The San Francisco call., 1904-06-08
BUTCHERTOWN
HAS A FIRE
Slaughter-HouSes Threat
ened by Flames That Start
Under the Plank Roadway
MEAT MEMS CLOSE CALL
Prompt Work by Employees
Before Engines Arrive
Saves Valuable Property

Butchertown had the closest call in
Its history yesterday afternoon A fire
broke out about 2:so o'clock in the re-
fuse collected under the plank road
way at Railroad and First avenues,
and but for the heroic work by the
hundreds Of men employed about the
slaughter houses. and the timely ar
rival Of six fire engines the entire row
OF slaughter and packing houses would
have been destroyed
All these meat shops along both sides
Of First avenue for a distance Of sew
eral blocks are built upon pning, as
IS the roadway itself At times or
unusual tide or Of heavy storm the
sea washes in under the street ana
buildings. leaving mass OF deoris
Of every sort This was dry yesterday
and awaiting only spark TO kindle 1t
into q swift conflsgTatiOn, involving
many establishments with their valu-
able stores Of meat. their horses and
machinery.
The spark was probably furnished
by 2 lighted cigar dropped through the
plank flooring of the roadway in front
OF J. G. James & Co.'S hidehOuse at
the western end Of the avenue.
strong wind helped. and in a few sec
the smoke and fines were shooting
upward Through every crack in the
plank road and the fire was threaten
ing many thousand dollars worth OF
property with destruction.
COWBOYS AS FTREAIEN.
From the score Of slaughter houses
down the avenue men poured forth
with buckets, axes and hose, and long
before the Fire Departments engines
could reach the scene a very respect
able impromptu fire brigade was doing
good work in tearing UP the planking,
locating the burning timbers beneath
the roadway and turning on such
feeble streams of water as their one
inch hose could throw.
The nearest engine-houses are about
equally distant from Butchertown-one
at the Potrero station on Twentieth
street. the other down at Fifteenth
avenue. Fortunately, however, sew
eral engines were near by. a cottage
belonging to Patrick O'Neil at Eighth
avenue and L street having just burn
&c down and they hurried over the
hill 10 the scene Of the larger fire in
tine 10 prevent It from becoming
general disaster. other engines came
down from Twentieth street. but the
distance was so great that the fire was
well under control before they ar
rived.
DAMAGES AND INJURIES.
The damage done was confined al
most wholly to the piling under the
street and TO the timbers on which the
meathouses at. the west end of the
avenue are built James & Coz hides
were not hurt. Bernard Horns Sons
stables and the H Moffat Company's
stables were filled with horses, which
with great difficulty were rescued from
danger and led. screaming pitifully and
struggling in their fright, 10 places of
safety. Much Of the plank road was
destroyed in getting the fire under con-
troll. The entire loss viii probably fall
inside Of $500
Joseph WestDhal. a meat cutter for
Henry Levi. was badly cut about the
face and arms by A falling plank.
George Ashby, one Of Miller & Lux's
cowboys. and Milton Schuster, simi-
lsrly employed bv Johnson & Co.
were kicked bv the horses thev were
trying to save and were severely
bruised. Their injuries were attended
70 at the PotrerO Emergency Hospital.