Los Angeles herald., 1906-06-18
FIRE SEARS HILLS
AND BLOTS SKIES
NORTH OF sCHUETZEN PARK
FLAMES RAGE
Hundreds PIow burrows and Make
Flrebreaks to Check the Con-
flagratlon--FinaIly Stops at
South Pasadena

The hills between South Pasadena
and Schuetzen park were fireswept yes
terday.
An all-day battle ragged between the
residents. ranchers and tenants who
have homes, ranches and gardens in
the hills and canyons in that pic
turesque area.
BY nightfall hundreds of tired smoke
begrimed men and women had the
satisfaction that comes of victory over
a hard fight.
1t was real scare that pervaded the
thriving district along the Pasadena
short line. Along the section that
parallels the track to the west acre
after acre of rolling wooded land, with
thriving estates dotted with piles of
freshly cut barley and eucalyptus
trees offered materials for conhagra-
tion, and it came at daybreak on Sab
bath.
Some one near Schuetzen park, prob
ably with view of getting rid of wild
mustard had ignited a field, it was
stated, and from this beginning the
spread was swift because of the early
wind that famed it, coupled with the
extreme dryness of the harvested fields.
Graders ASSIST
Almost invisible at first in the sun,
but sending warnings ahead in the
growing smoke clouds, the burning sec
ton grew wider and wider. A hundred
Mexicans in the grading camp of the
Huntington system near the city limits
were called to assist, and they worked
hard. AS field after field was ignited
in the sweep toward the north the
fight grew harder.
Foresighted residents began to use
their telephones and warned the people
to the north that time for action was
short. The warming was timely and
appreciated.
Men forgot church time, hitched UP
their teams and began to ploW burrows
around their houses.
Others got all their neighbors to-
gether and telephoned for more and
burned fire breaks as far as they could
First scores and then hundreds were
engaged i'm this work all along but west
of the short line right of way.
North to Monterey Road
At noon the flames had made thei1
way i'm scattered stretches almost on a
line with Oneonta Park, though west
of it, An hour later they had lappeo
up pastures as far as Monterey road
At that point the property recently
bought by Gen. wentworth of the Ray
mond hotel and the A. C. Bilicke estate
over forty acres known as the Mari
posa knoll were surrounded. THESE
are two of the most picturesque spots
at the south end of South Pasadena
and beyond them lies the widely known
Cawston ostrich farm.
The scores of faucets on the Went
worth and Bilicke properties were
turned loose, all pumps were set to
work and as much water as could be
procured was turned down hill in rivu'
let's.
In the meantime more men were tele-
phoned for and furrow after furrow was
dug to save the thousands of trees or
Mr. Bilicke's beautiful estate.
Mr.. Bllicke's gardener, Hanson, had
a corps OF assistants who fought judi
ciously and eventually they had the
surroundings perfectly guarded.
Fighters Nearly Overcome
On Gen. Wentworth's property Mar
Gus Groner, also a veteran landscape
gardener, used his knowledge of wood
craft and built fire breaks at each end
of the twenty-seVen acre patch. Here
several persons were nearly overcome
by smoke and exhaustion, Miss Cecil
Annis. recently of st. Louis, and Au-
gust Suechting. also from the same
city were among those who as friends
of the GronerS worked with reckless
energy to save their home and sue
ceeded. Fred Macklin suffered severe
ly from inhalation of smoke.
Marshal Reid's Work
Having worked successfully to the
west the residents of South Pasadena
switched the rescue parties for the
final battle to the Leo Longley place
west of Bonita avenue.
1t is said that the fire came from a
little blaze along the short line of the
Pacific Electric near Newton's ranch
which smouldered along almost un-
noticed until the excessive heat and
dryness caused it to spread enor-
mously.
Marshal Reid of South Pasadena led
the assault on the flames and had the
willing assistance of his brother. La
Verne S. Reid. and fifty other citizens
who fought with a will to prevent the
spread of the flames. Their efforts
met with a great measure of success
although a great stretch of territory
was swept.
At one place the fire came within
fifteen feet of big barn on the hill
but was luckily prevented from going
any further.
II was reported last night that In
spite of the wide stretch of country
covered by the fire but little real pc
cunlary loss resulted,
No grain or hay fields were entirely
burned and no costly outbuildingS, al
though a number of such losses were
narrowly averted.