The San Francisco call., 1897-07-24
FIRE ON BOTH
LAND AND SEA
Cargo in the Hold Of the
Ship Falls of Dee Dam
aged $4,000.
Flames Cause a Loss Of $4,000
in Hobart's Sutter-Street
Building.
No Explanation or Theory as to How
Either Started Can Be
Given.

Last night about $50 o clock the sailors
of the British ship Falls of Dee, which
has been discharging her cargo for several
at seawall No. 5, were startled from their
hunks by cloud of smoke that seemed TO
pour through the vessel from a raging in
ferno in the hold.
The men of the sea made haste to de-
sert the ship and sound the alarm by
voice as we'll as through box 355. The lat
ter proved the more fruitful course and in
short time four engines had answered
the call.
The work of the fremen was rendered
extremely Difficult. by the volumes OF
smoke that rolled from the matches, and
for some time they were unable to locate
the fire. Finally it was discovered to De
in the forward portion OF the lower hold.
The suction pipes from the engines were
dropped into the bay and four streams OF
briny water were soon sent splashlng
down below.
The fire was eating its way through
hundreds of sacks of rice and other mer-
chandise, and the water for long time
seemed TO have but little effect. The
streams were kept on the flames, how
ever, but not until most of the cargo was
ruined were hey extiuguished.
Owing to the fact that the ship IS built
of iron it was damaged but little, but it Is
estimated that the loss on the cargo will
| amount to almost $4,000.
| The vessel arrived on the 18th inst.
| from Hon kong with a cargo valued at
about 100000.
The upper hold was filled with merchan.
! disc consigned to many downtown busi-
| ness houses, while the lower hold was
| loaded with merchandise belonging to
! Chinese merchants. The vessel began to
discharge her cargo on the Goth OF the
month and the upper hold had been
cleared of freight.
/ The lower hold was TO have been cleared
to-day, but unfortunately the fire left
| nothing but the charred debris of the val
liable merchandise. The loss is entirely
| covered by insurance
| Captain Lock, commander of the vessel,
| is at loss 10 understand the cause OF the
| fire, but is gratifed that he succeeded il
! removing most OF the cargo before the bre
started.
Shortly after the fire in the hold of the
Falls of Dee had been extinguished frs
broke out in the Hobart building 81 to 33
Suffer street, which is occupied by Ed
ward s. Spear as an auction-house and
the California Press Printing Company.
The flames originated from some un-
known cause in the front portion of the
printing esta ablishment. which is on the
second floor, and soon ate their way
through the floor above and the roof of
the building. The flames had made con-
siderable headway before the alarm was
sounded, and when the department ar
rived the entire roof was ablsz re.
Several streams were turned on the
burning building and in the course of half
an hour the flames were Quenched. The
damage on the buildine amounted to
about $1,000. Edward S. Spears loss was
mostly through smoke and water and will
exceed $500. The California Press Print
ing Company's plant, which was valued
al $500, was completely destroyed. The
losses are all covered by insurance.