John J. Conlon, 1st Assistant Chief of the Fire Department, and the senior member of the department,  died yesterday as the result of asphyxiation during a fire on Post street Saturday night.

FIRE CHIEF CONLON DIES OF INJURIES
VETERAN, ASPHYXIATED BY SMOKE AND GAS IN POST ST. BUILDING SATURDAY NIGHT, FAILS TO RALLY
FOUR OTHER FIREMEN ABLE TO LEAVE HOSPITAL, BUT BATTALION CHIEF MURPHY'S SIGHT IS IMPAIRED

1919 March 3

John J. Conlon, first assistant to the chief of the fire department and ranking member in the civil service of that department, died yesterday from injuries received in Saturday night's fire on Post street.
Death occurred in the Central Emergency Hospital, to which he and five other firemen were removed fol­lowing asphyxiation by smoke and gases.
With the exception of Battalion Chief Thomas J. Murphy, the other firemen had sufficiently recovered yesterday to be removed to their homes. They are: William Morrison, Oscar A. Oakes, Karl Evans and Jo­seph F. Platt.

MURPHY'S SIGHT INJURED.

Battalion Chief Murphy was re­moved to St. Joseph's Hospital for treatment, his eyes having been badly burned.
Chief Conlon was in charge of the fire, which broke out in the base­ment of the three-story building, 215 Post street, shortly after 9 o'clock, and raged for three hours before it was controlled.
When the flames climbed upward from the basement. Chief Conlon was in the center of the building.
He had collapsed when firemen found his limp form in the blinding smoke. They carried him to the street and he was taken to the Emergency Hospital, but never regained complete consciousness.
Chief Conlon joined the Fire De­partment 35 years ago as an extra man at the old No. 1 truck house on O'Farrell street, near Grant avenue, He was commanding this station at the time he met death, having suc­ceeded First Assistant Chief Russell, who was killed a few months ago in a fire on Howard street.
Conlon was promoted to the rank of assistant chief in 1894.

MANY NARROW ESCAPES.

During his service he had many miraculous escapes, but was never seriously injured until Saturday night.
He was one of the best know of San Francisco's fire fighters and a favorite with all the men in the service.
He leaves a widow and four children, John J. Jr., Gerald, Francis and Aldine.
The Conlon home is at 1360 Leavenworth street.
The fire chief's remains, with a escort of 100 city firemen, will be taken this afternoon at 4 o'clock to the City Hall to lie in state in the rotunda. Funeral services will be conducted tomorrow morning at 10 o'clock from St. Mary's Cathedral. A detail of twenty firemen will stand guard over the body tonight.
Interment will be in Holy Cross Cemetery.
Source: San Francisco Examiner, 1919 March 3

THOUSANDS PAY CONLON HONOR
BODY OF ASSISTANT CHIEF LIES IN STATE AT CITY HALL
FUNERAL TO BE HELD TODAY.
1919 March 3

Thousands paid silent tribute to the late John J. Conlon, first assistant chief of the San Francisco fire de­partment, at the City Hall yesterday afternoon, when the body was placed in the rotunda of the hall prepara­tory to the church services and fu­neral this morning. ,
Surrounding by great clusters of flowers the casket lay in state all night, while a guard of honor con­sisting of four firemen and four po­licemen kept watch.

Conlon, beloved throughout the whole city and recognized as one of the greatest fire fighters ever pro­duced in San Francisco, died Sunday from injuries received in battling a difficult fire in Post street, near Grant avenue, nearly Saturday evening.
This morning at 10 o'clock requiem high mass will be celebrated for him at St. Mary's Cathedral.
The funeral procession will leave the City Hall at 9:30 o'clock this morning. Three hundred firemen and policemen from the San Francisco departments and detachments from Napa, Oakland, Vallejo, Stockton and other towns will form the guard of honor from the hall to the church.
Public officials and members of Council No. 615 of the Knights of Columbus, of which the chief was a member, will accompany the cor­tege.
When the Board of Supervisors convened yesterday Supervisor Em­mett Hayden offered a resolution lauding the heroism of the late chief and expressing the sympathy of the municipality over his loss.
As the, casket was placed in the rotunda the Supervisors attended the impressive ceremony in a body, adjourning later in respect to him.
Edward Rainey, secretary to Mayor Rolph, dispatched a telegram late Saturday night informing him of Conlon's death.
The body will be interned at Holy Cross Cemetery and the ceremony will be private.
Headed by Judge John F. Davis, president, the fire commission, attended the ceremony at the City Hall yesterday in a body and will attend the funeral today.
Source: San Francisco Examiner, 1919 March 3

MAYOR GRIEVED BY DEATH CONLON

A telegram from Mayor Rolph expressing condolences over the death of Assistant Fire Chief John J. ConIon and the injury of Battalion Chief Thomas Murphy was received yesterday by Secretary Edward J. Rainey. The telegram follows:
“Please convey my sympathy personally to the family of Chief Conlon. The city and the Fire Department have lost a splendid and faithful official, devoted to his duties. Please say to Battalion Chief Tommie Murphy that I am sorry to learn of his accident, and hope for his speedy recovery, which I was glad to note your telegram informed me was probable.
Source: San Francisco Examiner, 1919 March 3

Extracted from original sources with grammar and spelling as published.

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