The Imperial press., 1905-07-29
DESTROYED BY FIRE
Messrs. Mitchell and Holman Suffer
 Loss

At about five o'clock last Tuesday afternoon our town was startled by
 tine terrifying cry of Fire Fire. and d quick blaze shot mp in the lodging
 house of Mir. $. W. Mitchell on Imperial avenue near 9th street Every avail able man responded and in less than a minute more than hundred wiling
 helpers were on the scene trying to stay the flames and save as much as possible of the furniture. The house Iii which the fire started was one of three located close together, the one farther est south, the lodging house, being the property of Mir. Mitchell, the middle one being the home of Mir. NJ. r. llol- man and family and the third one be- ing Mr. MitchelI's home. So close were these houses to one another and so dry and infiammable the material that 1t was seen at once that 1t was impossible with the means at hand to eXtinguish the flames, so the efforts of all were directed to the work of saving the household effects of the occupants. But so rapidly did the flames spread and so quickly were the houses con- sumed that very little of their contents were saved. Mr. Mitchell being .the only one to save anything of conse quence and that from his dwelling, the lodging house and contents and Mir. Holman home and it's contents being practically total loss.
 The lodging house was occupied by two families, that of MT. Booher occupying one half of the house and MT. and Mrs. Haworth occupying the otber. Mir. Haworth, who is laid up with rheumatism, had narrow escape with his life. He is bed fast with the disease and was lying asleep in his room. His wife did the household cooking on an oil stove, and had lighted the stove and stepped out for minute when her husbands cries called her into the house to find the room in flames. She barely had time to carry him out when the house became roar ing furnace. The fire consumed this house and it's contents completely, Mir. and Mrs. Haworth and Mir. Booher and family losing all their household effects, clothing, papers, jewelry and some money. Mir. Mitchell who owned the house and considerable of the furniture lost it all. The second house to be attacked by the flames was the home of MT. and Mrs. NJ. P. Holman.
 This was house with a history. It formerly stood about where the New York Store is now located and was the first wooden building erected in In- perial. It's first use was as ali office by the Imperial Land Company and in this building some of the largest deals ever made in this Valley were consum- mated When the Imperial Land Com pany built their brick block they sold this building to Mir. Holman, who moved it to where it stood when it was burned, remodeled and enlarged it and made it his home. So quickly did this house fall prey to the flames that very little of it's contents were saved only a small proportion of the lightest articles being secured, the piano and all the heavy articles and furniture being consumed. Mir. Mitchell's residence being the last house to take fire, gave the workers more time to remove its contents and q large proportion of their furniture and effects were saved.
 While the tire Was raging a strong southeast wind was blowing apd the sparks were scattered far and wide, endangering everything ill it's path. The home of Mir. Shepherd, diagonally across the street from Mr.. Mitcllell's, was repeatedly set on fire and sparks set fire to the house occupied by Mir. Toomey, the tent house formerly used as a bedroom by Dr. Anderson, the house formerly owned by F. B. Morrell and even as far away as Edgar Rros. Implement house sparks set fire to rubbish. Should the wind have been directly.from the, south it is believed that the entire town east of Imperial avenue would have been consumed.
 The loss sustained by this fire was total, there being no insurance. As near as can be learned the full amount of tl,e loss was about $5,OOO, of which S. w. Mitchell lost $2, 900, M. P. Hol-