Los Angeles herald., 1905-12-11
THOUSANDS VIEW
ECHO MOUNTAIN
BURNT.oUT DISTRICT OBJECT
OF INTEREST
Forest Rangers Still Watching smoul-
derinu Fires-Boys Set Fire
to Barn-Pasadena
BreVlties
PASADENA Agency
81 North Raymond Avenue
Telephone, Main 1903


81 North Raymond Avenue
Telephone. Main lfOS
PASADENA, Dec. 10.-Thousands Of
people visited the Echo mountain burnt
out district during today and the cars
of the Pacific Electric railway did big
business carrying the crowds TO the foot
of the great incline at the ltubio pa
Vilion.
Hundreds wormed their way UP the
great precipitous trails i'm order TO view
the scene from the summit. 1t was a
dismal view which rewarded sight
seeers from either point of vantage,
From Rubio pavilion the half-burned
wooden ties of the incline stretched up
ward to where one Of the white cars
stood locked to the rails; at the bottom
of the track stood the other car with
its wheels buried in the platform. To
the left of the track the side Of the
mountain was bare and black. to the
right the underbrush was still green
and but slightly scorChed in spots
showing the value of the bare track as
a fire break, for had it not been for
this track it is unlikely that all the
efforts of the fire fighters could have
prevented the fire spreading into and
across Ruhio canyon.
On the summit where stood the little
group of pretty buildings beonglng to
the Pacific Electric company now stand
Il few broken walls and foundation
stones. Even the ashes of the burned
buildings have been scattered by the
furious wind of yesterday and today.
Danger Was From Winds
The great searchlight stands on it's
frame pedestal and looks down on the
valley with its one sightless eye.
The Mt. Lowe observatory is still
1t .f,
although Prof. Edgar J.. Larkin, the
director in charge. says that he mo-
mentarily expected the little white
building to be lifted from it's moorings
yesterday forenoon and hurled to the
valley below. Peculiarly enough the
observatory was in greater danger from
the wind storm than from the fire.
The building opened its hospitable doors
to the families who were driven by
the fire to abandon the chalet. Today
food was brought from Alpine tavern
for those still at the observatory.
Opinions differ widely as to the total
damage resulting from the terrific wind
storm and the fire which swept up
and down and across the face of the
mountain at WILL but there is no diff
ference of opinion among those who
played the leading parts in those few
hours as to the awful ferocity of the
storm of wind and flame. II is said
that at times the force of the wind
was so tremendous that the men had to
lie flat on the ground to escape being
swept over the edge of the mountain
That no one was injured is little short
of miraculous.
Fire Breaks Are Effective
There has been no ceasing of labor
today. On the top Of Echo mountain
a force of laborers early this morning
began to clear away the rubbish along
the railroad track and about the old
power house and the scores of men
under the leadership of Forester Sup
erVisor Lukens and his rangers pa
trolled the winding trails and the bot
tom of the canyon in search of lingering
sparks and smoldering fire.
At the bottom of Las Flores canyon
where some heavy timber was burning
the men We're kept busy putting soil
on the remnants of fire until late to-
night. These men or men who will re-
leve them are to be on guard tonight
and tomorrow, although Mr.. Lukens
says that there is now no danger un-
less a sudden whirlwind catches up
some bed of live coal and carries it
bodily into something inflammable.
Mr.. Lukens stated tonight that the
experience has given indisputable proof
of the immense value of the system of
fire breaks which he has been advo-
eating and miles of which he has sue
ceeded in having constructed through
out the range of mountains.
Boys Set Fire to Barn
The fire department was summoned
shortly after noon today to save a
burning barn at the rear of 1874 North
Marengo avenue, but owing to the
progress of the fire and the inflam-
Tlable condition of the building, could
accomplish nothing except in protect
ing the neghboring houses. The barn
was the property of Mrs BoyingtOn,
and was rented by Newell r. Vinson.
1t was total loss. together with its
contents, which included 5000 worth of
tools. The building was valued at
about $500. il is stated thai the fire
resulted from BOYS playing with
matches Philip Ninson, aged years,
and Herbert Conner. aged g. We're the
proud pussesso"s of Il number of
matches and i'm the course OF their ox-
perlments, conducted secretly in the
barn, discovered that the contents of
the barn would burn when a lighted
match was applied 10 them. They also
discovered thGt after the fire was
started they could not put it out.
Members of the Ninson family say
they will watch the budding genius Of
their son little more carefully in the
future.
Wilson's Peak Isolated
During yesterday and today MANY
efforts have been made to establish
communication with the summit of
Wilson's peak. the camps and oh
servatory there, but without avail. II
appears that yesterdays wind storm
tlew down both lines of telephone wires
leading up the mountain. No alarm is
ielt as TO the safety of The people ON
inc mountain owing TO the fact that
The forest fires which have been dew