Los Angeles herald., 1905-12-25
shocked and cut.

The Van Nuys Broadway hotel, the
Cass-Damerel hardware store, the Cali
fornia Wall Paper company, the van
Nuys Broadway cafe and two buildings
owned by the Henry Mertz estate were
destroyed early yesterday morning in
fire in which six firemen were serl-
ously injured.
Driven by a high wind and spread
ing through a labyrinth Of rooms and
offices with roar that could be heard
for blocks, the fire spread throughout
the buildings, leaving but shell.
A conservative estimate put upon the
total loss is in the neighborhood of
$3.50 900, and only Il small portion of 1t
Is protected by insurance.
The fire started soon after daybreak
yesterday morning, presumably In the
rear of the store building occupied by
the California Wall Paper company
How or what caused the flame is still
q mystery, but many of the firemen
who first responded to the call declare
that the fire started from the de-
fective oil heating apparatus.
Clerk Discovers Fire
1t was Just fifteen minutes to when
Day Clerk Roy Goff appeared for duty
in the lobby of the hotel. Above in
the sleeping apartments were 125
guests. here to spend the Christmas
holidays.
The clerk had hardly reached his
station behind the counter when he
noticed volume of smoke appear from
the rear of the building. Not more
than a week ago q fire started in the
basement of the hotel through the oil
heating apparatus, and the moment the
,la hn 10 "a
dash towards that part of the build
ing. AS he did so he met the engineer
"The place is on fire." shouted the
engineer, and Goff turned and ran to-
wards the bell boys bench. A number
of the employees of the hotel were ON
duty and breakfast was being pre-
pared. Without the slightest hesita-
ton the clerk sent everyone he could
find to warn the guests, and the boys
panic stricken, dashed through the
upper halls and corridors, pounding at
the doors and yelling to the guests to
get up and get out and save them
selves. In the meantime the clerk
ran to fire box and sent in the first
alarm.
From hall rooms and bed rooms, men,
women and children came running,
many of them rubbing the sleep from
their eyes only to become desperately
confused by the dense smoke swelling
through the corridors. Then came the
harsh clang of the fire bells. the clatter
of the horses as they came dashing
madly down the street and the hoarse
shouts of the firemen. The guests be-
came panic stricken.
Many ran to their rooms and
threw themselves on their beds and
sobbed; others groped aimlessly about
trying to find the elevator or the stairs
and all the while the smoke became
more binding and suffocating.
At last the bell boys managed to
herd many of the guests together and
lead them toward the elevators. Brad
ley, the elevator boy, was dispatched
quickly to the freight elevator in the
rear of the building and many people
were rescued in that way.
Clerk Proves a Hero
AS for the clerk, he made one dash
for the passenger elevator. His face
was cut by flying glass, but he ran into
the cage and sent the elevator flying
skyward. At every landing men and
women were shrieking to be saved, but
the elevator went clear to the top
and those in peril on the fourth floor
were attended to first.
In spite of the binding smoke that
surged up the shaft like natural flue
Goff held to his work and it was owing
to his efforts that everyone managed
to escape uninjured. When at last,
through some mistake, the pumping
apparatus of the elevator was shut off
and the elevator refused to respond to
the stop lever, the clerk, with the as
sistance of some of the passengers,
succeeded in holding the giant cage to
the first floor until all the women in il
managed to get out and escape to the
street. After the last man had left
the burning building, the clerk stag
gered out
Many Of the guests had failed 10
find the elevator and panic stricken
/ sy ran to the fire escapes and
clad, with only their night clothes on
aud running wildly into the streets
only to stop in sudden bewilderment.
They appeared like barefooted pilgrims
doing penance as they ran around the
cold streets and tried to find some
place to go. But with quick cour-
tesy, the management of the Broad
way hotel Immediately opposite the
Van Nuys Broadway hotel opened it's
doors for the accommodation of the
distressed guests and they were herded
in and assigned rooms. The Broadway
hotel had a large list of guests and
most OF their rooms were occupied, but
the guests were quick to give aid and
men and women divided their rooms
with the half-clad victims of the fire.
Guests Flee Without Clothes
Then came the real trouble, the
guests We're without any wearing APP
parel except such as they managed to
snatch up as they ran to escape the
fire. But the Broadway guests again