Los Angeles herald., 1892-07-03
MIGHT HAVE BEEN WORSE.
"A Lively Blaze in the Bryson'
Bonebrake Block.
Fighting Flames in q Tall Building
No Child's Play.
The Owners Show Their Apprecia tion
of the Fire Department-Inter-
esting Details About
the Blaze.

O~OO-
broke out in an unused garret on the
sixth floor of the Bryson-Bon
block, at the corner of Second and Spring
streets. A dense stream of smoke
poured out of the dormer windows under
the caves of the building and out of the
lattices in the tower. The alarm of fire,
the clamor of approaching engines and
the increasing volume of smoke caused
enormous excitement among the crowds
OF people who were populating the
streets. The number of people was ex-
ceptionally large, it being Saturday,
and the immediate vicinity of the build
ing was in few minutes go iammed
that it was difficult for the fremen to
work.
The fire department showed itself
dangerously inexperienced in handling
can conscientiously accuse any member
of the force of lack OF zeal. There was
in the first place in this fire an illustra-
ton of the necessity of fire lines to keep
the populace from encroaching upon the
working ground of the fremen. The
extension ladder company was lament
ably slow in throwing it's ladders against
the upper stories of the building. One
of the most serious errors, however, was
the manner in which the large hose of
the steam fire engines was taken to the
top floor. The Bryson block has fire.
escapes, and dozen or more firemen at
once scaled the escapes in or
der to pass up the hose.
In the meantime, the force below
had laid and connected hose, and the
force-pumps had filled the line with
water. Accordingly, when the men on
the escape started to pull up the hose,
they were trying to hoist to the sixth
story column of water several tons
in weight. The attempt was necessarily
failure. and one of the lower sections
had to be unscrewed 80 as to let the
water out. 1t was over quarter of an
hour after the arrival of the engines be-
fore stl cam of water was ready to play
on the flames above.
The efficiency of the new chemical en-
gines were thoroughly demonstrated,
for their streams were turned on the fire
couple of minutes after their arrival
on the scene. After the steam engine
began to work the flames were soon un.
der control, and the men personally
deserve great credit ,or their herculean
efforts. The situation at the beginning
seemed so serious that the whole block
appeared in danger of destruction, and
withoat the fre-escapes it is difficult to
imagine what would have happened.
AS it was, however, all went off sat-
isfactorily. The men overcame the un-
accustomed difficulties which surrounded
them and extinguished the fire before it
had gained much headway. The origin
of the flames is mysterious. The room
in which the fire started contains
chimney, an examination of which con-
vinced the HERALD reporter that it's
Aue had been defective. In this opinion
many others coincided, yet the occu-
pants OF all rooms connecting with the
chimney denied ever having kindled
fire in their 6replaces. The janitor of the
building, who himself is convinced
that the flames emanated from the fue,
says he never knew anyone to use the
chimney. A gentleman of experience,
who examined the spot, maintained that
the fire had been smoldering for several
days. lA a
After the flames broke out in the gar
ret they rapidly communicated to the
adjoining record room OF the department
of Arizona, u. S. A., and burned through
the floor and ceiling of the office of the
chief clerk of the adjutant general. The
chemical engine stopped the destruction
of documents in the fret record room,
but all the old orders and
other papers on file were satur-
ated with the extinguishing solution.
Although the army headquarters officers
were enjoying half-holiday, large
number of the officials were in the
rooms, and this fact permitted the res
cue of many important books and rec
ords.
By the time the big stream from the
steam engines began to play, the ceiling
of the clerks room had burned through,
and perfect deluge of water poured
down on the carpets and furniture OF the
room. The floor was soon covered to a
depth of over an inch with water, ashes
and cinders. The flood communicated
itself to adjoining apartments, and the
rooms of two other clerks, as
we'll as those of the paymaster,
the inspector general and the
medical director were totally ruin ed.
The water also pentrated to the lower
floors. soaking the contents of half
dozen rooms to some extent. The plas-
ter in most of these rooms will fall down
eventually and have to be replaced.
The damage done by the fire itself
will probably not exceed $4,000, but
John Bryson, ST., estimates that the
loss by fire and water will amount to
from $4,000 to $4,000.
The fire was finally extinguished at A
O'Clock.
Last evening Messrs. Bryson and
Bonebrake sent the following letter,
with enclosure, to Chief Walter s.
Moore. The document explains itself:
Los ANGELES, CAL, 3:45 P. NJ
July 2, 1929
Chief Engineer Walter s. Moore.
DEAR SIR Enclosed find check for $3.50.
Accept this for your relief fund, for your very
prompt, efficient and intelligent work at the
FIRE this afternoon at our building corner
Spring and Second streets. Respectfully,
BRYsON & BoNEBRAKE.
Redondo Beach