USA > California > San Francisco County > San Francisco > San Francisco, a history of the Pacific coast metropolis, Volume II > Part 52
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Within a few minutes after the first and most serious disturbance as many as sixteen fires were noted in various sections of the City. But the number and extent of these were unknown to the people who, with few exceptions, did not realize the danger from this source until many hours later. These fires were at first confined to the territory south of Market street, and were mainly occasioned by the collapse of chimneys, and the breaking of electric connections. Before 8 a. m., the number of blazes had increased, and it began to be apparent that the firemen were unable to control the spread of the flames in the down town district in which the buildings were close together, and population congested. The day had opened with perfect weather, and would have been unusually warm and welcome under other circum- stances, but with fires raging, whose effect was to create temperatures of 2,000° to 2,200° Fahrenheit in localities, it was early regarded with dread by those who saw the flames eating their way in every direction. The fact that the chief of the fire department, David Scanlon, had been fatally injured by a falling wall was generally known to the large number of persons who had swarmed into Market street, in the vicinity of the newspaper offices, from the residential districts, and was a cause of dread to some who noted the ineffectual efforts of the firemen to check the flames which had attained the proportions of a conflagration in the neigh- borhood of Mission and Third streets and were eating their way up the latter thoroughfare. It was not at first realized that the ineffectiveness of the work of the department was due to a water deficiency, the extent of that trouble only became known later in the day, when a disposition to regard the situation as hope- less began tò manifest itself, although the fighting with the flames continued until night closed in, when the firemen utterly exhausted ceased their vain battle, and only the unorganized dynamiters were still at work trying to arrest the progress of the devastating element.
Attempt to Get Out an "Extra"
It would be impossible to present sequentually the advance of the fire. Attempts have been made to do so by means of an official inquiry conducted under the aus- pices of the United States geological survey, and also by a committee of citizens.
Ineffectual Efforts of the Firemen
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The obstacles in the way of such a presentation are too numerous to overcome, as impressions had to be accepted in lieu of exact facts. There was an effort to se- cure details of that character on the first morning of the three days' fire. The managing editor of the "Chronicle" had gathered his force about him, and before seven o'clock the city editor had detailed many of his best men to cover various phases of the disaster, and to particularly inquire into origins and the extent of the fires then raging. He went about his duty as if the description of an astounding calam- ity was no unusual affair, and in an incredibly brief space of time his reporters were piling copy on his desk, which, however, proved unavailable, owing to the discovery that the cause which operated to prevent the firemen dealing successfully with the flames would prevent the use of the machinery of the establishment. The foreman of the press room reported an insufficiency of water to keep his boilers going, and presently there was a reminder of another obstacle. An explosion of gas in the sewer in front of the building sent the iron cover of a manhole hurling through the air and made it clear that the Merganthaler machines were out of commission. No attempt was made by the editors of the other papers to deal with the situation. The offices of the "Call" and "Examiner" were in line of the fire, and before 8 o'clock, it was recognized that they could not be saved. A consultation was held by the man- aging editors of the three papers and a decision was reached to trespass on the hos- pitality of the Oakland newspaper plants, and a messenger was sent to that city to apprise the proprietor of the "Tribune" of the desire of his San Francisco con- temporaries to avoid a break in their publications. Meanwhile the possibility of is- suing an edition from the "Bulletin" office was investigated, and the attempt was not abandoned as hopeless until it was learned that the fire had leaped the barrier of Kearny street, and that the Chinese quarter was beginning to burn.
