The San Francisco call., 1906-11-23
WIND FANS FIRE
THAT CAUSES
BIC Loss
Mission Plants Are Swept
by Flames That Threaten
the Wholesale District
LOSS WILL REACH
NEARLY A MILLION
Fire Department Makes Va
liant Fight to Save Inaam-
mable Material From Blaze

nlaDle AldJer1al from Blaze
A disastrous fire, famed to fury by
the high winds that swept the city
last night, destroyed the glass ware
house of Whittier, Coburn & Co. at
Seventh and Hooper streets, spread TO
the Barber Asphalt Paving Company's
plant adjoining, ate up the Pacific
Coast Glass Company's place at Sew
enth and Irwin streets and threatened
the miles OF sheds In the wholesale and
railroad district. After the Fire De-
partment has responded to three
alarms the flames were subdued, al
though both plants were entirely de-
stroyed, with a property loss of over
s75O,eoo.
a night watchman and many fremen
had narrow escapes. from death and
Streams were kept playing all night
on the smoldering ashes and red-hot
glass
W. r. Johnson of 1886 Howard streets
the night watchman for Whittier. CO.
burn Company. was the first person
TO discover the flames. He was making
his rounds Of the building at o'clock
when he saw smoke coming from the
second floor of the glass warehouse,
where valuable machipery was located
He ran to box 5s7 at Seventh and Ir
win streets and turned in an alarm
Engines 81. Z. - and 25, chemical en-
gine and truck . were soon tum-
bling and swaying over the rough
roadways and railroad tracks to the
scene.
johnson ran back and claims that he
extinguished the fire in the Whittier.
Coburn plant and that it rekindled next
door il the Barber Company's stables.
Inflammable materials in both building
caught like tow and the flames leaped
high in air. A passer-by at Sixteenth
and Carolina streets saw the flames
and turned in an alarm and almost si-
multaneously a second and third alarm
We're turned in from Seventh and Ir-
win
In the meantime the high wind had
made the glass warehouse a roaring
furnace Blazing embers were carried
aloft by the blast from the burning
building for blocks by the gale. Hun
dreds Of families, securing bucaets.
flooded the roofs of their homes and
became an auxiliary department for
extinguishing sparks. Others pre-
pared their effects for hasty departure.
and the scene soon resembIed the mem
orable morning of the 18th of April.
Three times engines were dispatched
to put out fires that started from blaz-
ing embers carried by the wind.
Lengths of hose were run for blocks
from the scene of the fire owing to-
lack of hydrants, while the inflamma-
bic materials in the buildings cast a
glow. over the entire Mission
Julio Montanyo, night watchman for
the Barber plant, succeeded in rescu-
ing three horses While he entered
the building TO lead out the third horse
he became blinded with smoke and
would have been burned to death but
for the bravery of firemen who rushed
to his rescue Three hremen narrowly
escaped injury when the roof of the
Barber plant collapsed.
In vain the fremen worked to save
the Pacific Coast Glass Company's
place Already the flames had COM
pletely destroyed the glass and ma
chinery in the Whittier Coburn build
ing. amounting in value to over
100000, with but little insurance.
The building of the Barber com
pany was destroyed. but the as
phaltum is practically undamaged
by the flames Before the fire
was controlled the Pacific Coast plant
was also destroyed A shifting of the
wind saved the Dempsey Lumber Com
pany's yards from destruction
A singular fact in connection with
the fire is that three weeks ago the
Whittier coburn Company presented
the Fire Department with a check for
$3.50 for eficients work in saving their
place from destruction.