Los Angeles daily herald., 1874-07-24

incorrectly, had set fire to the house
twice last Summer. About three
| weeks ago they had the furniture in
the building insured, and it is said
| that 1t has been on fire twice since.
There was also fire in the rag shop
adjoining the oil factory on the 3D. of
July, and the neighbors say the flames
have been smouldering ever since in
| this pile of rags. A woman living in
the immediate rear of the flames says
that the Jews had moved out when
the building was discovered to be afire,
and they had no hesitation in charg-
ing them with the deed. The flames
made rapid progress from the oil fac
tory, which, on account of it's charac-
ter, caught soon enough to be by many
thought to be simultaneous with the
other 1t was surrounded with dense
number of shanties, extending in each
direction, north, south and east. The
oil, bursting into fire, flew in every
direction, and it was not many min
utes before the neighborhood was a
blaze of fire.
THE WIND.
The wind came swooping down
toward the circle of flames in such
power as to almost carry people off
their feet. A blackness gathered over
the lake, and the lurid torrents of fire
streamed upward from the burning
buildings in a manner both majestic
and terrifying. Everyone seemed to
give up hope, and conceded that, with
such volume of air back of it, the
flames must be driven into the heart
of the city, and that the scene of gen.
eral destruction would be repeated.
THE LIMITS OF THE FIRE.
The fire began in the center of the
block bounded by Twelfth, Taylor and
Clark streets, and Fourth Avenue. 1t
burned south to near Twelfth street,
and went to Clark street. On Clark it
burned north one and One-half blocks,
to near the corner of Polk street. It's
northern and western limits from this
point was northeast to Fourth Ave-
nue.; thence all the east side of Fourth
Avenue, north to Harrison street;
thence on Harrison street, both sides,
to State street; thence north on State
street, both sides, to Congress; thence
north on the east side of State to three
doors north of Van Buren, street.
The east and south boundaries were:
Beginning at the point on State north
of Van Buren, southeast through Wa
bash Avenue to Michigan Avenue;
thence south on Michigan Avenue to
below Congress street, taking in the
old Michigan Avenue Hotel; thence
west to the wide alley running north
and south between Wabash and Mich
igan Avenues, burning all on the west
side Of that alley south to Eldridge
Court; the southwestern limit of the
fire was in due southwest line to the
place where the fire originated.
Nearly all within these limits was
destroyed.
FUTILE EFFORTS
Were made in many places to check
the flames, by blowing up buildings,
but without any beneficial results.
Throughout, the efforts Of the Depart
ment seemed to have been directed to-
ward vain attempt to put Out the
fire, rather than toward practical en-
deavors to arrest its progress. But at
last the latter plan was adopted with
signal success. Streams were carried
up into the building of Colby & Wirts,
on State street, and also upon the tops
of the buildings just north of the
burning ones on Wabash Avenue.
Every one soon saw that this building
was
THE KEY TO THE FIRE,
That, if once carried by the flames,
there would be no limit to its pro-
gress. After thirty minutes of hard
work the roof fell in, and the streams
from above became the most powerful
agents in checking the further ravages
of the flames. The cornice about this
time took fire and burned with intense
heat. The front center-piece was of
zinc, and, as the flames curled around
it, the zinc burned with most brilliant
green, blue, and purple flames, curv-
ing and twisting into grotesque and
picturesque shapes
Just as the fire was being brought
under on the west side of Wabash
Avenue, number of crates and
boxes in the rear of Bowen d Kent's
crockery store took fire and communi-
Gated to the buildings. This outbreak
nearly resulted in u continuation of
the affair indefinitely, but a few we'll
directed streams soon prevented this
unfortunate catastrophe and the fire
was now clearly under control.