Before noon of Wednesday the fire had swept nearly a square mile of the dis- trict south of Market street. Some hours earlier a strong detachment of troops from the presidio appeared on the scene and drove back the crowd which mani- fested a tendency to concentrate in the street in the vicinity of the newspaper offices. All morning hundreds of persons from points of vantage were observing the efforts made to prevent the fire communicating itself to the Palace hotel. The attempt was not abandoned until the supply of artesian water stored in a large reservoir under the building was exhausted. At no time did there appear to be any assistance rendered by the firemen who were fighting the flames at points south of the hotel, but without success. The heat became so intense after a while that the firemen were obliged to fly for their lives and in several instances they were compelled to abandon their engines and other apparatus. The expedient of dynamiting was thought of and put into practice without judgment or the exercise of skill. There is some obscurity respecting the superintendence of this part of the fire fighting during Wednesday, but the futile attempt to blow up the Monadnock building on Market street between the Palace hotel, and the "Examiner" office was made by the military. The inexperience of the men handling the explosives betrayed itself . in the result. The structure, whatever its fire resisting qualities may have been, was proof against misdirected assaults made on its steel frame which was only jarred by the concussion.
When the firemen were finally compelled to abandon the contest with the flames on Third street near Mission some time before noon of Wednesday, it was seen that they could not be arrested in their progress toward Market street. By this time
Ineffectual Efforts to Dynamite Buildings
Property Needlessly Sacrificed
832
SAN FRANCISCO
the military had cleared the latter thoroughfare of spectators, permitting no one within the lines excepting reporters who were hastily provided with an improvised badge. The object of the extraordinary precaution which was strictly enforced was not quite clear, but it was doubtless due to fear that further shocks might occur which would accomplish what the first had failed to effect. There were numerous jars during the morning, and one severe one about eight o'clock, which caused those on the sidewalks to hurry into the open spaces. The crowds, however, were not apprehensive of danger from the tall buildings, and remained until forced away by the soldiers. The necessity for this course did not seem as apparent later as it did at the time, and to its adoption must be attributed the loss of much valu- able property that might have been saved if the occupants of the offices had been permitted to enter them to remove their papers and effects. Very few were privi- leged to do so, and later, in some of the residential districts vast quantities of prop- erty that might have been removed was destroyed, the unreasonable restrictions and excessive precautions contributing largely to that result. That the military sought to guard against looting has been asserted, but this explanation, in view of the fact that most of the buildings from which owners were excluded were surrend- ered to the flames, is not satisfactory. But as no better one has been afforded, it may be accepted in lieu of the criticism that rigid adherence to military meth- ods created a situation which would have been avoided had it been possible in the sudden emergency to effect an organization which would have permitted coopera- tion with citizens who might have suggested a plan of identification and effected great savings.
It has been said that there were conflicting statements concerning the progress of the conflagration, some of which have been perpetuated in official reports pre- pared months after the event. That there should be contradictions of the sort mentioned is not surprising as many directly interested in the fate of buildings destroyed by the flames found it impossible to obtain accurate information concern- ing the time of the destruction of their property. Persons claiming to have wit- nessed and carefully noted the advance of the fire declare that on the afternoon of Wednesday "it broke across to the north side of Market street in the vicinity of the high steel frame Spreckels building on the southeast corner of Market and Third streets," and that "there the flames veered with the wind, burning northward and westward through Chinatown, and there joined its destructive energy with that of a separate column of fire that had swept up from the lower end of Market street and the water front." There are numerous errors in this statement. The fire con- sumed the Examiner building early in the morning, and it was some hours before noon when the flames attacked the Claus Spreckels building. Adjoining that struc- ture on Third street there was a three story building occupied as a shoe store, and filled with a highly inflammable stock of goods. The fire, as it rapidly ate its way along Third street attacked this low structure, and it was soon a mass of roaring flames, the tongues of which leaped upward and destroyed the plate glass in the south windows of the fifth or sixth story of the Claus Spreckels building. A group standing at the Lotta fountain opposite speculated on the probability of the fire communicating itself to the tall building, and even while they spoke ribbons of smoke were seen streaming from openings far above, and in a few minutes the in- terior of the structure was ablaze. At that time, and for some hours afterward, there was no sign of the fire crossing Market street. Shortly before dusk the writer
Progress of the Confia- gration
833
SAN FRANCISCO
walked up that throughfare and in front of the Phelan block encountered Mr. and Mrs. Frank J. Sullivan, the owners of valuable property in the neighborhood, and exchanged views with them. The Parrott building on the south side of the street containing the Emporium department store had succumbed to the flames, and all the buildings in that block had been destroyed, but there was enough of the element of doubt in the situation at that time to permit the hope that the north side of the street might be spared.
