Los Angeles herald., 1891-09-21
SCORCHED SHANTIES.
HALF A BLOCK OF BUILDINGS
BURNED IN SoNoRAToWN.
Families Left Nearly Destitute-How
the Fire Originated.

Another group of the tumble-down
frame and adobe buildings which add
so much to the dilapidated appearance
of Upper Main street, has furnished
food for the fire fiend. The burning of
the buildings is not in itself to be re-
gretted. On the other hand, the fire
was marked by some circumstances
which must arouse human sympathy.
One family was away from their home
to enjoy Sunday at the Italian picnic.
Their homecoming was a sad one, for
most of their possessions had disap-
peared from the face of the earth. An
old woman, though it was through her
own carelessness, was painfully burned,
and will suffer for some time on couch
OF sorrow at the county hospital. Still
another family had but recently in
vested their scanty savings to establish
themselves in a small business, and
were ruined by the rapacity of the flames.
Two thousand dollars would probably
cover the entire loss. Yet dozen people
have been rendered-urhappy.
1t was at about 4 O'Clock that the
alarm sounded, and with the first clang
of the fire bell a huge cloud of black
smoke hurled its volumes skyward. 1t
! looked like an enormous fire, but the
smoke column went down as quickly as
it had arisen. The fire department was
on the scene with its usual promptness,
and though half block of buildings
was in flames the work done was rapid
and efficient.
The buildings burned were at the
southeast corner of upper Main and Ord
streets. A long row of adobe buildings
extended south and east from the cor
ner, the southern flank being adjoined
| by a two-story frame house. At the
corner was a saloon owned by Stephen
Gordano and Luis De Giorgis. Two
adobe huts on Ord street we're occupied
by females of doubtful repute. Next the
saloon on Main street was a restaurant
which had been opened only two weeks
ago by young couple named Lowell.
The two-story frame house contained A.
Alauzet's general merchandise store,
and lodging house above. Alauzet
had bought the store only few months
ago.
1t was in the lodgings on Alauzet' s
second floor that the fire began. An
old woman from San Fernando named
Susan Bowler was alone in the building,
the storekeeper and his family having
driven out to the Italian picnic. Mrs.
Bowler attempted to start fire with
kerosene, an explosion resulted, and the
tinder-box building fairly blazed up at
once. Mrs. Bowler was badly burned
about the hands and arms before
she managed to escape. A call for the
patrol wagon was sent simultaneously
with the fire alarm, and the Bowler
woman was taken to the hospital.
! The whole block was afire in a mo-
ment, and only the saloonists at the
corner had time to save some of their
fixtures. A quiet little game of cards
was going on when the fire began, and
Gardano and his partner, assisted by
few friends, at once picked up the bill
lard table and carried it out into the
street. The bar followed, and then
tables, chairs, beer kegs, assorted
whisky bottles and cases of pop and
ginger-ale, mixed with decks of cards,
dice boxes and glassware were added to
the indiscriminate heap. The females
from Ord street were panic stricken,
and rushed about the streets screaming
at the tops of their voices, and, in
general, pandemonium reigned for a
few moments.
The fire was under control at about 5
O'Clock, though only few blackened
ruins were left. None of the losers were
insured. The two-story frame house
was set afre about two years ago, while
man named Wright occupied it, but
the fire was extinguished before much
damage had been done. Then the in
surance companies cancelled the policies.
The buildings and realty belong to the
estate OF Louis Garibaldi, of which his
brother. g. Garibaldi, guardian of the
minor heirs, is administrator.
Attention to the daily habits OF the young
prevents suffering. Take Simmons Liver Regu-
latoE.