Los Angeles herald., 1905-12-25

| did the courteous thing by sharing
| wardrobes. Women appeared later In
| the rotunda of the hotel, some clad In
evening dresses and some with one
| kind of a shoe on one foot and
different kind on the other. but all were
well satisfied that they had managed
| to escape with their lives.
AS quick as the men could borrow
overcoats and hats. they donned them
over their night clothing and went back
| to the fire in the hope of saving some-
thing, but 1t was useless.
The fire company responded in mag
nificent style and within three minutes
after the first alarm had been turned
| in, the engines had reached the fire,
| and a second alarm was turned In. A
third and general alarm were turned
| in within half hour after the fire had
been discovered and at that time every
available engine in the city and the
water tower was on the scene. Chief
Lips arrived with the first engines
and took charge of the fight against
the flames. The mayor and fire COM
miSsioners arrived a short time later.
But the fire had a good headway and
the firemen were seriously handicapped
in their efforts to fight it. The oils
and paints in the rear of the wall pa
per store burned like tinder and when
the firemen attempted to get to the
/ fire they were met by great clouds of
Suffocating smoke and dashed back.
Led by Chief Lips, the firemen made
| q last dash and managed to break in
| the rear, doors The entire rear of the
store was q seethlng mass of flames
The oil stored in the basement was
burning like some monster well and
the smoke and flames were shooting
up the back elevator shaft and spread
ing through the corridors. Several at
tempts were made to strike at the
heart Of the fire in the back of the
building, but heavy tiling in the Office
of the hotel prevented the firemen
from obtaining an entrance through the
walls. Several fire axes were battered
to pieces before the firemen gave it up
and went to work on the upper floors
Poker Game Interrupted
In front room of the hotel building
a number of the male guests had been
having a quiet little game of poker
in celebration of the holidays and at
daybreak none were ready to stop. In
the excitement of the game they forgot
all about fire and the calls of the bell
boys failed to arouse them. The first
premonition of trouble they had was
when a big fireman thundered his axe
against the door and sent the massive
piece Of oak spinning on the floor.
Raid" yelled one of the players and
all turned with faces of horror toward
the fireman. Get out" he shouted, and
with yell of relief the players dashed
for doors and windows, leaving money
scattered on the floor and grasping the
useless cards in their hands.
From room to room the firemen
dashed, smashing in doors and fight |
ing the flames with desperation. The
heavy lines of hose were played on
the building from all sides and engines
We're stationed at every fire plug |
within a radius of several blocks.
The fire, however, could not be
controlled. The wind was high and
the building, built of third class ma |
teral, burned like tinder without
stick to combat the steady advance
of the flames.
Within thirty minutes the fire was in |
all parts of the building and although |
it was despairing fight the firemen |
stayed with it to the finish. At 10 |
o'clock the first floor of re rotunda |
of the hotel caved in and carried the
huge iron safe to the basement.
Firemen Buried
The elevator weights burned out
next and the entire apparatus came
tumbling to the ground floor. Then
the great stairways came piling down
cutting off ingress and egress except
from the outside of the building.
With reports that could be heard
blocks away, the great window panes
burst, scattering chips of glass in
every directio.. and cutting some of the
tlremen.
Gradually the flames wormed their
way between the fliInsy supports of
the second floor of the hotel. The
supports were of wood and gave way
readily
AT that time ten firemen We're work.
ing on the floor and suddenly. without
the slightest warning the entire floor
gave way, tearing through to the Cal
ifornia Wallpaper company's store and
on into the basement. All the firemen
We're buried beneath the debris and
to add to the confusion an immense
stack of wallpaper tumbled on top
of the wreck.
The work of the rescue was imme-
diate, and the firemen leaped with q
viii into the sitting flames and brought
out their comrades.
Six men We're found pinned down
by heavy beams and pipes and as
quick as they were brought out of
the wreck. they We're hurried TO the
receiving and emergency hospitals. j.
Lawson, member of Company No.
8, was among those injured. He was
at the bottom OF the wreckage and
when taken out was in critical con-
dition.
The other men are reported to be
IN good condition although many are
sufferin; from shock.
The loss In the hotel cafe was almost
total although many tables and chairs
Continued on Page Twelye.)