The San Francisco call., 1906-10-19
FLAMES ENDANGER
SOUTHERN PART
Of CITY.
in Southern Pacific
Shed Causes Heavy Loss
to the Railroad Company
EXPLOSION STARTS
A CONFEDERATION
Five Alarms Bring Firemen,
Who Are Handicapped by.
Low Pressure of Water


IRE of six months ago San Francisco
faced conhagration that originated
In the heart of the huge freight sheds
and threatened to deyastate a part of
the southern section of the city last
night. A heavy explosion In shed I, at
Fifth and Townsend streets, started the
blaze that entirely consumed the shed
and four tracks of loaded freight cars
to the south, causing a loss to the
Southern Pacific Company of approxi-
mateIy 100000.
That the blaze did NO further dam
age is due to the lack of high winds
and the efficiency of the department.
under Chief Engineer Shaughnessy,
who personally directed the fire fight
ing. Before the department arrived,
however, eighty clerks of the South
ern Pacific, who were working at night
in the freight office, turned out with
small hose and fought the flames. They
were assisted by the watchmen Of the
sheds adjoining shed I.
J. Mullaney. the Waterman of the
building, was in the building at the
time, and although he denies that he
was asleep. he claimed that he heard
no explosion. The police of the Mis-
sion-street station. which is adjacent
to the shed. heard the report. and.
headed by Sergeant McGovern. rushed
to the scene. Patrolman W. T Moran
turned In the first alarm. and dis
played his intrepidity by entering the
roaring building to see If there was
any one inside.
SMALLER EXPLOSIONS OCCUR.
The first department apparatus TO ar
rive was commanded by Battalion Chief
Maxwell. Soon after the firemen ar
rived five smaller explosions occurred,
and the north side of the shed collapsed.
carrying with it the roof and jeopardiz-
ing the groups of firemen stretched
along Harrison street These men were
also handicapped by the lack of water.
as the nearest hydrant was at the COR
ner of Brannan and Fifth streets. |
weakening the force of the streams
The work of the iremen was made
extremely hazardous by the presence of
tanks of oil and gasoline on the freight
cars and live wires that fell. swapping
and kissing. to the ground Dense vol |
umes of smoke rolled from the blazing
board for coast cities and towns AS
car after car yielded to the flames, the
tracks became red hot and coiled and
writhed like glowing snakes. kissing
under the showers OF water that fell
upon thems
For a time it looked as though shed
K, to the south of I. was doomed. The
fire caught under the platform sur
rounding the building, and after a stub
born fight. in which the platform was
ripped up from end to end. the incip-
lent blaze was subdued.
BRAVE FIGHT OF FIREMEN.
Five alarms were turned in and after
two hours fight. at $50, the flames
were under control. BY this time shed
1 was completely gutted. and twenty
cars out of fifty were smoldering ruins
One passenger train was delayed and
several freights were stalled by the
blaze. Southern Pacific officials esti-
mate the loss at about 100000
At the second alarm Chief Shaush-
messy was on the scene and took charge.
At his order force of men were sent
to the south of shed to head. OF the
flames that were making rapid head
way toward piles of lumber in the vi
cinity. This force contended with the
oil and gasoline tanks that sent shafts
of flame high into the air. The heat
became unbearable. but through it all
Shaughnessy and his men stuck by the
hose, which began to smoke. and final
ly drove back the fire.
Shaughnessy, at yesterdays meeting
of the Fire Commissioners. was pre-
sented with check for $500 by the
Haslett warehouse people for saving
their building. The chief directed that
the money be turned over to the
widows and orphans fund OF the de-
partment.
BURTON READY TO GO TO JAIL.