At two-thirty on the afternoon of Wednesday three persons, Gavin McNab, Fair- fax Wheelan and the writer, stood in the center of Market street opposite San- some. McNab had been surveying the building of the association with which he was connected, and which was situated on Sansome street. It had not yet been attacked by the flames, but they were stealing toward it from the east and north, the fire having jumped across Market street at an earlier hour. At this time the latter thor- oughfare was completely deserted at the point where the group stood; the only signs of life visible were the sentries who were posted in the block between Mont- gomery and Kearny. There was no sound except the crackling noise of flames which was hardly loud enough to deserve the term roaring. The fire was then burning in the south of Market street district nearly to the water front, and had made its way across the main artery of the City, and was eating its way westward in the busi- ness district north of Market, but had not yet reached the block of Sansome street terminating at the latter thoroughfare. The Wells Fargo building and other large structures on Second street were aflame, and the Grand hotel had commenced to burn. The attempt to save the Palace had been abandoned some hours before when the supply of artesian water gave out, and there was no evidence of life in or near the hotel. It is impossible to state with positiveness whether the fire which de- stroyed the great hostelry, once the glory of San Francisco, attacked it from the east, but it seemed to the little group spoken of that it surrendered to the assault from that direction. It is not improbable that the inroads made much earlier in the morning, and which the force of the hotel had battled with for several hours, were greater than was supposed, and that the fire had eaten its way unnoticed to the lower floors; but from whatever point it came, when it disclosed itself to those on the street, the hotel presented the appearance of being afire in every part. Its myriad bay windows, looking out on four sides were all shooting flames at once. The spec- tacle was one calculated to inspire awe despite the fact that all around it were structures which had already succumbed to the destroyer; but few witnessed it, and they were so engrossed by the absorbing question of "what to do," that nothing could divert or interest them.
In the Mission district in which, at the time, the buildings were built almost wholly of wood, gallant stands were made against numerous fires which originated early in the day, and the intelligent use of limited supplies of stored water, and the hard work of the citizens preserved the greater part of the residences in that section from destruction; but the losses were considerable there also, and several times it was feared that the whole region would became a prey to the devonring ele- ment. Indeed, during a part of the first day there was more concern for the Mis- sion than for other parts of the City about which little apprehension was felt as late as six o'clock of Wednesday. About that hour the firemen were struggling to confine the flames to the east side of Kearny street in the blocks north of Cali- fornia. The rapidly organized corps dealing with explosives sought to create a
Destruction of the Palace Hotel
Timid Use of Explosives
834
SAN FRANCISCO
barrier by blowing down houses in that neighborhood, but lack of experience proved an obstacle to success. It was stated by eye witnesses that an explosion, pre- sumably of black powder, accomplished a result exactly the opposite of that contem- plated, and that burning brands were hurled to the other side of the street thus communicating the fire to the Chinese quarter. It may be true as asserted that there was inexpertness displayed by the improvised sapping corps, but there is little doubt that the flames would have crept around the north end of Kearny street and into the Latin quarters even though the mistake had not been made of confining ex- plosions to the fringe of the fire line. Critics after the event pointed out that there was too much timidity in the use of dynamite, and that it could only have been effectively employed in a tremendous conflagration spreading over miles by ruth- lessly setting a back fire from points not already assailed.
