The San Francisco call., 1906-07-26
Many Believe Fire
bug Applied Torch
toArnsby Plant.
SPECIAL DISPATCH TO THE CALL.

SPECIAL DISPATCH TO THE CALL
~ UISUN, July 25.-One- half of Sui
sun believes tonight that the ter
\ ribIe fire of yesterday afternoon
and evening, which destroyed
thirty residences and six business
houses ere it was finally controlled
was started by an incendiary. This
half is firmly convinced that some one
who had a grievance against the ]. K.
Armsby Company deliberately set fire
to the firms Railroad avenue ware
house.
The other half believes that spark
from a railroad engine fell through a
crack in the platform leading from the
Armsby warehouse to the depot,
smoldered there for an hour or more,
and then burst into flame. Blazing
shingles carried over the northeastern
portion of the town by a heavy south
west wind are believed to be respon-
sible for the dozen or more fires that
broke out shortly after the blaze at
the depot reached its height
No EXPLOSION HEARD.
Little credence is placed in the theory
advanced by some that spontaneous
combustion in the Armsby packing
house started the fire, and neither
Manager Parker Frlsselle. who were
in the building when the fire. was dis
covered, heard the explosion, reported
10 have taken, place.
Sheriff James A. Keyes and other Of
flcers of Solano County will investigate
the possible incendiary origin of the
flames. The Armsby packing house at
Yuba City was partially destroyed by
fire early in June and two weeks later
another blaze completed its destruc
tion. Pinkerton detectives were put to
work on the case and found that both
fires were the work of a frebug. The
misereant was caught and sentenced to
a term in the penitentiary. The off,
GERS OF Solano County believe that an
attempt to do further injury to the j.
h. Armsby Company might very well
have been the cause OF yesterdays fire.
The Armsby Company's managers do
not believe the fire was set by an in
cendiary. but are at a loss to account
for the suddenness of the blaze.
TOTAL Loss, $4,000.
The latest estimate OF the total dam
age done by the fire is $4,000. The
insurance is about $4,000 OF this
amount about 100000 is carried by the
Firemens Fund Insurance Corporation.
the new company formed to take over
the business of the old Fireman's Fund
amount will be paid in full, as the new
corporation has plenty OF assets. The
Niagara London and Liverpool and
Globe. Royal of Liverpool and the
Queen Insurance companies carry the
greater part of the $4,000 insured with
outside companies.
Great credit for the saving OF the
city belongs TO the Vallejo Fire De-
partment. 1t came to the rescue with
a steam engine and hose cart. Water
was pumped from the slough. So eff
feetive was the work of the Vallejoites
that they stopped the flames on Solano
street at the residence of J. T. Cooper
after 1t was partially destroyed. The
fire departments of Benicia and Vaca-
Vile also responded nobly when called
upon and aided in saving the city from
being swept away.
All of the business houses destroyed
will be quickly rebuilt" said Mayor
Ernest Luehning tonight. and Suisun
VIII be more prosperous than ever. We
are glad that we escaped as we'll as we
did. The creamery. feed mill planning
mill and packing houses will be re-
built at once"