The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-04-25
THREE HEROES
SAVED THE CITY
Naval Officer and Two Gunners
Stopped the Sea of Flame
at Van Ness Avenue.
CALAMITY RISKED LIVES
EXPERT USE OF DEADLY GUN
COTTON.

san francisco, April A.-Three heroes
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 further and
sent trio of his most trusted men from
Mare island with orders to check the con-
IIagration at any. cost of life or property.
win them they brought a ton and a half
of guncotton- The terrific power of the
explosive was equal to the maniac deter
mination OF the fire.
Names Of the Heroes.
Captain MacBride was in charge Of the
squad Chief Gunner Adamson placed the
charges and the third gunner set them
The thunderous detonations to which the
terrified city listened all that dreadful
Friday night meant the salvation of 800
GOO lives million dollars worth of prop
erty. noble residences and worthless
that destruction broke the fire and sent
the raging flames over their own charred
The whole east side Of Van Ness avenue
from Golden Gate to Greenwich was dy-
nanited block deep. though most of the
structures stood untouched by spark or
cinder. Not one charge failed. Rot one
DCllulng stood upon its foundation.
District Seemed Safe.
Unless some second malicious miracle Of
nature reversed the direction OF the west
wind, the whole populous district to the
west blocked with fleeing refugees and
unilluminated except by the disastrous
glare on the water front. seemed safe by
8 o'clock
Van Ness avenue is fiat as the earth on
the east side. Every pound of guncotton
did its work and, though the ruins burned
IL was but feebly. From Golden Gate ave-
nue. north the fire crossed the wide street
in but one place. That was the Claus
Sprecl1els place on the corner of Califor-
MIA street There the flames were with
ing up the walls before the dynamiters
could reach it. Yet they made their way
to the foundations, carrying their expto-
sives despite the furnace-lilxe heat. The
charge had to be placed so swiftly and
the fuse lit in SGch a hurry that the ex-
plOson was not quite successful from the
trained viewpoint of the guEners. But.
though the walls still stood, it was only
an empty victory for the fire, as bare
brick and smoking ruins are poor food for
flames.
Not a Pound Wasted.
Captain MacBrides dynamiting squad
realized that a stand was hopeless except
forced their explosives further in the
burning section. but not a pound of gun
cotton could be or was wasted. The ruined
block that met the wide thoroughfare
structures that the conflagration. wild as
it was. could not leap. Engines pumping
brine through Fort Mason from the sbay
completed the little work that the gun
cotton had left. but for three DAYS the
haggard-eyed firemen guarded the flicker
ing ruins
heart of the city is a mute witness to 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
CAPTAIN MacBride and his two gunners
made history on that dreadful night.