CALL escaped with a few broken
panes OF window glass and some Christ
mas "pi." Charles A. Gage, day foreman
'of the com posing rooms. saw the smoke
and flames that surprised the men in the
restaurant downstairs. He made hasty
investigation and saw the Iight-well beIch-
ing forth fire and smoke from the press