The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-04-15
GUESTS LOSE HEAVILY.
Compelled to Leave Their VAL
uableS in the Rush to
Escape.
THE LOSS REACHES A MILLION.
The Destroyed Structure One of
the Most Famous Resorts Of
the West.

LOS ANGELES, CAL, April 14.-Ray-
mond Hotel, Pasadena, the second largest
hotel in Southern California and only ex-
ceeded in size and beauty by the Hotel
del Coronado, near San Diego, was burned
to the ground this afternoon.
The great hotel was filled to its utmost
capacity with guests, including not only
its regular quota of Eastern visitors, who
come to Pasadena for the winter, but also
innumerable guests from distant local
points, who have come to enjoy la
Fiesta de Los Angeles. Many visitors who
have come for that purpose, preferred stay
ing at Pasadena, communication with that
city and Los Angeles being rapid and fre-
quent. The result was the Raymond was
more than usually full of guests. Its nor
NAL capacity is about 400, but it is stated
that to-day there were not less than 500
people under its roof, including the per
sonnel of the hotel. All escaped with their
lives, although many lost their entire
wardrobes and other possessions.
In less than an hour from the time the
fire was first discovered in the cupola at the
southwest corner of the building the huge
wooden structure was level with the ground
and the only thing left standing to mark
the spot was the tall brick chimney of the
furnace.
The fire was discovered at 3 20 o'clock by
boy outside, who saw a cloud of smoke
issuing from the windows of the cupola ON
the fourth floor The alarm was at once
given, but the flames burst forth before
drop of water could be brought, and the
strong wind, almost q gale, which had been
blowing all day, carried the flames at an
alarming rate. There was no hope for the
building from the start.
Among the guests IN the hotel were 100
members of the Car Accountants Associa-
ton, whose special train stood at Raymond
Station. The guests acted in an orderly
manner and some succeeded in saving q
few personal effects, though most of them
lost everything in the building. No one
was injured seriously, but in trying to
save their valuables few were burned
about the face and hands, and one guest
was badly bruised in jumping from the
roof of the veranda.
The electric fire alarm was sounded in
each room as soon as the fire was discov-
cred, and in less than ten minutes every
person had left, except few man servants
who tried to save the trunks. The hotel
was supplied with fire apparatus, but no
| one remained to work it, as the heat was
| too intense.
The Hotel Raymond was built in 1884 by
| Walter Raymond of the Raymond & Whit
comb Excursion Company, which has
hotels in New England and Colorado also.
The great building stood on an eminence
overlooking the San Gabriel Valley. The
cost of the building was almost half mil
lion dollars and the furniture cost $50, 900.
The building and furniture were insured
for 5000, 600 in Boston, New York and San
Francisco companies.
Colonel w. E. Wentworth, the resident
manager of the hotel, was in the office of
the hotel when the alarm was turned in.
He cried like child as the flames from the
huge structure went skyward, but later he
was concerned only for the comfort of the
| guests and the army of servants employed
about the place. Many of the guests and
most of the employees went at once to the
Green Hotel in Pasadena, where quarters
are secured for them. The servants were
mostly imported from Boston and other
New England points. They. lost the
greater part of their effects and are left
destitute. Colonel Wentworth said they
will be cared for and returned to their
homes in the East.
There is mystery about the origin of
the fire, though the accepted theory is that
it was caused by defective fue. The
building was lighted throughout with
electricity from plant in the basement.
Tonight great crowd of curiously-
inclined sightseers are gathered around
the smoldering pile, which represents all
that is left of what was at least 81, 100000
worth of property at noon.
The general impression is that the hotel
will be rebuilt at once. 1t was an i'm
portant factor in the Raymond Whitcomb
Excursion Company's big enterprise and
was opened each winter under the manage
ment of Colonel Wentworth. while Went
worth Hall, in the New Hampshire Hills, a
famous summer resort under the COM
pany's management, was closed. The
same employees served in each hotel.
During the last few years many famous
people have made Hotel Raymond their
winter home and the enterprise, though a
gigantic one, was always considered a
splendid investment. The management
had just had prepared plans for extensions
and improvements to be made during the
coming summer.