The San Francisco call., 1897-06-08
FIRE RUNS
AMUCK IN
DRY T|NDER
Truckee Box Company's
Plant Licked Up by
Flames.
BIG LUMBER-YARDS IN
DANGER.
III. Tempered and Fitful Winds
Threaten a Big Con.
fagration.
THOUSANDS OF FRUIT.BOXES
DESTROYED.
A Loss of $50, 900 Is Amply Covered
by Insurance in Many
Companies.
THOUSANDS OF FRUIT-BOXES
DESTROYED.
A Loss of $50 900 Is Amply Covered
by Insurance in Many
Companies.

stubborn hre, famed bv an ill-
tempered and shifty wind, made an ASH
heap of the greater portion of the plant of
the Truckee Lumber and Box Company
and threatened the destruction of half a
mile of Iumber-mills and plants along
Channel street yesterday afternoon.
Three hours of hard work by the Fire De-
partment could not prevent loss aggre-
eating $50, 900. To offset this there is an
insurance of $26, 500.
The beginning was simple enough. It
vas IN the fuel-room, among the shavings
and sawdust in the rear of the establish
ment. that the flames got start. The
plant and yards of the company occupy
the western portion of the block bounded
by Fifth, Berry and Fourth streets, with
the waterways of Channel streetas south
ern boundary. 1t was to this waterway
that the fire first began to rush. An eddy
ing, g@sty breeze from the bay turned its
flare westward and north, to find ready
fuel in the planning mill and box factory,
which had frontage on Berry and Fifth
streets, These structures were fiji led with
dry lumber in all stages of manuf acture,
and six minutes alter the frs alarm
there was half block of flames to provide
work for the Fire Department.
Ten engines and the two freboats, Gov
ernor Markham and Govern or Irwin, bore
the brunt OF three hours struggle. Tn
flames were confined to the esta b is hment
in which they began. The big pla nts of
G. NJ. Depew and Mcfarland Brothers.
Immediately to the east, esca ped with a
slight scorching. They afforded excellent
material for big conhagration that
would undoubtedly have licked up the
Southern Pacific freightsheds. The flames
showed decided itching to bring about
this very affair, and it took score of big
streams of water to prevent their running
eastward along Channel street.
The result of the fire will be to throw
over fifty people out OF employment. as
well as seriously incommoding many
fruit-shippers, whose boxes went up in
the general destruction. Coming so close
after Sundays holocaust, a great crowd
was attracted to the spot. Channel street
was lined on its south side by thousands
of people, while almost half a hundred
police were required to keep the throngs
in order about the Southern Pacific
freightyards.
The State fire tugs Governor Irwin and
Governor Markham did excellent service
uuIluS lut lire. AS soon as the IllrQ
alarm was turned in Chief Wharfinger
Root and Assistant Chief Wharfnger
Scott boarded the Irwin and hastened to
the scene.
A stream of water was soon PLAYING on
the factory, but when an order for more
pressure came the tug was in trouble.
The engines were equal to any and every
demand made upon them, but the hose
was not. Section after section burst under
hn= =tr4n,o NsN h.
less as far as putting out a fire was con-
cerned.
a new supply of hose was obtained from
the Fire Department and soon the fireboat
was in full operation again.
On the Governor Markham one man
nearly lost his life. When the call for
more pressure came it was put on in a
hurry, and the hose knocked three men
oil their feet, and fourth, Hans Jensen,
overheard. The latter was fished out in a
few minutes, but they had to turn the
hose on him in order to clean the mud
and filth of Channel street off his person.
Some of the hose on the Markham burst,
out the damage was soon repaired from
the vessels am pie supply.
Willie smith, who worked on one OF the
machines in the mill, discovered the fire
In the shavingS-room few minutes after
l. The Shawn gs-room dioins the engine
room, which is a brick structure, rooted
While it is not known how the fire in
the Shawn gs- room started it is thought
that it may have been caused by men
smoking on the wharf upon which the
shavings-room is situated.
Several men about tn, Channel street
wharves, and those filemen and sailors
who arrived first aboard the tug Governor
Irwin, were IN time to observe the still
burning pile of shavings dumped against
the rear wall of the sheds next to the en-
gine-room. They believe that sparks from
the three furnaces as the fires were being
started up again after lunch time ignited
these shavings and originated the fire.
Had the westerly wind which was
blowing at the time not suddenly shifted
to the opposite quarter and carried the
fire through the building the fire might
have been little more than an insignifi-
cant blaze.
Smith hurriedIy notified Engineer
Murray of the fire and an alarm was
turned in from the auxiliary box In the
mill b. Fireman Lametti. Almost at the
same time James Cademartori, whois en-
ployed on one of the machines in the
mill, ran TO Fourth and Berry streets.
where box 156 is situated, but by this time
the hre-whistles were blowing and Cade-
martorl waited for the engines to arrive.
Meanwhile Engineer Murray and the
employees OF the mill were fighting the fire
as best they could. The mill is one of the
best equipped establisn ments In the Citv
for extlnguishing blaze. Hydrants and
hose'lnes are placed all tarough the build