The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1904-08-01

One hundred thousand dollars worth
Of liquors and wines fell a prey to
fierce flames yesterday evening be-
tween and 6 o'clock, when the estab-
lishment of the Hilbert Mercantile
Company, 21S-215 Market street, was
completely Quilted.
The building, located in the Arizona
block, was damaged to the extent of
SIS, 900. Water and smoke. ruined prop
erty belonging to wholesale business
houses to a total of $4,000.
The spectacular blaze in the liquor
store was witnessed by a concourse of
people estimated at 10000
The fire was first discovered at 4:43 p.
m. by Policeman A L. Martien, who
was on duty at Market and Main
streets. He saw smoke issuing from
the ground floor windows of the Hill
bert Companys place Of business. and
he ran toward the store, which As To-
Gated in the middle of the Arizona
/ block
| AS he reached the front of the build
/ ing a sheet Of flame swept upward
/ from the ground floor through the ele-
vator shaft. In an instant the four
story building was completely envel-
oped.
The policeman sent in an alarm from
/ box 2s7, at Market and Beale streets,
and a Morse patrolman, who also OBJ
/ served the fire, pulled a box at Drumm
and California streets.
The Fire Department responded
quickly. On the arrival of Assistant
| Chief Dougherty he sent in a second
alarm.
VAST CROWDS ATTRACTED.
The Changing Of the fire bells and the
galloping horses with engines and
trucks attracted thousands of men, wo-
men and children from Market street
and its vicinity, the crowd being aug
| mented by the host of pleasure seek
ers returning from points across the
bay.
Assistant Chief Dougherty directed
the efforts of the firemen to preventing
the fire from spreading to buildings ad
joining the one where the Hilbert Com
pany was located 1t was quickly seer
that nothing could be done to save the
establishment of the liquor house. The
four-story building was on fire from
top to bottom, sheets Of flame sweep
ing from the windows and soaring
through the roof to a height of fifty
feet.
The presence Of fire walls stayed thu
progress of the fire from the establish
menlS OF hOlDrOOK, Merrill q StetSOl
on the one side, and the Deere Imple
ment Company, William Cuff Compa
ny, the Illinois Pacific Glass Compan.
and Durham, Carrigan & Hayden a
Market and Main streets
The fire walls aided the heroic worl
Of the firemen, who realized that tn,
entire block was menaced should tn
fire spread from the building where
&. was raging.
Lines Of hose were affixed to tn
stand pipes on the buildings and othe
hose was carried up the iron fire es
capes and water played in man,
streams onto the roof of the doome'
structure.
WATER TOWER EFFECTIVE.
The most effsctive work was done
however. by TIE Gorter water towe
and batteries. These splendid fire
fighting machines were stationed i
front Of the Hilbert Company's buildin
and tons of water were thrown into tn
flames. The effect of the streams fror
the water tower and batteries was [
drown the flames, and a flood of waite
poured down from floor to floor, film
the cellar with four feet of water Th
adjoining cellars of the Deere Imple
nent Company had a similar amour