The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-07-13
HEAVY LOSS FROM
DANGEROUS BLAZE
Three Firemen Badly Injured in
Early Morning Fire in the
Richmond District
Police Suspect Incendiarism and
Search for Missing Proprie-
tor of Burned Store

Three firemen were seriously injured,
nearly a whole block of business build
ings in Clement street between Sixth
and Seventh avenues was destroyed
and a property loss of 1000 was sus-
tanned in fire which broke out at 3
o'clock yesterday morning
Suspicious circumstances surround
ing the origin of the fire have caused
the police TO look on it as one of
possible incendiary nature and orders
have been given for the arrest of J. c.
Christi. a butcher. in whose place of
business the flames first broke out.
Christi is reported to have been seen
in his store late Sunday night. but al
though he was in his room at 41S Fifth
avenue shortly after the fire he could
not be located yesterday. In addition
to the fact that Christi was not to be
found the police were informed that
he had obtained additional insurance
on his stock last week and that he was
deeply in debt
FIRE RAPIDLY GAINS
Policemen discovered the blaze in
Christi's shop at o'clock in the morn
by a stiff breeze from the ocean the
fire gained rapid Roadway however,
and spread rapidly to adjoining frame
buildings. The inflammable nature of
the structures in the vicinity, nearly
all of which are of wood, and the fact
that sparks were blown several blocks
caused several additional alarms TO be
turned in 1t took an hour and a half
to entirely extinguish the fire, but al
though all the buildings in the middle
of the block were totally destroyed the
flames We're kept from spreading and
buildings at the corners of both Sixth
and Seventh avenues were practically
uninjured
In battling with the flames the fire.
men were seriously handicapped by the
network of trolley and high tension
power and lighting wires in Clement
street and at both corners of the block
Time after time one or more of these
wires gave way to the heat, sending
up white glare of lightning brighter
than the flames themselves 1t was tc
one of the fallen power wires that
Hoseman Louis Andrews of engine
company IS owes his injuries.
While manipulating the nozzle of a
hose Andrews came in contact with the
fallen end of live wire and fell to
taken to the French hospital, where
he was suffering yesterday from seri-
Gus burns and from the electric shock
Lieutenant Michael Drury of engine
company &c and Hoseman Edward Nc
Gonigle of engine company 80 were
caught under a falling wall and were
badly burned about the face, neck
arms and body They We're also taken
to the French hospital but were re-
injuries to the firemen are not expected
to prove fatal.
FLAMES QUICKLY SPREAD
From Christis meat market at SIS
east and west. The other stores
burned were Craig & Green's saloon
Stevens. Blaho & Apostolidis restau-
rant, d. PauFs bakery, H. Dennery's
billiard hall and Lutge & Miller's fur
niture store. Harris Brothers shoe
store at 509 Clement street was par
tally destroyed, but II. S. Allan's dry
goods store at the corner of Sixth ave
nue. and two stores at the corner OF
Seventh avenue were practically un-
injured. All the buildings totally de-
stroyed were the property of ]. r. Saul
whose Office was in one of them.
Fire Marshal Charles Towe, Captain
Comstock of the fire underwriters pa
troll and Detectives Mulcahy and Earle
of the police department are conduct.
ing the investigation as to the origin
of the fire