Los Angeles herald., 1905-10-02
FIVE BUILDINGS BURNED;
ONE MAN NEARLY KILLED
EARLY MORNING BLAZE DOES
$4,000 DAMAGE
Flames Consume Myrtle Avenue Plan
ing Mill and Four Dwelling Houses
Before Fire Fighters Can Gain Com
trol-Prompt Action Saves Life

One man was nearly burned to death
and three families were barely able TO
escape with their lives in a fire which
broke out in the Myrtle Avenue Planning
mill at $3.50 o'clock yesterday morning
Before the flames could be controlled
the planning mill and four dwelling
houses had been destroyed, entailing Z
loss of 100000, with practically no in
surance.
The cause of the fire is unknown. It
is believed to have started in the rear
| of the two-story planning mill at 1916
! 1918 Myrtle avenue. The flames spread
| so rapidly that when the fire companies
arrived at about o'clock the mill and
yards were nearly consumed and the
fire had spread to the house next door,
owned by Swan Johnson, a retired
ranchman, and across the street to the
home of Robert Hagenow.
Joe Kelly, a young man living in the
neighborhood, attempted to run be-
tween the burning buildings to turn in
an alarm but was overcome by the in
tense heat and fell to the ground uncon-
scious, being badly burned about the
neck and hands. The prompt action of
his brother, who threw a coat over his
head and carried him out of danger,
saved his life.
Swan Johnson and his wife, who We're
the sole occupants of their house, said:
I'VE were awakened about $3.50 by the
noise of the flames and saw that the
shop next door was afire. We slept in
the front bedroom upstairs, and my
wife and I had barely time to get on
portion of our clothing and rush down
stairs before our house was afame.
I'VE carried no insurance and our
IL. i
our household goods, none of which
the window at the south side of the
house and save something, but [ cut my
hand and the heat drove me away"
2. D. Russell, a negro, who occupied
a small house on the rear of the John
son property, was awakened by the
flames about $3.50 and was only able to
save his trunk before the house was
burned. He lost about 5000 worth of
personal effects.
Household Effects Burned
A man named Peterson, living in a
small house in the rear of the planning
mill, also lost all his household effects,
while the houses of R. Gruebnau, 1915
San Julian street, and Loren Larsen,
1919 San Julian street, were damaged
by the heat. A hand of Rudolph, the
17-year-old son of R. Gruebnau, was
burned while he was at work on the
roof of the house, and his father lost
$50 worth of carpenter tools in a shed
in the rear which was consumed.
The fire leaped from Johnsons house
to the house of Mrs Fred Pfennig and
burned a corner of it, causing a damage
of about $500 to the house and household
effects.
Ill H. AE I,,I rNqT DOIAn NJ
Hagenow was entirely burned he saved
nearly all his household effects, losing
about $1OO worth.
The planning mill was owned by
George H. Wahlenmaier, jr,, and w. F.
Wahlenmaier. w. F. Wahlenmaier
said: "Our loss is about $25,000 on the
plant, with only $35OO insurance.
1--WE shut down Saturday afternoon
about 4 o'clock and there was no fire
about the plant. Our shavings were
carted away in the afternoon, and as /
was awakened by the flames I saw that
the fire did not start in the engine
room but in the rear of the building.
my son turned in an alarm and then
came back and saved the three horses
in the stables at the rear of our house.
We tried to get into the yards, but he
heat was so intense that it drove US
back. l do not know how the fire
started. We have no watchman. We
employed from six to ten men and have
been running for three years A two
story planning mill, shed full of fin
ished lumber, molding rack and sew
eral hundred thousand feet of lumber
were burned"
Engine companies 9 and 10 and hose
company responded to the first alarm,
and engine companies Z, and II and
hose company responded to the second
alarm The efforts of the firemen were
directed to saving the surrounding
property and at 7;3O o'clock in the
morning the flames were nearly extin-
guished.