The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-12-19
A DISASTROUS EXPLOSION
Escaped Gas Ignites From a
Lighted Candle
Bull DING ENTIRELY Quilted
Biz Blaze on Broadway Near Fourth
Street Last Night
One Woman and q nan Overcome by Smoke
and Carried Away UnconscioIs-Sev.
eral Firemen Nearly Crushed

The two.story frame building at 4l5
South Broadway was Quilted by lire last
night and the various occupants driven
out, with the loss of all their belongings.
Several had narrow escapes from the
flames and one woman was severely burn
ed about the head. The fire started from
an explosion which is believed to have
been caused by escaping gas igniting from
light carried by the landlady.
1t was few minutes after s o'clock last
night when Mrs. A. Leonard walked down
the hallway on the first floor towards tho
rear, having lighted candle in her hand.
She stepped into small hallway at the
end when suddenly q loud explosion fol-
lowed and the flames burst into q solid
mass in front of her. She was nearly over
come, but turned and hurried up stairs to
warn Mrs. Granville.
The explosion aroused the entire neig h
borhood, and G. s. Wright and w. l..
Judah, who were seated in the broadway
hotel. hurried to the scene. They entered
the house and Mr.. judi an rushed into the
room of Mrs. Granville, who had been ly-
ing upon the bed, and hurried her down
the stairs. Mrs. Leonard refused to go,
and started in to try and save some OF the
furniture. she carried various articles OUT
the people below. The crowd callsd 40 her
not TO Jump. She went back in o the house
again after more things, but the smoke'
which was rising in volumes, overcame
her and she dropped down by the window
in one of the front rooms.
BY this time an alarm had been turned
in and engine No. s mad responded and at
tached to the plug at the corner OF Fourth
street and Broadway. The men hurried
to the house and Frank Roeder, the driver
of the engine, climbed ladder to the
porch, and in company with some fire.
men went after the missing woman. he
found her by the window, and hastily pick
ing her up in his arms carried the woman
to the porch and handed her TO another
man on he ladder, who took her down and
to the Broad way hotel.
Roeder found the smoke too much Tor
him and he retreated over to tn north END
of the porch to escape, when. t, his sur
prise, he cOllided with something, and
STOPPING down he discovered that man
wrapped In quilt lay at his feet. 1t proved
TO be Fred Spauidlng, one or tnose VINO
lived in the house. MIR. Spaulding had
gone upstairs to try and save few OF MS
things, and the smoke had got away Win
him. he managed to reach the porch
though, but fell Unconscious where Roeder
found him. He was carried down the lad
der and taken care of by one of his friends.
The fire had got a good start and was
blazing fercely, lighting up the entire
street. Several lines of hose were brought
to bear on the building, but they accom-
plished little, as no water was 10 De hau'
and the streams were about the size thrown
by the average garden hose.
| Starting IN the rear the fire worked for
ward and soon the roof all around was
burning. BY and by red chnks appeared
about The cornices. making proximity to
the building unsafe. Several men had q
line OF hose on the north end of the top OF
; the porch, and were doing what little they
could to keep the fire in check, apparently
| ignoring the danger from the heavy
burning CO nices. Suddenly at the rear
line of clrnlce dropped with crash,
driving the tremen away temporarily.
! Thi. did not seem to warn the people on
the porch, though, for thsy still stayed
! with the game and poked the hose wher-
| ever any blaze showed itself. 1t last there
came a crack and down tumb ed the cor
nice on the corner onto the three men.
Two managed to dodge aud stand close to
the wall and escape The lumber, but the
other, q. X. Wilton, young man VINO had
| volunteered to assist the others, was
whirled TO the porch. His companions
jumped forward and helped him to the
ground. His head had been cut on the
lett side and bled freely and he was badly
dazed but not seriously injured. Shortly
after, Assistant Chief Smith and Fireman
Joe Del Vale were handling another hose
on the south end of the porch and were
nearly swept off by piece of falling cor.
nice. Fortuna ely they Rugged the wall
and escaped with a cut head for Smith
and some scratches Tor Del Vale.
No less than seven lines of hose were
directed on the building, but no water
could ne had. Finally one of the two lines
pumped by engine No and another by
engine No. were taken off and the entire
power of these engines directed to SINGLE
lines each. This gave the workers better
streams, and wi h the aid of lines on top
of the adjoining building the fire was grad
ually got under control.
The loss is considerable. The building
is the property of Sam Hellman, and was
rented by him to Mrs. Leonard and Mr..
Spauldin2, who suble the rooms to lodgers
house originally cost $1,000 and is covered
by insurance.. On The first floor Won
rtevoneau and Gutirezz have ladies tailor
ing establishment, and Miss A. Wilson
Denison had several rooms as musical
studio but did not room here. Ethridge
and company had real estate and invest
ment Offices on the upper floor. The Others
living in the place we're Mrs. Leonard and
her daugh er Edna, Miss Bly,, Mr.. and Mrs
Hadiey, Mr.. Splulding, MIR. Heilman and
Mrs. Granville. The losses of these will be
considerable. The most was uninsured and
4 lOuliuR 0dNeu anu WITS. ildotCy BldCt
their Ioss at 81 500; Mrs Glanville, $ 800
both uninsured. The losses of the rest
can not be stated definitely but will reach
several thousand dollars. Mrs. Leonard
is the lady whose daughter was burned tt
death from the effects of gasoline ex
plosion in the Lankershim block some
months ago.
There is some doubt as to the cause o.
the explosion, few claiming that it mus
have resulted from a gasoline stove. AL
of the roomers Ga positively last nigh
that no gasoline had been allowed abou
the place, nor could search last nigh
disclose the presence of any. They asser
that the gas has been defective for month";
past. The most reasonable explanation il
that the gas had leaked in the small CLOSED
hallway into which Mrs Leonard star ed
and as soon as she opened the door the ga!
igpitad from the candle and exploded.
Nho lie he dead nou