The herald., 1897-06-05
SCENE ON ANGELES BURNING BUILDING

lice Off1cer Harris who saw smoke is
suing from the rear end of the building
few minutes before o'clock yesterday
morning. He hurried to telephone and
turned in a. still alarm. Chemical en-
gine No. 8 answered the call. Upon its
arrival it was evident that the fire had
obtained considerable headway, and a
general alarm was turned in from box
Is, at the corner of Spring and Fifth
streets. The department responded
promptly, and five engine companies
and two chemical engines were soon
upon the spot and at work.
By this time the fire, which is sup.
posed to have started on the stage In
the north side of the building. was rag.
ing flercely. The tinder-like stage seem
ry had caught, and the roaring flames
were carried in sheets through the front
of the building. Everything on the stage
and the south row of boxes were con-
sumed. The flames were sweeping un-
der the building as we'll as through It.
and there seemed little hope of saving
anything.
AS soon as the engines arrived the
first hose was turned under the stage
where the fire was raging fiercest, but
no sooner had the water BEEN turned
on than the whole floor caved in with
a crash. driving the flames down upon
the firemen and proving great bar
rier to their work. In the meantime two
other lines of hose had been run into
the front door, and with these four
streams pouring upon the fire at once,
the battle began in earnest. So intense
Nuo he hoo T., ho< <<h he t,-ov A. Ill
ed like t!nsel. For time the danger to
surrounding buildings was imminent.
but as long as the walls stood 1t was
possible to keep the fire from spreading.
Under the direction Of Chief. Moore,
seven heavy streams of water were
poured into the fire for two hours and
a half. At last the flames were literally
drowned out, and the whole front Of
the building was saved. The stage had
been Quilted and the front row OF seats
and boxes on the south side destroyed.
Almost all the chairs in the building had
been ruined by the parching heat. One
lucky feature Of the fire was that no
dardrobes were lost. The only things
destroyed outside of the staging and
the damage to the building were the or
chestra's instruments, valued at $4OO.
The origin of the fire is unknown, but
II is genrally supposed to have started
from a lighted cigarette carelessly
thrown down upon the stage. Again, it
might have originated from the fire.
works which were used the night be-
fore during one Of the acts. A spark
may have dropped into some combusti-
BILE material and smouldered there for
several hours, until 1t finally burst into
blaze and started the fire.
Charles Alexander, the watchman at
the theater,- did not know anything
about the fire until after an alarm had
been turned In by Officer Harris. He
made the following statement regarding
the affair: II went through the build
ing as usual last night after the play
was over. carried lantern, and ex-
amined every part of the stage closely,
but did not discover any fire. About l
o'clock went upstairs to my room and
went to bed. Early in the morning
was awakened by the smoke which
cave up the stairway and filled my
room. jumped up furriedly and rushed
Gown the stairs and into the theater.
Everything was black inside and was
almost strangled. There was no blaze
to be seen then. As soon as saw what
was the matter started to go out, but
had difficult time Of it finding the door.
the smoke was SO dense. When did
finally get out I hurried to the telephone
IN the office and sent an alarm to the
fire department. That IL all / know
about the fire. and have not tho slirht-
est idea as to how It orisinated.'
B During the Are Mr.. John Griff,n,s
Great Dane dog. "Grif,' ran into the
BUILDING and was unable to And Ms way
out. He got into ofe Of the small rooms
in the rear and the door eIose6s hoidinr,
him securely. When the names f1auhed
him the poor don cried piteousiy. but
y VA net until he Had been bnfned u
most to death. and he Wa hfitA1y NJ
Grated = vetsfinsFy surs seoz "a esll&d