At nine o'clock on Wednesday night the proprietor of the "Chronicle" visited his building on the corner of Market and Geary streets accompanied by the writer. At that time the fire had not reached it, nor had it attacked the Crocker building at the intersection of Post and Montgomery with Market streets. Early in the day the windows in the topmost story of the Crocker building were observed to be open, and it was feared that sparks from the conflagration raging south of Market street might blow in, and when the Palace began to burn it was regarded as doomed, but it was still unvisited by the flames at the hour mentioned and the probability of it escaping destruction was suggested. At that time, however, the flames had attacked the Occidental hotel and the buildings in its vicinity were burning. The down town streets were then completely deserted except by sentries who were still patrolling Kearny street between Market and California. At first they declined to recognize the newspaper badge, but after a little parleying they consented to the writer and the proprietor of the "Chronicle" entering the lines, insisting, however, that the au- tomobile should not proceed further than the corner of Post and Kearny streets. On foot we made our way to Montgomery street where a very brief inspection con- vinced us that nothing but a miracle could save any structure in the neighborhood. Even though the flames might not be communicated directly the descending sparks which in many instances would be more properly described as fire brands, would have certainly found vulnerable spots. Later it was learned that the Chronicle buildings, the new seventeen story on Kearny street, just approaching comple- tion, and the ten story structure on the corner of Market, Geary and Kearny were ignited in that manner. A watchman employed by a clothing firm on Kearny street asserts that the roof of the ten story Chronicle building, which was a tem- porary affair devised to protect the inmates while two stories were being added, caught fire at about 3 a. m., on Thursday morning, and that the flames from it were communicated to the adjoining tall structure and from thence they spread northward.
From the "Chronicle" office whose doors were found unlocked a visit was made to the hill overlooking Jefferson square, for the purpose of observing the progress of the flames towards the residential section of the Western Addition. On the way to Eddy street, Union square was passed. It was filled with refugees, some of whom had brought a part of their belongings. A little inquiry developed that most of them were from the numerous rooming houses which existed on Kearny street, and in the blocks entering that thoroughfare, and some few from the Latin quarter. Some of them overcome with fatigue were stretched on the grass sleeping soundly.
Refugees in Union Square
The Fire on Wednesday Night
835
SAN FRANCISCO
One group surrounding a piano was assisting the performer to sing a song which the circumstances hardly suggested. A reporter on the ensuing day described the impromptu concert, which he had also encountered, as the only instance of artificial hilarity observed by him during the day and he ascribed it to overindulgence in wine. There was no apprehension on the part of those in Union square that they would have to abandon that open place, although their feeling of security was scarcely warranted by the appearance of their surroundings. The fire was creep- ing westward, and there was every indication that it would spare nothing in its southward march from the Latin quarter region which had begun to burn before night fall. There was as yet no signs of the mansions on Nob hill being attacked, and the fact that they were surrounded by spacious grounds may have suggested that they might escape, but it is improbable that the exhausted crowds gave the matter any thought. Those who looked for signs saw the Fairmont, almost fin- ished, but not yet occupied, brightly illumined by the flames of the burning buildings of Chinatown and thought it might escape, but they overlooked the danger from the superheated air, and the rain of sparks and fire brands descending and constantly menacing the neighboring structures whose ample proportions and timbers invited the encroachments of the flames. The St. Francis and the other buildings sur- rounding Union Square were still unharmed by the fire, but the hotel was deserted by its guests who had fled to other parts of the City.
From Eddy street a view of the destruction wrought in the section south of Golden Gate avenue and east of Van Ness could be obtained. The park and the streets bounding the two blocks were lined with automobiles and other vehicles re- moved from garages, and the grounds were filled with people who had been driven from their homes by the flames which appeared at that hour, between nine and ten p. m., to have approached close to McAllister street in many places. There was evidence of persistence in the wearisome struggle of fire fighters in that quarter, but there was no organized effort. Individual householders exerted themselves in places, but when their property was saved, as it was in some cases, it was more through the vagaries of the flames than to their efforts. A reporter who still con- tinued his observation of the progress of the fire, and had traversed several of the streets south of Fulton, stated that all that part of the town was deserted, and that in many instances he had seen the doors of houses standing open, and that household effects which had been removed to the sidewalks had been abandoned. He had endeavored to gauge the probabilities of the advance of the conflagration in the direction of the Western Addition in which he lived, with the commendable design of reassuring neighbors, and was convinced that there was no likelihood of it approaching the residential region north of Golden Gate avenue and west of Van Ness avenue from the south.
