The herald., 1898-08-14
A FRESNO FIRE
HALF MILLION DOLLARS WORTH
OF PROPERTY BURNS
Blaze Believed to Have Been the Work
of Incendiaries-One Life Known
to Be Lost-Many Injured

~,
trous fire in the history of Fresno occurred
tonight. 1t swept the Southern Pacihe
railroad reservation from Mariposa street
to Mono street, distance OF three blocks.
and in a little more than an hour So0o,O
worth of property went up in smoke Some
of the buildings burned were packing
houses and their destruction will throw
about FIVE hundred men out of work.
The fire started in the immense establish
ment of the Forsythe seeded raisins COM
pany, between Mariposa and Tulare streets.
1t was built seven years ago and was large
" added to last year. 1t was the first seeded
raisin establishment to be erected in the
state. 1t was just as the 11:4O northbound
passenger train pulled out that names
were seen issuing from tho roof or the
building. A minute later the whole roof
was on fire and soon the entire building was
enyeloped in flames. short time berore
the department had been called to a small
fire on the corner of o and Mariposa streets
and it was still at work there when the fire
broke out on the reservation. By the
time the engines arrived at the reservation
the Forsythe packing house was beyond
saving, and the firemen gave their atten-
pany on the south side Of Tulare street. A
strong wind was blowing from the north.
however, and, work as they would, the
Phoenix soon caught fire. This. like the
Forsythe place, was raisin seeding house,
and was equipped with expensive machin-
cry The flames became so fierce as to
drive the firemen back and the fire soon as
sumed such proportions as would have
faxed a metropolitan department. Sparks
from the, Phoenix packing house ignited
the National Ice company's building. and.
being small, it was soon consumed. The
company also deals in fuel, coal and wood.
The amount on hand went the way of the
building.
The Armour's house full of grain was
the next building to become ignited. and
the F'istein warehouse caught from that
In vain the fremen labored to save these
buildings. They did their best but the
means at their disposal were inadequate.
Soon little flames were seen on the roof OF
the Hobbs & Parsons raising packing house.
and the spectators began to wonder whether
the raisin packing industry was to be COM
pletely wiped out.
The firemen rallied, however, and by
desperate efforts managed to save half of
the building though what stock was not
destroyed by fire was ruined by water By
the greatest exertions the firemen checked
the progress Of the flames and prevented
further destruction.
The railroad company also suffered con-
siderable loss, about twenty freight cars,
some loaded and some empty, being con-
sumed. Considerable damage was done to
trackage, and the section house occupied by
Yardmaster ]. Doyle was burned to the
ground. The hotel and the depot itself,
which are opposite Forsythe. were on fire
several times, and were saved only by the
most strenuous efforts OF the employees.
The freight depot, block further south
owes its escape to being slightly out OF the
path of the shower of sparks.
There was also loss of life. Night Watch
man Harper slept in the towner Of the For
sythe packing house. and 1t Is not likely
that any trace of him will ever be found.
The fire spread so rapidly that he could
not have escaped. Three Cinnamon were
so severely injured that they are all ex-
pected to die One was injured by step
ping on a live wire. another fell from a
burning roof while trying to catch rope
thrown to him by fireman. and the third
was run over by a hose wagon.
The fire Is little short of a calamity for
Fresno. While the market for ordinary
raisins was not very good, the seeded raisin
establishment had many orders and would
have employed larger forces. The fire &C.
curing so late in the season makes it i'm
years crop, hence large market is closed
IA he nd ho,