The San Francisco call., 1905-08-14

b The Hercules Gas Engine Works, 215
10 81 Bay street, were destroyed by fire
yesterday morning. The blaze was start
ed by an explosion IN the testing room,
the cause Of which nobody knows. In
a few minutes the big wooden building
was mass OF flames. Had il not been
Tor substantial fre wall nearly 100 peo-
pie sleeping in tencments in the rear of
the works. would have been burned to
death IN their beds.
The works were full of oils and other
infa7Srnable material and the flames dart
ed out S0sr sS= walls, scorching the rear
Of the tcnemetts. Awakened by the clang-
ing hrebsiis, Taca, women and children
rushed 10 the street in terror. The fire
burned from $50 in the morning until
nearly noon
The FIRE department did valiant SER
vice All the buildings in the vicinity
were Of wood and adjacent 10 the engine
works was the Mendocino Coal Yard. A
sti1 breeze threatened 10 spread the fire
and wipe out the eastern section of North
Beach Only the dogged perseverance
Of the fremen prevented this.
-Four children Of Jacob Mass. 320C
Francisco street. had 4 narrow escape.
They were sleeping IN a room directly in
the rear Of the testing room. where the
first explosion occurred.
A crashing report aWoke them and the
tte4AANH DiAHltu lheu IN terror lleN
scrambled out Of their beds and rushed
into the street. Barefooted and scantily
clad little George Mas rushed TO the
fire house At Stockton and Francisco
streets and turned in the alarm Then
little Ella aged S. remembered that her
dollie was in the fire, being "aH burned
up" Before anybody could stop her, she
rushed back into the house.
The room which the children had left
was as hot as an oven and already the
curtains were blazing. But little Ella
was determined that her dollie must be
saved. While her brothers and sisters
were wailing in the street. she stumbled
through the smoke and found the dollie
Her hair and eyebrows We're singed by
the heat and she was all exhausted when
she reached the street.
Elias father achieved a feat almost as
hazardous He had a number of pet
canary birds in the house, which the chill
. dren begged him 10 save. He Welded TO
heir entreaties and rushed in after them
He secured the cages. but the birds had
been sufocated-
Oliver Jones, the watchman. who slept
in the engine works. was awakened by
the explosion. He first ran to the stables
OF the Mendocino Coal Company, where
q magnificent pair II black horses were
housed. He tried to force the door open
10 Let them escape. but a jet of flame
from the teSting-room scOrched his hands
and face and ne was driven into the
street blinded and in terrible pain The
horses penned in their stalls, were slow
" roasted 10 death despite the heroic ef-
forts OF the 1iremen 10 reach them. Their
cries chilled the hearts Of listeners and
could be heard for some time above the
roar OF the flames and Intermittent ex-
plosions-
A still alarm was turned into engine
house IS. at Stockton and Francisco
streets. by John Kelly. a lamplighter A
second alarm was termed in Immediately
The destruction OF the engine works
caused loss estimated at about SI2S. .00O
only part OF which is covered by insur-
ance. The Mendocino's Coal Company's
stock is nearly total loss. and the tene-
rnents from go TO $40 Francisco street
were more or less scorched. Gus Stoffer
driver OF Engine Is. was badly burned on
The face and hands while lighting the
FIRE. a Hennessy Of the same engine
fell from the roof Cf a building and
sprained his ankle.
Jones, who was in the building when
the explosion occurred. has no idea of the
cause.
II was asleep" he says. he explosion
woke me. I tried 10 let the poor horses
out, but the fire got too hot for me
have no idea what started the explosion"