The herald., 1895-09-01
St. James Hotel Destroyed by
Fire at Santa Monica
CAUSED BY DEFECTIVE FLUE
All Of the Twenty Guests Escape
Without Injury
The Fire Witnessed by Great Crowd-dood
Work Of the Fire Department.
Scenes and Incidents

SANTA MONICA, Aug. 3l.--St. James
hotel was totally destroyed by fire at
O'Clock this morning and the guests were
forced to escape il their night clothes.
The hotel was a frame structure and
burned like tinder. despite the heroic
efforts of the fire department to save it.
The fire started on the second floor, di-
rectly over the kitchen, and though its
origin is not definitely known. it is sup
posed that it was caused by a defective
| hue.
The hotel contained twenty-five rooms
and there were twenty guests. 1t was
| located directly opposite the Arcadia
hotel. on the northwest corner of Ocean
and Railroad avenues. Within ten min
utes after the discovery of the flames half
! of the inha bitants OF the town had tiocked
to the scene.
ESCAPE OF THE GUESTS.
The guests of the doomed hostelrv lost
no time in grabbing ther effects and get
ting to a place of safety. The sight OF
twenty persons en- dishabille would, I'm
der lsss serious circum stances, have peen
iudcrous in the extreme. Owing to the
proximity OF the fire to the Arcadia,
nearly every guest piled out OF bed, and
hastily dressing, watched the devouring
elements from the hotel windows. Pro-
prietor Reinhart ran no chances OF a
stray spark setting fire to his hotel, and
soon had leads of hose all over the roof.
The hotel help is splsndidly disciplined,
and there was not the slightest danger OF
fire, fact which was fully realized by the
guests.
Santa Monica has a well-organized vol
unteer fire department and it was
were laid from every contiguous fire hy
drant and three or four streams were soon
playing on the flames.
Tue fire ate its way rapidly to the
front Of the building, and flames were
bursting from every window. An effort
was made to confin, it to the upper
floor, but the inflammable nature of the
material of which the building was COM
posed made this impossible.
THE ROOF FALLS.
After the flames ad,raged furiously for
half an hour the roof fell in with a crash,
sending myriad of sparks heavenward.
1t was sight rivaling the grandest pyro-
technical display and was visible for
! some distance. Soon after the falling OF
the roof tho floor between the first and
| second stories dropped in and with a
roar the flames fiared up for a moment
and then died down. When the sun rose
nothing but a few smouldering embers
and the blackened walls to the height of
six feet remained to mark one of the
| greatest confagrations in the town $ his.
tory.
| WAS A SUMNER HOTEL
The St. James hotel was erected about
six years ago by S. Jackson, now the pro.
piietor OF the Hotel Jackson. 1t was a
two-s story frame building. and contained
| twenty-five rooms. 1t cost $1,000 and was
! designed as summer hotel. Mr.. jack
son kept it for two years and then sold it
to b. G. Worthem, the Wells Fargo mes
senger on the Southern Pacitic's Santa
Monica branch. Mr.. Wortbem leased it
to J. M. Orr, vino sub-let it to Charles
Tucker. The furniture and contents
were owned by Mr.. Tucker and were
prtially insured The hotel was insured
! TO: S35O0 in the Liverpool, London and
| Globe insurance company. The total loss
| is estimated at $4,000. The hotel will be
rebuilt.
ADJUSTMENTS OF GUESTS.
| Noone would care 10 risk his reputation
for veracity by stating that the season is
practically at close, after gazing in on
the assem- blage of handsome and ele-
gantly costumed women at the Hotel
Arcadia any evening after dinner, or
after even passing glipse at the thIong
OF bathers down on the beach on the fore.
noon or afternoon. True. there was an
exodus OF summarizes during the first OF
the week, but happily that did not be-
! token that the charms of Santa Monica
were waning. Those who left had been
here for many weeks and it was but nat
ural that they should leave. The same
state Of affairs prevails at this time every
year.
Some may go but others come, so we
stay here forever" is the motto OF the
hotel proprietors.
Early this morning long line of wheel
women might have been seen on their