The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-04-23
HEROIC BATTLE
SAVED The MINT
Efforts Of Little Band Of EN-.
ployees Save Building Hold
ing 100000.

San Francisco, April ga land
mark of San Francisco that escaped de-
ing it was destroyed, is the United
States mint, at the corner of Fifth and
Mission streets. Harold French, an en-
ployee of the mint, gave graphic ac-
count of how the flames were success
fully fought. He said:
"Nearly two hundred million dollars
in coin and bullion are stored in the
vaults Of the mint, and for the preser-
walton of this prize devoted band of
employees, reinforced by regular SOL
diers, fought until the baffled flames
fled to the conquest of stately blocks of
so-called fireproof buildings
For seven hours sea of fire surged
around this grand old federal edifce,
attacking it on all sides with waves Of
frey hate. Its little garrison was cut
off from retreat for hours at a time. had
such course been thought Of by those
on guard. The United States mint was
constructed in 1874 of granite and sand
stone blocks, massive monoliths. we'll
calculated to resist fire from without.
Within, however, were enough inf1am-
mable materials to feed lively confla-
grafton. Iron shutters shielded the low
er floors, but the windows of the upper
story, on which are located the refinery
ana assay office, were exposed. Also, a
CARED roof over the refinery constituted
weak spot in the defense. Tanks of
wood and other infammable material
scattered about the roof and miner
story were serious menace.
Tore OFF the Ruff.
' After the fire had swept mast the
Mission street side, and the certainty
OF It's returning from the north became
apparent, Captain Of the Watch Laws
ordered everything on the roof that
could burn thrown. into the yard. Sol.
diers and mint employees worked with
utmost haste throwing great timbers
anu tank slaves into the court. Here
are located some thirty tanks Of blue
covered with debris into which inoreos'
ing showers of cinders fell. Fortunate1v
the mint possesses good well. and En,.
glneer Brady, at his post, pumped wa
ter to the fire fighters assembled on the
roof. OF these, forty were mint en-.
ployees and they were aided by a com
pany. OF coast artillery. wan
AS the fire swept up Fifth street
ene neat increased to dangerous de.
gree as, one by one, the Metropolitan
hr.,4 ~ Alscorlc Lincoln school
! Durst into flame, reinforced by the roar.
ing furnace of the Emporium On IT, ~.
west the block bounded by Sixth a Cr'S
MARKET streets on the north, gave the
! SraVest concern, for, from this onar.
Ter the hire was certain to race N -,
1ury Famed by roaring northerln
wind, the flames rioted thru the strnc.
lures stretching from the Windsor hote,
20 E anI az Spreckels' building; sheets
or nre 2Oo feet high licked up the
lAn uag houses on Mint avenue.
S augmented by, these tinderboxes the
olaze or hre burst on the northwest
corner Of the mint like the breath we
second Pelee. ~ - oo'n u
Flames Broke Thru Windows
~ "a few desperate fighters under az.
Chlef Kennedy of Oakland were driven
from between tottering chimneys. nm.
uel yer whose twin terrors they had strug-
gnea 70 the last, throwing buckets Of
W. mater upon the blazing roof over the
n remHv,y: 1t IS largely due to the ex-
this tar-covered roof, the weakest s snot
OF ALL was saturated with sufficient
water to stay the flames.
when the fire leaped Mint ava
aue IN solid masses Of flame, the re-
3nnery men stuck to their windows as
long as the glass remained in the
frames; Seventy-fve feet of an inch
nose nose played slender stream upon The
nnazln y !,,1 Tlndow sill, while the floor
Ankle deep in this, soldiers and " an.
ployees stuck to the floor until The w em.
dows shattered. With a roar the
tongues q Of Of fire licked greedily the inner
| walls. Binding and suffocafing srnai1o
Inecessltated the abandonment of ~
nose, and the fighters retreated to +he
t LOOT peloW; The roar Of falling walls
III sue tnunder Of bursting blocks Of
stone, the DIN Of crashing glass, swelled
10 70 a.; an unearthly diapason. If 13-inch
Walls th Mef re- crashing against the mint
force of their impact would scarcely civ
nave exceeded the fury of the 2attacf
Down in the depths, where nnfoid
wealth is SO well safeguarded. artiilarv.
men, rlnged with blanket rolls aSd
l leaning on their rifles, coughed in The
| strangllng smoke. 'D0
The Battle Won. =
"Then came a lull;, the walls Of
III e. buildings e. across the street had
change, SO back to the upper story ' thee
nre lighters returned, led by Suner;n.
tendent Leach, who, by example and
words, encouraged his men to extin.
gulsh the blazing inner woodwork Of
1.-THE roof was next swept bv hose
cooling the copper-sheathed surface nm.
I'll 1t became passable for wet. acid.
soaked feet. An army officer, ak in
nand, tore up sections Of blazing tar
roof, beneath which a stream Of Water
was directed. At length, as 4 o clock
drew near, the mint was pronounced
out OF danger and handful Of ex-
hausted but exultant employees STUN
pied out on the hot cobblestones to
learn the fate Of some Of their homes.
1.-The mint presents scorched and
glassless front on the north and west
and the towering smokestacks are to
be torn down, but the building is in
tact and the plant is unharmed and
ready for the resumption Of work.
There were sensational rumors of
an attack of thieves upon the mint.
in which fourteen were killed in the
attempt, but it is needless to say that
the garrison of the mint 10 oo,,o1 -