The San Francisco call., 1897-06-08
Ruin WROUGHT BY
SUNDAYS FIRE
Tottering Walls Threaten
Passing Pedes-
trianS.
Prisoners in the Police Station
Paced in Imminent
Peril.
Creaking Timb3rS and Cracking Glass
{ use SalvationiStS is 10 Flee
for Safety.

Inc disastrous effects OF Sundays hre
threaten not to stop with the tragic record
OF three killed and one wounded. The
tall brick wall on Folsom street is gradu-
ally leaning and threatens momentarily to
collapse. Besides this, the building in
which the Southern police station is To-
Gated is rapidly settling to one side and
its occupants are living in fear of it tot
tering down upon them at any moment.
An inspection OF the police station re-
vealed an alarming condition OF affairs.
The whole building is leaning to ward the
ruins OF the brick building destroyed last
Sunday. The supports on that side were
destroyed by the falling of the wall that
killed the three fremen, and the walls of
the station house are already two feet or
more out of a plumb line. The plaster
has been cracked and the timbers sprung,
and in addition the supports under the
center Of the building are sinking. The
roof of the house has sunk in one place
several feet below its former level and the
hallway on ihe second floor is almost like
a ditch, the floor sloping in either dlrec-
tion up to the sides of the building.
The Woman's Shelter Home of the Sal
va;ion Army, which occuuled the floor
above the station, has been deserted by its
! former occupants, who feared upon peril
OF their lives 10 remain IN the rickety
structure. Ensign Nelson and Lieutenant
Lindgren were anxlously awaiting assist
ance from the army headquarters yester-
day 10 remove their effects to a place of
safety. At intervals during the day they
were terrified by creaking of timbers and
cracking of glass, caused-by the settling
of the building. The fourteen or more
women who were in the home a. the time
of the fire have ali been removed.
In the police station the danger is quite
as apparent. The ceiling is bent down,
the supports are cracked, the officers
lockers are warped by the bending of the
walls and the whole building trem bles at
stride across the floor.
'It is positive menace to human life, "
said Lieutenant Hanna, who was in charge
OF the Estation yesterday. Sometimes
we have as many a fifty prisoners in the
building. Tonight we have six here.
The building is liable to collapse at any
moment. The building has long been
dangerous, but since the fire the danger
is much more apparent.
The ground beneath is all made
ground, the site of an old swamp, and
with the sinking in of the vast volume f
water used to extingush yesterdays fire
the ground of the ne ghboThood is apiciy
settling and the buildings are slow Y top
pling over. The station building has been
condemned several times. and Chief Lees
morning inspecting it again"
District Engineer Waters had two de-
tails of exiramen each playing a stream
on the smoking emb-r, OF The cracker
bakery all day yesterday. The men We're
from engines Ii. 10, 81 and 33 and relieved
each other a: the end Of every six-hour
watch. AT 8 O'Clock last evening smo ke
was still rising from the ruins.
Thousands of curiosity mongers viewed
the scene of the fire yesterday. Officers
were stationed TO keep the crowd on the
further side Of Folsom stree: away from
the brick wall which threatened to fall at
any moment.
attraction during the early hours of the
afternoon, but in the evening the street
WAS again crowded.
Chief Sullivan of the Fire Department
yesterday received letter from the
Standard Biscuit Company, inclosing
check Icr $3.50 for the relief of he families
OF the three hrpmen who so braYely met
their death at the fire in the factory Sun.
day
The letter concludes: owe cannot but
feel for the families of these brave men,
and regret, owing to our own heavy
loss, not TO be able TO make a more liberal
DONATION"
The sad death of Firemen Moholv, Hal
linaa aad Keller on Sunday recalled a
very similar catastrophe which took
place exactly four years before licking
only twelve or fourteen bours. In The
early morning of June Z, 1893 Flremen
Winirow, Davis and Madison OF engine
13 were killed in almost the same manner
at the big fire on Ashbury Heights by
being buried under the bricks OF a falling
chimney.
The big Crocker fire of dozen years
ago Is also recalled by the death of Fire
man Hallinan. In that fire comrade of
Haliinan was killed and he himself was
restrained only by actual force from rush
ing into certain death in the effort to save
hi friend.
The funeral services over the bod les OF
the victims of Sundays catastrophe will
be held tomorrow.
The funeral OF Frank J. Keller OF Engine
6 will take place at 8 80 A NJ. from the par
lors OF Craig, Cochran 81 Co., 90 Mint av.-
nue., thence to 81. PairIcK's church, where
high mass will be celebrated at 10 NJ
The interment viii be in Holy Cross Gem
etery.
Iv a.