The San Francisco call., 1908-08-18
100000 DAMAGE
IN VAN NESS FIRE
Twenty Merchants Suffer Heavy
Losses When. Flames Sweep
Business Block
Big Emporium Department Store
Is Only Saved From Destruc-
ton by Heroic Work

BY the explosion of q can OF gaSo- /
line in theatrical costume store III
Post street near Van Ness avenue !
shortly before o'clock last night q (
fire was started that burned out the /
major portion of a frame business /
block, caused damage or total loss 10 !
the stocks of 30 merchants and nearly
40 other tenants, and inflicted a loss
estimated al 100000
When the flames were at their
height so great was the heat that /
streams of water were kept playing
on the sides of the Emporium build
Ing, directly across Post street. At one
time it was thought that the big de-
partment store was doomed and that
the fire, famed by high wind, wouid
escape the control of the 1remen and
sweep on up the avenue, but Dy en-
cient work they kept it back.
With a noise heard for a block
can of gasoline in the costume house
of Nine. A. jain, on the second moor
of the wooden building at the corner
exploded, and the blazing fluid envel-
oped the room. William II. Harrison
of the Bouquet saloon, in Post street.
near by, and ]. ]. Gippert, Morse pa
trolman, heard the explosion. Eacn
turned in an alarm and the arriving
battalion chiefs quickly sent In Secono
alarms when they reached the scene.
Following the explosion the fire raced
minutes the Paragon shirtwa1st ana
fancy dress furnishing store was in
flames. This place was entirely burned
out. The fire gradually worked itself
along the rear of the wooden building
almost to Geary street, taking all the
stores in its path as it went.
The prop>ety is owned by the san
Francisco ladies' protective and relief
society. and Friedlander & Goldstone
r1rn fbaI Incn nrryfF, n
and wooden construction. few fire insur-
ance companies would take risks in the
vicinity, and little insurance was car
ried on the building or the contents or
the various stores.
Crowds that gathered in Post street
and along the avenue were thrilled to
see woman appear at one of the win
dows on the Post street side soon after
the fire started and leap without hesita-
tion to the sidewalk. She was unin-
jured by the jump and walked calmly
away without help.
The fact that a suspicious fire oc-
Cured in the same building several
months ago in which fire underwriters
found that coal oil had been spread
along the rear will result in police in
vestigation of last nights blaze. 1t Is
not known how the gasoline came to
explode.
An hours hard work on the part of
the fremen was necessary before the
fire was finally under control.
Among those to suffer were the fol-
lowing:
The Paragon. $4,000 stock. total
loss, partially insured.
Deimel linen mesh company, 1907
Van Ness avenue, dana ged by fire and
water: loss unknown
j. Swerin & Son, 11o9 Van Ness, tail
ors. entire stock damaged; loss esti-
mated at $4,000.
w. P. Buckingham, shoe store. I'LL
Van Ness; slight damage by fire and
water.
NJ. Blaskower. 1115 Van Ness. cigars
and tobacco; stock removed The only
damage here was to the fixtures.
The Diamond House. H. Cohen, pro-
prietor, 1121 Van Ness; loss about
$4,000. covered by insurance.
| Phillip Bruckner. 1921 Van Ness.
furrier; loss about $4,000. partial in
surance.
E. H. Wobber company, 1925 Van
Ness stationery store; loss about
$500. partially insured.
Sunset photo company. 1927 Van
Ness; loss about $500; partly insured.
stock valued at about $4,000; greatly
damaged by smoke and water; loss un-
known.
Stewards button store, 1918 Post
street; loss about $500.
Shibata, Japanese bazaar; loss about
| $50. 900; $4,000 insurance.
City and County bank; damage to
furnishings about $1,000.
Berger's suit store. over the Para
gon; stock valued at about SIS, 900; to-
tai loss.
Kisen company, Japanese art store;
| $20, 900 damage; no insurance.
Perhaps the only store in the Van
Ness street front of the building that
was not damaged, either by smoke, fire
or water. was the Levin leather store,
which is located at the corner OF Geary
street.