Salt Lake Telegram | 1943-03-01 | Page 4 | Mill Fire Loss Estimated at 5 1/2 Million

4 S 4 Mill Fire r L' Loss Ls ss s Estimated At 5 5 2 Million O OAKLAND OA-KLAND I LAND Cal Cat March 1 CD- CD Losses running into millions o of f one ollars one source estimated 5 5 were were caused by a six six- alarm larm fire fire that destroyed th the S grain filled Albers Milling company com com- pany any plant on the Oakland water water- front Sunday night and set a nice mer- chant hant ship ablaze The ship tin fire t soon oon was extinguished The flames were so intense that tha that t firemen remen at times were unable to b approach within feet Five Five hours ours after alter it broke out the fire fin S till still glowed brightly although Acting Fire Chief t Manning Basch Basci said aid it was under control Basch estimated the damage a at t of ot which was wa waso S Sto to o contents Cause of ot the disaster was unde unde- Basch Easels and William Mc Mc- Hughe of ot the Oakland fire marhal's marshals marshal's mar mar- hal's hals office said that two plant plan t g gUards ards reported the fire started statte 1 simultaneously at opposite sections sec sec- ions of the plant Battalion Chief Chiet C. C J. J Sorrell o of f the he Oakland fire department sai said I his is preliminary investigation indicated in- in in it may have started In a aust dust explosion on the fourth floor floo C Cof ot of f th the tha foot IM The fire destroyed two grain grats I elevators and the Albers dock The mill has has' been b e en operating r the clock t turning U urn r n I 1 n g ou out ut t cereals and flour Seventeen pie pieces es of fire equip equip- ment two San Francisco fir fire S boats 11 coast guard fire lire bargeS barga S Sand and several everal smaller coast guar guard ard craft raft were used in fighting the thi S blaze blazeL From vantage points around San Sat Francisco bay hundreds of ot thousands thou thou- sands ands of persons person watched the spec spec- acle