The San Francisco call., 1908-09-26
100000 LOSS is
CAUSED BY BLAZE
Fire Razes Big Section in Oak
land and Endangers Entire
Water Front
Good Work of Department Saves
Iron Works and Prevents
Spread of Flames

OAKLAND. Sept. s5.-An entire
block, with the exception Of one build
ing, was completely gutted by fire this
morning between Washington, Clay.
Second and Third streets, causing a
loss in the neighborhood of 100000.
sThe Bay City iron works. on the corner
of Third and Washington streets, was
the only building saved.
The alarm was turned in at 9:45
o'clock and before the department
could get to the scene the south side
of the block was a roaring furnace
In driving up closely TO make hose
connections several firemen were Sc
verely burned, two engines injured by
the heat, paint peeled off two wagons
and one horse was singed about the
head.
Following is a list of the buildings
destroyed:
In Washington street-Parcell safe
manufacturing company, V. E. PeroPs
pattern works, Reliance engineering
company, upper portion of LavarelPs
saloon.
In Clay street, H Powelrs mar
ket. Hover company, Longs hay
market.
In Second street-Coates stair COM
pany, California standard planning mill.
Reid planning mill.
In Third street-Roeth planning mill
and an unoccupied building owned by
George Roeth.
Henry Mulligan, driver of No. hose
wagon. was badly burned about the
face and on both hands while stick
ing to his seat TO place the hose in
good position. Pop" Ayres, driver of
No engine, had his face singed
slightly Martin Carroll of No. 2 en-
gine was slightly burned. Manuel
Ramposa, fireman for the California
planning mill burned his arms and face
while trying to save kit of tools.
The injured men were taken to the
receiving hospital None of the men
is seriously injured
Henry Ralph, small boy, saw the
fire burst out between the Standard
and Reid planning mills, having started
from a spark dropping in some saw
dust He ran to the Oakland gas COM
pany, secured a key and turned in an
alarm Engines No. 1 to 8 responded
along with several truck companies.
In a few minutes 20 streams of water
were playing on the flames, which
threatened to cross Second street and
burn their way into the big lumber
yards of the Burnham- -Standeford COM
pany. This would have turned the en-
tire water front into a huge conhagra-
tien, but the hard work of the fire.
shortly after II o'clock. All the
buildings in the block We're burned to
the ground with the exception of those
in Washington street.
The high power electric lines Of the
Oakland power company threatened
danger to the firemen and the power
in the district was turned off, a force
Of Wiremen being sent to repair the
lines when the flames We're controlled.
The police, headed by Captain Lynch
and Captain Petersen, roped off the
district and kept the large crowd of
spectators out Of the danger line.
The spread Of the blaze beyond con-
troll was prevented by the additional
engines and fire fighting paraphernalia
recently added TO the equipment and
the excellent work of the men under
Chief Engineer Ball.
While the exact amount of insur-
ance can not be ascertained as yet. it
is small compared with the loss sus-
tained. owing to the high rate pre-
vailing in the district, which is built
OF inf1ammable material