The San Francisco call., 1896-02-22
Frightened Chinese Jump From
the Second-Story Windows
of the Building.
A LAMP WAS OVERTURNED.
Firemen Have a Desperate Battle
With the Flames Before They
Are Extinguished.

The carelessness of the Chinese en-
ployes in the cigar-box factory OF Quong
Yong at 213 Commercial street started a
fire at 10 o'clock last evening that de-
stroyed $50, 900 worth of property.
The usual festivities incident to the
Chinese New Year celebration were going
on when a lamp was overturned. 1t ex-
ploded and the burning oil was spread
over the floor and bedding OF a bunk. The
frightened Celestials made no effort to eX-
tinguish the flames, but with shouts of
terror seized their scanty belongings and
fed to the street. leaving the fire to eat its
way into the adjoining buildings.
A passer-by, II. Daimler, saw the Chinese
jumping from the second-story windows
and dashing into the street from the en-
frances. He hurried to the house of En-
glne Company u at Commercial and Davis
streets, where still alarm was turned in.
By the time the company reached the
scene the fire was making rapid headway,
ana recognizing the futility of fighting it
alone, the foreman of the company turned
in an alarm from box 10. By the time the
engines arrived the fire had extended to
the tent and bag factory of George H.
Wright & Company at oil Commercial
street and the buildings in the rear and
in the center of the block bounded by
Davis, Front, Commercial and Sacramento
streets were mass of flames over which
the smoke hovereG in dense volumes.
The walls of the cooperage establish
ment of Andrew Carl, at 219 Commercial,
resisted the fire, but the buildings toward
Sacramento street were of a more inflam-
mable nature aud were soon q raging fur
mace of flames.
The salt establishment of F. ]. Conn &
Co., who are also agents OF the Mission
Chemical Works, were first attacked, and
the wholesale hardware store of Levinson
& Co., Nos. zoo to 30 followed.
The Dakin & Libby Soap Company,
which occupied offices above 212 Sacra-
mento street, went up in flames, as did q
trunk and barrel factory back of the Chi
nese box-factory, where the fire started.
The Eclipse cracker-factory at 214 Sacra
mento street was flooded by water and the
stock ruined. Owing to the nature of the
buildings, which had been put together in
small structures, the fremen had great
difficulty in getting streams on the fire,
which was only subdued at one point to
break out anew at some place where it was
supposed to be under control.
Most of the buildings were of wood and
burned like tinder, and the contents were
no less susceptible to the march of the
fire. The contents of the Wright estab-
lishmeDt, which was the second to be at
tackled by the fire, made particularly stub
born material, and though heavy streams
of water were persistently played on the
smoldering bags and canvas they broke
out anew the moment the water was
turned on the woodwork.
The efforts of the firemen were some
what hampered by the frightened Chinese
who, after dumping their blankets and
boxes on the street, refused to bulge unit
moved by the police.
After half an hour of persistent fighting
the fire began to show signs of weakening
and the flames went down, though the
dense volumes of smoke from burning
cloth and iute continued to obscure the
scene.
Finally hose was hoisted to the roofs O
buildings to the east and west of the burn
ing structures, which were all two-story
affairs of flimsy character, and the fire
confined to the houses that had already
been gutted.
1t was not until As P. NJ. that the fir,
was thoroughly under control.
The buildings destroyed were rickety af
fairs, and had long since been condem nee
by the fire authorities. The loss on them
is trihing.