The San Francisco call., 1904-12-30
FIRE THREATENS
ENTIRE BLOCK
Flames Gut Frame Building
at Southwest Corner of
East and Market Streets
MANY TENANTS SUFFER
Blaze Starts in Water Front
Restaurant and Spreads
With Startling Rapidity

Over boiling grease In the kitchen Of
water front restaurant yesterday
started blaze which in a few minutes
enveloped in flames the three story
frame building at the southwest corner
of East and Market streets. The Fire
Department responded promptly to the
two alarms turned in and had the
blaze under control in remarkably short
time. While the fire blazed, however,
1t burned fiercely and when the 'all
OUT signal was turned in the building
had been extensively gutted and a
score or more Of tenants were seeking
new quarters.
The fire started in the kitchen of the
Magnolia restaurant. East street, at
2:40 p. M. The Magnolia's immediate
neighbors are saloons and each made
early and liberal contributions Of liquid
fuel for the flames. Almost with the
suddenness of an explosion the fire
raced through the restaurant and
leaped out into the street. carrying the
front of the eating-house with it One
tongue of flame climbed UP the front of
the building, spreading as 1t mounted,
setting fire to the inflammable wall and
carrying the conf1agration through
open windows into the upper stories.
Other tongues burned through the
partitions separating the Magnolia
from large supplies Of alcoholic
liquors. which took up the work of
spreading the fire. Within a few min
utes after the cook spilled the grease
there was a belt of fire along the East
street limits of the building and an
other making it's way up Market
street. The entire front of the build
ing, to the roof. was blazing f1ercely
and, famed by high wind, the flames
threatened to wipe out the entire block.
Captain of Police Martin was prompt
ly on the scene with a squad Of harbor
police and had everything clear for the
f1remen when they came racing to the
rescue. The water was turned on, the
flames died down as quickly as they
had appeared, and within a few min
utes fire laddies were climbing all over
the structure finishing the work of ex-
tinction.
The building was we'll tenanted, but
in spite of the rapidity with which the
flames spread, all got out in safety. On
! the Market-street side the only means
! of exit is by elevator. At the height of
the excitement the elevator, packed as
, 1t had never been before, stuck be-
| tween two floors and for a few minutes
! pandemonium reigned in the iron cage.
/ Then something gave way and the cage
! dropped gently to the street, where the
/ scared passengers disembarked. DR.. E.
A. Diggins, the well-known physician,
| VIII l1ctS OlllCSS Oll Tie SSCOuQ was
too late for the elevator and made his
way to the street, hand over hand,
down a friendly rope. Truckman Frank
Casassa of Truck slipped and fell
from one of the scaling ladders, but
was not seriously injured.
The building is owned by the West
Coast Realty Company and most of the
loss is said to be covered by insurance.
| The following tenants suffered loss
through the fire:
Stromer & Bodin, BARRIERS, East street;
Hansen & Iversen. saloon, 10 East street;
Denis Pivlo. restaurant. II East street;
Schwartz & Meyer. saloon corner Market and
East streets; Magnolia Restaurant, 6 East
street; Schmit & Van Diken. cigars, Mar
ket street: Trower Brothers; Coast Con-
struction Company Pacific Coast Dredging and
Reclamation Company, w. Olsen, Lumber
Surveyors Association W. A. Miller & Co..
Gualala Mil Company; Naknek Packing Com
pany, office OF tug Ida W, John ]. Sesnon
Company. ]. S. Kimball Company, Wallace
Alexander. r. Wakefield American Dredging
Company. DIR. z. a. Diggins.