ed from Sansome street to the water front and from Market street
to Broadway. Fires also broke out in the mission and the entire city
seemed to be in flames.

The fire swept down the streets so rapidly that it was practically
impossible to save anything in its way. It reached the Grand Opera
House on Mission street and in a moment had burned through the roof.
The Metropolitan opera company from New York had just opened its
season there and all the expensive scenery and costumes were soon
reduced to ashes. From the opera house the fire leaped from building
to building, leveling them almost to the ground in quick succession.

The Call editorial and mechanical departments were totally destroyed
in a few minutes and the flames leaped across Stevenson street toward
the fine fifteen-story stone and iron Claus Spreckels building, which
with its lofty dome is the most notable edifice in San Francisco. Two
small wooden buildings furnished fuel to ignite the splendid pile.

Thousands of people watched the hungry tongues of flame licking the
stone walls. At first no impression was made, but suddenly there was a
cracking of glass and an entrance was affected. The interior
furnishings of the fourth floor were the first to go. Then as though
by magic, smoke issued from the top of the dome.

This was followed by a most spectacular illumination. The round
windows of the dome shone like so many full moons; they burst and gave
vent to long, waving streamers of flame. The crowd watched the
spectacle with bated breath. One woman wrung her hands and burst into
a torrent of tears.

"It is so terrible!" she sobbed. The tall and slender structure which
had withstood the forces of the earth appeared doomed to fall a prey
to fire. After a while, however, the light grew less intense and the
flames, finding nothing more to consume, gradually went, leaving the
building standing but completely burned out.

The Palace Hotel, the rear of which was constantly threatened, was the
scene of much excitement, the guests leaving in haste, many only with
the clothing they wore. Finding that the hotel, being surrounded on
all sides by streets, was likely to remain immune, many returned and
made arrangements for the removal of their belongings, though little
could be taken away owing to the utter absence of transportation
facilities. The fire broke out anew and the building was soon a mass
of ruins.

The Parrott building, in which were located the chamb