Los Angeles herald., 1906-09-20
LACK OF WATER
SMELLS LOSSES
WALL STREET FIRE PROMPTS
OFFICIAL INQUIRY
Plugs Defective, Hence Six Cottages
Are Destroyed-Explodine casos
line Stove Starts Flames--sev-
eral Lives Endangered

An Investigation will be made today
of fire plugs in the downtown districts
to ascertain why It was that hundreds
of feet Of fire hose remained idle yes
terday because of the lack of water
with which to fill them, while thou
sands of dollars damage resulted to
burning buildings in the neighborhood
of Fifth and Wall streets.
A statement has been issued by the
water department to the effect that the
pressure of water in that section was
strong and that there should have been
no delay from that cause.
1t is therefore supposed that the fire
plugs in that neighborhood have been
allowed to become defective and that
neglect caused a great property loss
yesterday when six cottages on Wall
street were destroyed by fire.
1t Is reported from the inspectors
department that the plugs recently un-
derwent an inspection, but whether or
not the work was poorly done remains
to be seen.
Firemen Handicapped
At any rate. when the firemen at
tempted to get water at the Keno
stable fire Tuesday afternoon, they
were compelled to wait some time be-
fore the plugs would work, and yester-
day when they placed the hose for the
battle with the flames in the same
neighborhood they met with like results.
The water refused to spout for ten
or fifteen minutes, and when it was
finally coaXed from the plugs it was so
filled with mud that 1t resembled coffee.
The first line of hose was stretched
several blocks in an attempt to get
water, and a plug at Sixth and Maple
was the first to come to the aid of the
| firemen in their desperate fight against
| the flames.
At the present time of the year the
frame buildings in and near the down.
| town district are as dry as tinder from
| the many months of hot weather.
| In many of these buildings, as was
the case yesterday, scores of dodgers
are crowded.
If the fire of yesterday had broken
out during the night heavy loss Of life
| would have resulted, and yet, according
to the reports of the firemen. the prop
erty owners are allowed to fill up back
yards with sheds and shacks, pile
masses of rubbish and waste in the al
| leyways and violate every protective
ordinance of the city.
Caused by Explosion
The fire of yesterday was caused
through the explosion of a gasoline
Stove Ill d sSIIldll IIlb rear OI
537 Wall street. Mrs. ]. Hawkins, the
occupant, was preparing the noon meal.
when the gasoline tank of the stove
exploded, and before she could escape
her clothing ignited.
She beat out the fire and rushed out
of the house, but before help arrived
the building was mass of flames.
In that section rooming houses occupy
the fronts of lots, while at almost every
nj IIy,1ho ic- hIIiI
back of the lot In this way, aided by
strong wind, dry timber and scores of
buildings and shacks, the fire spread
rapidly
The rooruing house at 535 Wall street,
occupied by Mrs. Jenie Loring, soon
caught fire and the woman was carried
from the burning building by rescuers.
A moment later three young men of
the neighborhood dashed into the burn
ing building in an atetmpt to save some
of the furniture. Fighting blindly about
in the smoke, they became confused
and at last fell to the floor from ex-
haustion.
In the meantime Patrolman Roy AL
len had reached the building. With a
pedestrian who volunteered his serv-
ices the officer fought his way upstairs
and found the exhausted rescuers. He
carried two from the building, while
his assistant took the third.
Within half an hour of the start of
the fire the flares had spread to an
apartment house owned by Maurice
" Moriarty. The building was COM
pletely destroyed at loss of $4,000.
Five Firemen Fall
BY that time the defective plugs had
begun to work and the water was being
dashed on the burning cottages. At
535 the entire front of the building col
lapsed carrying five firemen to the
ground. Lieutenant Melvin Young of
department. nine barely escaped with
his life during the collapse.s
In the meantime bedding and house.
hold articles had been piled in the
streets and the occupants of the houses
We're hunting new homes.
By noon the owners of the buildings
began to arrive. Many of them stated
that their losses would be heavy, but
most of the buildings were insured.
The building owned by Moriarty, ac-
cording to his statement yesterday,
cost $4,000 and recent improvements had
added to that. The insurance was
light, but Mr.. Moriarty bore his loss
philosophically.
Xxi Busy, Too
Kiki. the monkey man of Venice, kept
the crowd amused The little man
dashed about through the flames, saw
ing as much of his property as possible.
for he was one of the roomers in the
doomed district.
Before the fire was put under control
three fair-sized buildings on Wall street
had been gutted and the smaller cot
tages on the rear Of the lots destroyed.
Following is the statement of the
losses by fire, with list of sufferers:
M V. Moriarty, building, $4,000; Mrs. J.
L. Loring. 5S5 Wall street, $780, Mrs.
Cain, dressmaker, same address, absent
from home, $4,000; l.. u. Hawkins. 533
Wall street, $780, Mrs. A. McJohnson,
529 Wall street, $4OO; James Wood. 537
Wall street, $3.50; Japanese family, 537