The San Francisco call., 1904-09-06
Flats and Furniture Are
Rendered Wrecks by Aft
ernoon Blaze in Dwell
ings of City's Toilers
ONE WOMAN SINGED
BY LEAPING FLAMES
Chief of Police Whitman
Strongly Scores Subordi-
nate for His Incapacity
in Managing the Crowds

Several dramatic features occurred
yesterday afternoon at fire in a block
of frame buildings bounded by Seventh,
Eighth, Howard and Natoma streets.
The block is mainly occupied by flats
and a large number of poor people
were ruined. One woman was scorched
about the head and face. An eight
year-old girl carried her sister mis-
takenly down flight of burning stairs
in the rear of 1136 Folsom street while
a safe exit was open from the front of
the building.
To add to the interest of the occasion
Chief of Police Whitman came upon
the scene and made some stinging COM
ments on the conduct OF the depart
ment's representatives at the fire.
By fortuitous circumstances no fatal
tiles occurred. Hardly a more danger
Gus locality could have been selected
for the ravages of disastrous flames
Most of the buildings were of three
stories, built of wood and occupied by
! working people. Altogether there were
seventeen needy families that lost all
their household goods, either from
water or fire. The tarpaulins of the
Underwriters Patrol prevented much
! damage, but the salvage is inconsider-
able compared TO the monetary loss.
According to the best information the
fire started in the basement of Marcus
SKruger, a bottle dealer at 1876 Howard
street. He employed Cinnamon to pack
bottles in his basement. Kruger thinks
that one of the employees dropped
cigarette in pile of packing straw,
which was the beginning of the blaze.
From kruger's place the fire rapidly
spread to the adjoining flats fronting
on Howard and Natoma streets. So
great was their headway when the Fire
Department arrived that the back por-
tions of fourteen flats were burned to
charcoal. An immense amount of water
was turned in by the Fire Department
to stay the flames. This saved the
block and perhaps a disastrous con-
fagration for the city, but it was bad
for the furniture owned by the occu-
pants of the flats.
Before the tenants of the flats real
ized that a fire was raging in their
homes the flames were reaching sky
ward. Women rushed into Natoma and
Howard streets, carrying their children
in their arms and screaming for help
for their household goods
Mrs. Mills. lodger in the second floor
of the fiat at 113S Folsom street, tried
to jump from the window of her
apartments, but was restrained by a
man who avoided notoriety for heroic
deed by refusing to give his name. Mrs
Mills had been singed around the head
and face by the flames. Little S-year-
old Ida Mcmahon, left by a widowed
mother to care for an 1S-months- -old
baby grabbed her charge and walked
with her sister into the flames Fire
men from Engine No. carried the two
children back 10 the Howard street exit
and safety and then resumed the work
of directing streams and treading
shaky porches.
The police arrangements for the fire
were the limit of culDabil.ty. Crowds
of unauthorized persons gathered dur
ing the first half hour and until Ser
geant Green of the Southern Station
arrived on the scene and took charge
of the crowd the firemen were badly
impeded in their work. Lieutenant
Colby had preceded Sergeant Green
but he appeared unable to master the
crowd.
Chief of Police Whitman happened
along at the right time, as usual and
he gave Lieutenant Colby a tongue
lashing before the crowd that few men
would stand for. He told the lieuten-
ant that he acted like old woman
in officers uniform and that he was
thoroughly incapable of handling a
crowd. Chief Whitman pointed out that
the fire lines had been made in such
shape as practically to cut off one half
of the effective force of the Fire De-
partment. Lieutenant Colby took his
rebuke meekly and thereafter did his
best to keep the crowds under control
During the confiagration $75, 900 worth
of property was destroyed. Among the
losers are:
fiat at 631 Natoma street, house dam
aged $500; Isaac Bainnabe and p Gold
stein. tenants. damaged by water
Morris L. Gross, 633 and $751; Ma
toma street loss on building, $1,000 The
furniture of lower fiat was ruined and
scarcely anything was saved in the
upper fiat, which was occupied by j. ].
Meyers.
]. McMenomy, loss on building at 6S7
and 63712 Natona street, $4,000; Mrs
Sullivan and j. ChanZ. furniture ruined
by fire and water; other owners flats
and furniture were severely damaged.
On the Howard street side the rear
of A. T. Loves coal and wood estab-
lishment was badly damaged and his
stable was entirely destroyed. Ad-
joining was a vacant store, which was
gutted by the flames.
The Niagara French Laundry at 1140
Howard street was badly damaged by
fire and water. Upstairs water did
great damage to furniture in lodging
house owned by P. Wantz.
S. Langley, a dealer in second hand
furniture at 1888 Howard street, thinks
he. sustained $1,000 damage by the wet
ting of his stock. The furniture in Mrs.
Fergusons lodging house at 1875 How
ard street was deluged with water and
her lodcers left her. She estimates her
damage at $1,000. Many of the dodgers
in the rooming- houses damaged by the
fire lost practically all their effects
either through water or fire.
Other owners CT real estate and per-
sonal property want until to-day to
give figures on their losses.
Aoed Man Ends HE TARa