Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-04-25
DEEDS Of THE
DYNAMITE SQUAD.
Their Work During Terrible Friday
Night Meant Saving Of
100000 People.
STAND AT VAN NESS AVENUE.
Was Hopeless AZ ANY Other Point
And so There IL Was
Made.

San Francisco. April 24.--Three he
roes saved San Francisco--what Is left
Of it. They were the dynamite squad
that threw back the fire demon at Van
Ness avenue.
When the burning city seemed
doomed and the flames lit the sky fur
ther and further to the west Admiral
McCalla sent a trio of his most trusted
men from Mare Island with orders TO
check the confagration at any cost of
brought ton and a half OF guncotton.
The terrific power OF the explosive was
equal to the maniac determination OF
the fire.
Capt. MacBride was IN charge of the
squad Chief Gunner Adamson placed
the charges and the third gunner set
them of. The thunderous detonations
to which the terrified city listened all
that dreadful Friday night meant the
salvation of 100000 lives million
dollars worth of property, noble resi-
dences and worthless shacks, were
blown to drifting dust, but that de-
struction broke the fire and sent the
raging flames over their own charred
path.
The whole east side Of Van Ness ave-
nue. from Golden Gate to Greenwich
was dynamited block deep, though
most Of the structures stood untouch-
ed by spark or cinder. Not one charge
failed. Not one building stood upon
its foundation.
Unless some second malicious mir
acle Of nature reversed the direction
Of the west wind the whole populous
district to the west, blocked with fleet
ing refugees and unilIuminated except
by the disastrous glare on the water
front, seemed safe by o'clock.
Van Ness avenue is fiat as the earth
on the east side Every pound OF gun
cotton did its work. and, though the
ruins burned, It was but feebly. From
Golden Gate avenue north the fire
crossed the wide street In but one
place. That was the Claus Spreckels
place on the corner of California street
There the flames were writhing up the
walls before the dynamiters could
reach il. Yet they made their way to
the foundations, carrying their eNplo-
sives despite the furnace-like heat.
The charge had to be placed so swiftly
and the fuse Ut in such hurry that
the explosion was not quite success
full from the trained viewpoint OF the
gunnefS, But tnougn the Nhhs sun
stood II was only an empty victory
for the fire, AS bare brick and smoking
ruins are poor food for flames.
Capt. McBride's dynamlting squad
realized that a stand was hopeless ex-
cept on Van Ness avenue. They could
have forced their explosives further In
the burning section, but not n pound OF
gun cotton could be or was wasted.
The ruined block that met the wide
thoroughfare formed trench through
the clustered structures that the con-
fiagration. wild az II was, could not
leap. Engines pumping brine Though
Fort Mason from the bay completed the
little work that the gun cotton had left,
but for three days the haggard-eyed
firemen guarded the pickering ruins.
The desolate waste straight through
the heart OF the city is a mute witness
10 the most heroic and effective work OF
the whole calamity. Three men did this
and when their work was over and
what stood OF the city rested quietly,
for the first time, they departed as
modestly as they had come. They were
ordered TO save San Francisco and
they obeyed orders. and Capt MacBride
and his two gunners made history ON
that dreadful night.