JOHN H. MULLEN
John H. Mullen - October 14, 1909 (#51)
Assigned to Truck Co. No. 8 - 38 Bluxome
Appointed - September 1, 1907

M. FRIEDMAN COMPANY FIRE – 645-7-9 Brannan Street

Box 687
Sixth & Brannan Streets
GREATER ALARM

Truckman John F. Mullen was burned to death while working at the M. Friedman Company fire, 645-7-9 Brannan Street, October 14, 1909

To Officers and Members
San Francisco Fire Department.

Gentlemen:
At a meeting of the Board of Fire Commissioners, held on the 4th Inst, the following resolution was adopted and a copy thereof ordered posted in the different houses of the department.

WHEREAS, It has pleased the Almighty God to remove from our midst John H. Mullen, a member of Truck Co. No. 8 of the San Francisco Fire Department, who lost his life at a fire responded to from box 687, on October 14, 1909. And,

WHEREAS, By his loss the City of San Francisco has lost a faithful servant and the Fire Department a brave hero, who knew no fear when called upon for duty. And,                        

WHEREAS, Through all the time he was in the San Francisco Fire Department he was found to be brave, strong, and faithfully devoted to his work and, a stranger to fear; indifferent always to his own safety when life or property stood in danger. Therefore be it

RESOLVED, That we, the Commissioners of the San Francisco Fire Department, record our profound sorrow at his sad and untimely death and our deep sense of the loss it means to the San Francisco Fire Department and the community he served so well. And be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of these resolutions be forwarded to the relatives of the deceased member of this department.

George A. Newhall, President
Board of Fire Commissioners.

William P. Delany
Lemuel B. Edwards
William H. McCarthy

Attest:
J. W. McCARTHY,
Secretary Board of Fire Commissioners.

MULLEN

In this city, October 14, 1909, John Mullen, beloved brother of Thomas, Mary and the late Katherine Mullen, a native of Virginia City, Nev., aged 37 years. A member of Court James G. Blaine No. 207, F. of A., and a member of the San Francisco Fire department.

Friends and acquaintances are respectfully invited to attend the funeral tomorrow (Monday), October 18. 1909, at 8:30 o'clock a. m., from the funeral parlors of Green, Ryan & Donohoe, northeast corner of Sixteenth and Guerrero streets, thence to Mission Dolores Church, where a requiem mass will be celebrated for the repose of his soul, commencing at 9 a. m. Interment Holy Cross cemetery.

COURT JAMES G. BLAINE No. 207, F. of A.

Officers and members are requested to attend the funeral of our late brother, John H. Mullen, from the parlors of Green, Ryan & Donohoe, northeast Corner of Sixteenth and Guerrero streets., tomorrow (Monday), at 8:30 a. m. By order

G. A. JACOBS, Chief Ranger.
Source: San Francisco Call, Volume 106, Number 139, 17 October 1909 — Page 35 Advertisements Column 4 [ADVERTISEMENT]

Source: 1910 Municipal Report, page 785
Source: Fire Commission Resolution to Officers and Members

Extracted from original sources with grammar and spelling as published.

Related Articles

FIREMEN FALL IN WAREHOUSE $150,000 BLAZE
CAPTAIN EDWARD DAUNET BADLY HURT AND SIX OTHERS ARE OVERCOME BY SMOKE
BUILDING OF M. FRIEDMAN & CO., CROWDED WITH GOODS, IS A TOTAL LOSS

1909 October 15
Captain Edward Daunet of fire engine 6 was seriously hurt, six firemen were carried out of the building overcome by smoke and heat, and damage estimated to be in excess of $150,000 was sustained in a fire that totally destroyed the furniture warehouse of M. Friedman & Co. at 645-7-9 Brannan street last night. The firemen who lost consciousness while fighting the blaze from inside the burning building were John Mitchell of company 35, W. Shephard of 25, Ed McKlttrick of 17, Joseph Litchfleld of 17, Daniel Mahoney of 17 and G.G. Hall of the Merchants fire despatch. Others staggered out on y the verge of helplessness and recovered only after several minutes in the open air.

CROWDED WITH FURNITURE:

Of the entire contents of the building but a single rocking chair, worth perhaps $5, was saved.

The blaze was one of the most stubborn the fire department has been called upon to fight in the last year and was spectacular in the extreme. More than 150 firemen struggled with it for two hours, but, owing to the very Inflammable nature of the contents of the building, their efforts were fruitless. Atone point half an hour after the fire started it seemed to be under control. The big initial blaze had been almost subdued. But thick clouds of smoke pouring from the front of the structure finally burst into flames and the water dashed upon them was without the slightest effect.

The demolished warehouse extended from Brannan street back to Bluxome, its length being 250 feet, while the frontage covered was. 100 feet. A huge outburst of flame over almost the entire area of the building was seething up to a height of 50 feet, or more an hour after the: fire started. The heat was intense and It was feared a corrugated iron building 100 feet to the west containing 130 horses belonging to Farnsworth & Ruggies would ignite. Preparations were made for the removal of the animals, but in the end that step was found unnecessary.

CROWDED WITH FURNITURE

The warehouse was stocked as full of furniture as it could be. Twelve carloads, were recently received from the east, and there was practically no room for any additional merchandise on any of the three floors. . The furniture alone is declared to be worth $150,000, and the building, of which only the brick walls of the lower story were left standing, was valued at about $30,000.

The fire is believed to have started in the building of the Crown ore mills, adjoining the warehouse on the east. George Hanson, watchman at Friedman's warehouse, asserts that he was about to turn in his hourly signal shortly before 9 o'clock, indicating that all was well, when be saw a fire lieutenant galloping down Bluxome street in his gig. Hanson looked for fire and says he saw it in the ore mills. He is positive the blaze did not originate In the furniture warehouse. He grabbed some papers in the office and, after making two trips over the warehouse, he got out into the street.

FIRE CAPTAIN INJURED

Captain Daunet was injured through falling from a shied Inside the warehouse. The black smoke made the atmosphere so dense, that, although he carried a lantern, the captain could not see for an inch before him and pitched to the floor, a distance of about 12 feet. He was picked up and carried but by Firemen Marcus Daley, Edward Lamb and Martin Hannan and taken to the central emergency hospital.  His injures consisted of a laceration of the left ear, a fracture to the small bone in the left arm at the elbow and contusions of the back.         Other firemen risked their lives in endeavoring to tear strips of iron from the walls so that water could be thrown Into the smoking mass. The iron was burning to a red heat as they worked. Twenty-five policemen under Captain Colby aided the firemen by restraining a big crowd of onlookers.
Source: San Francisco Call, Volume 106, Number 137, 15 October 1909 — FIREMEN FALL IN WAREHOUSE $150,000 BLAZE [ARTICLE]

FURNITURE WAREHOUSE DESTROYED BY FLAMES

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 14.—
The two story factory and warehouse of the Friedman Furniture company, located on Brennan street, was destroyed by fire today in spite of the efforts of virtually the entire fire department o the city, including towers and high pressure batteries.

The loss is roughly estimated at $150,000. The building was crammed to the roof with an enormous stock of furniture,

Fire Captain Bonnet and several of his men were injured or overcome by smoke. Captain Bonnet was standing on the roof of  a shed behind the building when a cloud of smoke enveloped him and he walked over the edge, falling fifteen feet to the ground. A fractured elbow was his most serious injury.
Source: Los Angeles Herald, Volume 37, Number 14, 15 October 1909 — FURNITURE WAREHOUSE DESTROYED BY FLAMES [ARTICLE]

Extracted from original sources with grammar and spelling as published.

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