The San Francisco call., 1904-12-05
FIRE DAMAGES
LARGE FACTORY
Valuable Vehicles Are De-
stroyed at the Carriage Re-
poSitory of O'Brien & Sons
SAVES CRIPPLED HORSE
Special Policeman Hooper
/ Rescues Helpless Animal
at Risk of His Own Life

The carriage factory Of O'Brien &
! Sons at Golden Gate avenue and Polk
street was damaged by fire yesterday
morning. The loss will exceed 100000
A blaze in the basement spread over
! that floor. climbed the elevator and
! scorched valuable vehicles on the four
/ floors Of the building. Flames spurted
/ from the windows and even from the
manholes in the sidewalks.
! Tongues of flame nearly a hundred
/ feet high burst through the roof The
roaring Of the fire could be heard for
several blocks st. Boniface Church.
across the street. was slightly scorched
Immediately adjoining the carriage
factory is the veterinary hospital of E.
j. Greedy. There the dramatic incident
of the fire was enacted. The place was
crowded with crippled horses which
were in danger of being burned to
death.
Special officer w Hooper of the Pa
cif1c Humane Society, who lives just
across the street, hurried to the hospi-
tai when he saw the blaze. At his
suggestion hose was run into the
hospital and willing hands assisted
most of the animals to safety
HORSES CLOSE CALL.
But there was one horse that could
not be moved. He lay on the floor of
the stall close against the wall and
next to the burning carriage factory. A
puff of smoke blew through a crevice
in the wall. Hooper drew his revolver
prepared to send a bullet into the ami
mails head if the flames became uncon-
trolla BILE.
Hooper stood at his post though the
] flames were close to him. A steady
stream of water fought back the
| flames. Hooper waited with drawn re-
volver until the danger was past He
refused to leave the place until his
equine charge was safe in the street.
Large quantities of infiammable paints
and varnishes made the fire a hot one.
Six alarms were sent in and the quick
response of the Fire Department saved
/ adjoining buildings
ORIGIN NOT KNOWN.
The exact cause of the fire is not
known. Shortly before it was discov-
cred James Bruce, the engineer, was
cleaning a boiler in the basement. He
and his assistant left the place to get
breakfast. When they returned the
building was ablaze. 1t is supposed
that spark from the banked fires in
the engine room ignited some rubbish
and started the fire.
The buggieS and carriages on the
lower floor were run out into the street
Dy men ana DCyS VINO lived in the
neighborhood, but those on the upper
! floors were all more or less damaged
/ by fire and water. The interior Of the
! building was badly scorched and
charred, but the outer shell. which is of
/ brick, is uninjured The machinery on
! the lower floor is believed to be ruined.
Joseph NJ. O'Brien, president, and
Jerome H. O'Brien, treasurer of the
firm, were in Redwood City when the
place was burned. John ]. O'Brien, the
secretary, declined to place any value
on the property until the other two
members arrived. The loss is covered
by insurance.
The firm of O'Brien & Sons burned
out fifteen years ago and lost heavily.
Immediately afterward another factory
was built on the present site.
+ Charles Peddler, a man employed in
the building, came near being asphyxi-
ated by smoke during the time the
place was on fire. He entered through
a rear window with the intention of
saving some harness. When rescued
he was found to be unconscious and
was sent to the Emergency Hospital.