Show san francisco paper Is temporarily homeless san francisco nov before midnight a fire started in the big clock tower on the chronicle building as a result of the firing of bombs to announce the election results and the flames spread with such rapidity that the entire fire apparatus of the city was summoned to the scene owing to the great height of the flames it was impossible to reach them even with the combined forces of the water towers and tho familiar superstructure of the building was speedily reduced to debris which toppled in blazing sections to the street below the fire found its way down to tho roof and a considerable portion of that part of the building was burned before the weak water supply succeeded in quenching it the tows was located in the photographic department and below it on the top floor was the composing room in which are located many linotype machines to what ex tent these were damaged is not now known it is believed that the library the most valuable of its kind in the west has been practically destroyed the editorial rooms and many business of flees of the lower floors were deluged with water poured upon the upper part of the structure the fire came in the midst of final preparations for the issue of iho election edition and the courtesy of jhc thc use of the examiners plant was im mediately offered to the chronicle the otter was accepted and the chronicle tomorrow morning will be printed I 1 on the presses of its contemporary its own press rooms being flooded by the volume of water that poured down the elevator shafts it is impossible to estimate the financial loss tonight several members of the art staff who attempted to save some of their property were almost cut off from escape and had difficulty in getting to a place of safety it is said the alre was first noticed about eight in the evening and extinguished by employed emp loyes of the building but it later broke out afresh at 1 this wednesday morning the fire was extinguished |