The herald., 1898-05-29
A COSTLY BLAZE
CONFEDERATION IN THE DOWN
TOWN DISTRICT
WRECKS THREE HOUSES
AND FIFTY THOUSAND
GERMAN BLOCK DESTROYED
Adjoining Buildings Suffer-Laclk of
Water flinders Work of Fire
men-Estimate Of Insurance

men-Estimate Of Insurance
At 2:30 yesterday afternoon an alarm of
fire was sent in from box SO, Los Angeles
and Requena streets, and was quickly fol-
lowed by a second and third alarm
from the same box and then a general
alarm-the three sixes-calling all the fire
apparatus in the city to the scene of the
fire.
When the district fire department ar
rived in answer to the first alarm they
found the three-story brick and stone
building at 21S-224 North Los Angeles street
occupied by Crandall, Aylsworth & Has
kell, wholesalers of notions, wood and will
low ware, in a blaze from the basement
to the roof. 1t was at once evident to Chief
Moore and Assistant Chief Smith that big
fire and one very hard to fight was con-
fronting them. No time was lost in send
Ing for help, and every engine and every
man in the fire department was needed.
Even with all of them it took almost su-
perhuman eXertons to prevent a general
conf1agration, the fire department being
handicapped with a. lack Of water and a
woeful lack in numbers of trained men to
handle the apparatus.
The Origin Unknown
The origin of the fire is unknown other
than this: 1t started in the basement of
the Germain building, which was stored
with excelsior a wooden fibre used for
packing goods and more inflammable than
oil, and the flames spread with lightning
rapidity to the packing boxes of pine
wood and then mounted the freight ele-
vator shaft and ran to the roof, branching
out at every floor, finding abundant ma
terial to feed upon.
The elevator shaft served as chimney,
literally drawing the flames and burning
finder upward from the basement to the
various floors.
Even before the inmates of the building
knew the place was on fire, for there was
no one in the basement when it started
the flames were shooting out of the win
dows on the north side from every floor.
and when the department arrived it was
found impossible to enter the building
on account of the dense smoke. Then be-
gan the work of fighting a blind fire under
difficulties. The department first attacked
the lower floor. and. for a. time' had suffi-
cient volume of water from the mains to
make an effective showing, but as the re-
serve engines responded to the second
third and general alarms and attached to
hydrants, the water supply visiby de-
creased until became so weak that Chief
Moore had to order several of the en-
glnes to stop pumping in order that the
others at work might receive a full sup
ply. The insufficiency of the water sup
ply when most needed was most clearly
ply when most needed was never more
clearly shown.
Fighting the Flames
1t was soon evident that the fire, so far as
the Germain block was concerned, was
beyond control The third floor of the
building was packed with wooden and will
low ware and the blaze ate into the stock
as If 1t was a lot of atches The heat
drove the f1remen away from the points of
vantage, and as new positions were Sc
cured greater danger threatened the men
who were battling with the flames.
The Germain block was built years age
When erected it was, presumably, model
structure, but the interior was mass If
kindling wood In fire such as that of yes
terday, and as joists, rafters and supports
burned away in the interior of the build
Ing, the walls on the north and south sides
began to weaken and bulge out. The fire.
men were working beneath them, and as
the bricks trembled and tottered, the
crowd yelled in alarm to the fire laddies to
get out" They got out, but the boys
under the north wall escaped from a narrow
alleyway between the burning building and
the building adjoining occupied by the Pa
cifc Crockery company with but a second
to spare.
Hardly had the firemen got out of the
alleyway when the north wall of the Ger
main hnf16inp chi
roof and partially demolishing the wall of
the Crockery company's building directly
facing the fire. The flames from the burn
ing building shot across the aleyway, and
1t was clear to the firemen that another
building was doomed.
Assistant Chief Smith ram line of hose
through the building occupied by the Pa
cific Crockery company and was starting to
play a stream through the windows onto
the German block trying to drive the
flames back. Suddenly the hose was with
drawn much to everyone's surprise. AT
the time the Pacific Crockery company
building was not on fire. but it was GER
tainty, unless warded off, the flames must
reach 1t and hence Assistant Chief Smiths
action in withdrawing the hose was a sur
prise and there was rush for that official
to ask him "why?"
II pulled cut the line Of hose" answered
Smith, because one Of the proprietors of
the firm told me unless did so he would
cut 1t with an AK, as he did not propose to
see his goods ruined by the firemen. I
have no time now to quarrel, and dare not
risk losing a valuable line Of hose"
Later the same line Of hose, II left as
originally placed. would probably have
saved the destruction of the interior of the
Pacific Crockcry conpany's building and
much of the damage to their stock
All this time the flames In the Germain
block were burning more fiercey than ever
The water pressure was so weak that only
one or two streams were of any advantage
TO make matters worse. the south wall of
the German building toppled over onto the
roof OF the building occupied and owned
by the Union Hardware and Metal COM
pony at 214-216 North Los Angeles street.
Burning Both Ways
The fromen now had three fires to COM
hat, one burning each way from the original
blaze, for about the time the south wall of
the Germain block fell the Pacific Crockery
company building on the north was dis
coversd in flames. The main fire increased
IN violence with the falling of the walls.
What was lef! o. the highly inflammable