‘Total destruction.’ Fire burned SLO city gas works after engine company’s hose burst
California utilities have had a bad string of news recently, ranging from ruptured gas lines to power lines triggering wildfires.
Lax maintenance, extreme weather and outdated equipment are just some of the causes. Humans don’t always manage technology well.
In the late 19th century, gas companies were getting started by manufacturing gas from coal. Natural gas would come later.
When fire broke out at the San Luis Obispo city gas works in 1879, “some live coke” — a fuel made by heating coal or oil — was supposed to blame.
San Luis Obispo had two fire organizations on hand to battle the blaze: an engine company and a hook-and-ladder company. Then, as now, citizens were grateful for the efforts of firefighters.
In those days, if a fire got out of control, whole sections of town were at risk. In this case, the original wooden structure was lost, but it was replaced with a stone building that still stands.
A note to readers: The Tribune had a eye-grabbing but hard-to-read way of setting type in 1879. The newspaper rarely used paragraph returns but would break every fifteen lines or so with an all-capitals line taken out of a sentence.
Today it would be called click bait, but back then the only clicks came when printers set type by hand.
The following story ran in the weekly San Luis Obispo Tribune on Feb. 15, 1879:
MONDAY’S FIRE
City Gas Works Burned—Total Destruction of Building—Machinery and Coal Saved—Brave Boys of the Fire Department
On Monday morning, about 10 o’clock, an alarm of fire was tolled from the fire bell at the city hall. The cause of the alarm was the burning of the city gas works. The cause of the fire is not positively known, but it is supposed that it originated from some live coke that was tossed to one side and ignited a pile of shale that was adjoining it. The alarm was not given until about fifteen minutes after the fire was discovered; but promptly after the first tap of the bell.
BOTH COMPANIES
Of the fire department were on their way to the scene of disaster. Unfortunately, or fortunately, as afterwards was discerned, the hose of the Engine Company bursted, and no water could be put upon the burning building except by buckets. It was fortunate for this reason: that if the water had been thrown upon the retorts and pipes, which were heated red, an explosion would necessarily have followed, which would have delayed the making of gas; would have caused a great deal more expense to the company, and perhaps have
KILLED MANY PERSONS.
At the time the fire originated there was no one at the works, both the superintendent and the man in charge being at the residents of C.J. Russell, repairing a meter or pipe, but sooner than anyone else they were both at the works. Mr. Godfrey, the superintendent, immediately disconnected the gas from the main tank and made other disconnections which prevented any possibility of an explosion of the principal holder of main pipes. The courage and bravery of the firemen during the conflagration is certainly deserving of great credit. After the
BURSTING OF THE HOSE
It was impossible to play on the burning building, and water was then thrown on the adjoining building to prevent it being burned. It was soon found impossible to save the building covering the machinery and coal, and the members of the Hook and Ladder Company, with assistants from by-standers, pulled down the office, which was immediately adjoining, and thus saved part of the building and its contents. To prevent the total destruction of the coal and shale was thought by some to be
AN IMPOSSIBILITY,
But in less time than it takes to say it, a dam was built across the street, and water from the hydrant turned on, and with the use of about two dozen buckets, and twice the number of energetic firemen and citizens the fire was soon extinguished, and very little damage was done. The company should be thankful that the loss of property is so small as it is, as the approximate loss is estimated at
NOT MUCH MORE THAN $1,000.
The people of San Luis should feel grateful that the inconvenience of using coal oil and candles has been obviated. Immediately after the fire Mr. Godfrey put on a full force of workmen and soon had the machinery in working order, and the manufacture of gas has been continuous. The firemen worked energetically and faithfully, and have already received the approbation and gratitude of the entire city. Mr. Godfrey, the superintendent has
WORKED HARD AND FAITHFULLY
Both during and since the fire, and has, by his energy succeeded in continuing the making of gas.
One thing would be proper to speak of here. That is, the necessity of more hose for the Engine Company, and a better supply of buckets and axes for the Hook and Ladder Company. The little fire that we have had is but a warning of what we may have, and it gave a good opportunity to the fire companies to find out their deficiencies in equipment. They should prepare themselves at once with everything that is necessary. A city never loses anything by keeping its fire department in good trim.
