The San Francisco call., 1897-08-13
THREE ALARMS
FOR A FIRE
Bruschke & Miller's Large
Furniture actory De-
stroyed.
A Dangerous Blaze Visits the
Bryant-Street Lumber
District.
A Poor Family on Perry Street Made
Homeless Electric Wire
Accident.

The furniture mandatory OF Bruschke
& Miller, on Bryant street, between
Fourth and Fifth, went up in blaze last
evening shortly after 6 o'clock. Three
alarms OF tlre were sounded from box 1856
but before the Fire Department arrived
the large structure and its two-story shed
addition were in q mass OF fire and smoke.
No sooner did Chief Sullivan realize the
danger than he caused nearly all OF the
remainder of the department to be called
out on two more alarms.
1t was one of the quickest and most
savage fires that the men have had to
handle for some time past 1t started in
the engine-room in the west end of the
long shed, and the wind being strong the
fire swept furiously through the entire
building, which consisted of four stories
on Bryant street and long two-story shed
addition that extended back over 100 feet
into a large lot. Before the engines ar
rived the entire shed was ablaze and the
fire was bursting out of every window OF
the main building.
For a time it looked as though the lum-
ber- yards on the south side of the street
would be destroyed also, but food of
water thrown out literally was their SAL
vation. Fortunately there was plenty of
water, and a dozen or two streams pre-
vented the fire from esca ping from the
building in which it started.
Several Cottages in the rear facing on
Perry street were badly scorched and one
was almost entirely destroyed. The latter
was the residence OF J. Lynch and Mr..
O'Larney, owned by j. Hlron. Some OF
the furniture was saved.
The houses occupied by William Cruise
and Mrs. K. Conlan in the rear of 233
Perry street were badly scorched. The
same damage was done to the houses oc-
cupied by 0. +. Williams and Edwin
Woodruff N the rear of 231.
After hard fight the men got the fire
under control, and all that was left of the
San Francisco Furniture Manufacturing
Company, as the firm was called, was
mass of smoldering lum Der and twisted
machinery in the rear and the skeleton of
what was once tall building in the front.
The loss was not so great as might be
supposed, because there was but little ma
terial in the place.
Last October the firm of Bruschke &
Miller went into insolvency. and since
then most OF the material has been cleaned
out of the place. For some time past only
about forty men have been employed
work ng up the material on hand, which
was at once sent away as soon as made
into furniture. The Fire Department off,
cias estimate the loss at about $4,000, in
cluding the building. Bruschkc estimates
the loss at $40 600. and he says that he car
ried $4,000 insurance.
There were several incidents OF note
during the fire, TWO of which came near
resulting seriously. Thomas Logan, a
fireman, came near losing his life when
placing a ladder against the shed. A tee-
phone wire broke from its fastening on an
ad Joining building and fell across a live
electric wire near by. The telephone wire
struck Logan across the face, and the man
was knocked senseless to the ground, fall
ing distance of ten or twelve feet. He
was picked up and removed to his home
at 768 Harrison street, where it took him
some time to recover.
Shortly after the fire broke out it spread
TO the residence of Mrs. O'Larney of 235
Perry street. The family made an effort
TO save their furniture and forgot that a
little 5-year-old girl was asleep in the rear
room close to where the fire was raging.
Then the alarm was given. Elias Whit
man heard the mothers cry and rushed
into the burning house, and none too
soon. The flames were are ady burning
the side OF the wall, and the boy, who is
not more than IL years old, had but a
moment to seize the child and make his
escape. When he reached the street his
clothes were on fire. He was loudly
cheered for his bravery. The little girl
was uninjured.
James Comiskey of the water battery
got his hand caught in the machinery
while raising the tower and two fingers of
his lett hand were badly cut.
G. T.Logan of truck 8 was on top OF
ladder, when he took hold of an ele trio
wire that had got crossed with another
wire. The shock threw him to the ground
He escaped with confusion OF the right.
knee. but is suffering from the shock.