His assurance could not have been carried to many, for the people thoroughly exhausted who lived in places as yet unscathed, were sleeping the sleep of weari- ness in their homes or had fled to the open places. Hamilton square, Alta Plaza, the cemeteries, the presidio and the park were already harboring large numbers of refugees who were stretched out on improvised beds and many on the bare ground. It may seem incredible, but on this awful first night of the conflagration hundreds of persons, who had only to lift their heads to see that the City was encircled by a ring of fire, whose menacing front stretched several miles around them, slept as soundly as in their own homes. In ascending to the highest point in Alta Plaza an
Anxious Surveys of the Flames
Conflagration Vlewed from Alta Plaza
836
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anxious observer heard no sound except the stertorous breathing of adults and an occasional whimper from a child. The night was warm, the artificial heat having overcome the natural tendency to low temperature, a fortunate circumstance as not a few of the refugees had failed to provide themselves with covering of any sort. From the highest eminence of Alta Plaza the condition seemed hopeless. While the possibility of the barrier which the width of Van Ness avenue presented afforded a hope that the advance of the flames from the east might be arrested, a glance towards the south and west showed the danger of the fire approaching the residential district of the City in the northwest by creeping along the closely built streets of frame houses which extended from Market street to the heart of the Western Addition. To the spectator viewing the flames from this point it appeared as if the City was surrounded by a contracting wall of fire, extending from the Mission to North Beach and that it was utterly doomed.
Although the military, as already related, assumed control of the streets and exercised police power, there was no abandonment of duty by the citizens of San Francisco. As was perhaps proper, certainly it was natural, the first impulse of men of large interests was to ascertain the extent of the injury suffered by their property. In many instances the result of the hasty survey was reassuring. Be- fore the fires had assumed menacing proportions many of the buildings of the new mode of construction had been examined, and the discovery made that the steel frames had resisted the temblor and had suffered no injury. Before six o'clock an examination of the interior of the Chronicle building from top to bottom was made, and it was found that the wrenching had not affected the marble lined halls, nor disturbed the terra cotta dividing walls. There was no binding of doors or in- dications of any sort pointing to instability. A bit of wall exposed to mishap by the character of a roof temporarily provided to serve while an addition of two stories was being made to the building had a few bricks dislodged. In some of the rooms books and ornaments had been thrown violently to the floor. A janitor whose duty it was to care for the editorial rooms had not deserted his post, and when directed to do so went about his work of cleaning them as usual. It was no isolated case, although it may not have been typical as there was in this instance a desire to get out an extra. But devotion to personal affairs was speedily subordinated to earnest and organized effort for the general welfare. At three o'clock p. m., of the first day of the conflagration, at the call of Mayor Schmitz a number of citizens assembled in the Hall of Justice to consider what measures should be taken. Out of this gathering originated what was afterward known as the Committee of Fifty, a body which slightly exceeded that number. In the midst of the deliberations at the first meeting the committee was compelled to abandon the room in which it had assembled, the fire having approached peril- ously near to the hall which the firemen were trying to save. An adjournment was taken to the Plaza opposite, but that soon became too hot, and a further retreat had to be made to the Fairmont hotel. At this first meeting the gravity of the situ- ation was fully recognized, and although it was impossible to foresee the extent of the conflagration the worst was stared in the face, and plans were outlined which were speedily put into execution on the succeeding day while the fire was still rag- ing. The committee adjourned to meet early on the ensuing morning in the same place, but the flames had claimed the hotel during the night.
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