The San Francisco call., 1898-12-05

did the flames make progress, there was nothing but the shell of the Rog- ers-Peet building left, with mountains of flame roaring a hundred feet in the air and encircling the adjoining struc- ture, the Home Life Insurance build Ing. In that blinding rain the firemen worked, stretching the black and slip pery lines of hose through the building, fighting the flames from every side.
 Soon a great wave of fire swept across Warren street and caught the United States Life Insurance building at the west corner of Broadway, num- bered 259 and 261. The woodwork on dozen windows was afire in moment. and from that time on several streams were played on this building to save 1t from destruction.
 When the Warren-street wall of the Rogers-Peet building fell, at 10:3o o'clock, a dozen firemen were directly beneath Several of the men were struck by bricks, but none was more than slightly injured. Acting Chief Perle fell, but was dragged to safety | by some of his men.
 | Just before Il o'clock the Home Life Insurance Company's building, sixteen stories high, at 255 and 257 Broadway, caught fire. The firemen already had their lines in this building up to the seventh floor They were greatly han dicapped by the many stories. Flames had eaten their way through the side wall in many places and the huge white structure burned fiercely. The ele- vators made trips up and down and In this way many of the effects of the ming the cages were finally compelled to flee for their lives.
 1 The three top floors were on fire almost simultaneously. The smoke was dense. Flames shot high above | the roof and over the massive brownstone Postal building. Every | body at work in the structure had been ordered out of this building long before. Desperate efforts were being made to save it. The interior of the Home Life Insurance Company building was by this time a furnace. From the windows of the six or eight upper stories the flames were pouring in masses. In the rear nine stories were afire and the Fire Department, so far as this portion of the building was concerned, was absolutely powerless. At 11:15 the Postal building, of four teen stories, caught fire. Chief Bonner, elevator and went to the roof to give personal directions. At this time there were few operators, who had ignored the orders of the fire chief, two or three clerks and a few boys at work in the building in the stifling smoke, and mes sages were sent until the flames came and all were forced to rush for their lives. The unsent messages were left at the telegraph keys.
 Chief Bonner had under his direction all the engines stationed in the fire houses below Twenty-third street. In addition five hook and ladder com- panies, including water towers. were at the scene. Most of the men worked in the lower parts of the building to save adjoining buildings. Only a few gangs were with the fire chief on the top of the Postal building.
 They fought with all their strength to keep the flames back. But notwith- standing all their efforts, at o'clock this (Monday) morning, three floors of the building had been partially de- stroyed. The fire was then working It's way downward. Chief Bonner thought. however, that he had it under control. He did not expect it to ret much below this.
 The fire started from three explo- sions. What caused the explosions no one knows.
 The firemen could not find out. They thought gas had escaped Tn some man ner in the basement and so resulted in the explosion and fire.
 The Postal Telegraph Company Of