Los Angeles herald., 1906-07-08
RESTAURANT FIRE
ENOANGERS LIFE
ovERTURNINe OF GREASE PAN
STARTS FLAMES
Property at Fifth and Gladys De-
stroyed, Quick Work Of Police
and Flremen Preventing
Great Loss

hot pan of grease in the rear Of a small
restaurant, caused a property loss Of
s15,s5O at the corner Of Fifth street
and Gladys avenue yesterday morning.
over $4,000 worth OF buildings and
fixtures were endangered but the quick
and heroic efforts OF the department
prevented all but a partial loss.
The flames originated in the back
part of restaurant at 500 Gladys ave-
nue. owned by A. e. Hack. A pan of
hot grease was knocked from the gas
stove and splattered over the wood
work and floor In an instant the blaze
filled the building and drove out the
occupants.
Three alarms were turned into the
fire department, but before the fire.
men arrived the residence to the south,
owned by Thomas Dudy and occupied
by Mrs. j. j. Cannon. was blazing.
The flames were Immediately com
municated to the store building and
lodging house owned by A. Morgan
Ellsworth, corner of Fifth street and
Gladys avenue and to the st. Francis
hotel, with an entrance at S14Ia East
Fifth street.
PoIiceman's Bravery
But for the bravery of Patrolman
George Home. according to witnesses,
who was within short distance of the
place when the flames broke out, the
st. Francis would have been destroyed
and buildings to the west would also
probably have been damaged.
Home. who is brother of Captain
Home of the fire department, enjoys
nothing better than an opportunity to
fight fire. When he saw the smoke
arising from the St Francis he rushed
to the second floor of the building, only
to be met by great cloud of smoke
which was carried through the building
by a strong draft created by the heat.
On hands and knees he crawled along
the hall searching for the hose that
is kept in the building. Within a min
ute or two, which seemed like so many
hours to him, for he was almost choked,
he found the hose and got it into aC
ton.
The flames were just breaking
the rear of the second story.
but were driven back by the stream
of water which Home threw upon them.
Hero's Face BIistered
Although his hands and face were
Home remained in the build
ing until the fire had been extinguished. !
Effie Gray, Is years of age, who has
become partially paralzed on account
Of a severe attack of infammatory
occupied a room on the
third floor She was carried to a place
Of safety by Mrs. Frank Biggi.
The store room and lodging hous at
the corner of Fifth and Gladys ave-
nue. was burned in the rear. The larg-
est part of the damage was the result
of food of water that was used in
quenching the flames.
Owner on Honeymoon
The st. Francis was built by D. H
Hart about two years ago at a cost of
SIS. .000 Mr.. Hart is now in the east
on his honeymoon. The damage to the
three and a half story building is esti-
mated at $4,000. 1t is fully covered by
insurance.
Mrs. j. w. Lytton was landlady Of
the place. The furnishings were worth
about $1,000 The damage by fire and
water was about 81, 900. The East Fifth
Street department store occupied part
of the first floor The stock was worth
50 500 and was DANA ged to the extent Of
$500. J. D. Bailey was proprietor of the
store and carried 81. 800 insurance.
Matt Taaffe had a barber shop and
bath room at SIG East Fifth street and
a restaurant at S14 East Fifth street.
Part of the fixtures were removed from
each place. The total damage was
$3.50.
The furnishing goods store in the
Nickerson building owned by b. f.
Hopkins was damaged $500 by water.
The loss is fully covered by insur
anCe.
Lodging House Scorched
Above this store was lodging house
of twelve rooms, of which A. Morgan
Ellsworth was proprietor The fixtures
We're valued at 500 and were damaged
$500, John W. Nickerson owned this
building and two small frame strUc-
lures in the rear. His damage was
81, 300
Robert Forbes succeeded in getting
all of his fixtures from the barber shop
at 5O7 Gladys avenue. E. D. McArdle
carried all Of his shoemaking tools
from sos Gladys avenue. In the ex-
citement he left his watch hanging on
the wall 1t was ruined by the heat,
A. z. Hack, in whose restaurant the
fire started, suffered a loss of his en-
tire fixtures, which were valued at 5000.
He carried $3.50 insurance. The resi-
dence owned by Thomas Dudy and oc-
cupied by Mrs. J. J. Cannon at 513
Gladvs avenue was damaged $500