The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1908-06-16
II. Braman Loses Saloon and
Boarding House in Dis
astrous Blaze.
DAUGHTER OF HOUSE INJURED
Fifth Fire to Take Place Within
Month Does Damage
to Property.

MISS rIOrence branlans aged 20 years,
WAS seriously injured, and Louis Tim
was overcome by smoke and was nearly
sufFocated in the fifth of the mysterious
fires which have occurred on Forsythe
avenue, in the vicinity of the Gibson
yards and last night destroyed the s6,-
600 rooming house of H. Braman and
threatened numerous other cottages and
houses In the vicinity. Miss Helen Bra
man, 17-year-oId daughter got out of
the house in safety.
The fire started at about $3.50 this
morning and Hammond engine COM
Dany number after a magnificent run
to the fire, by way of HessviIIe, ar
rived in time to extinguish the flames
and safe the settlement from being
wiped off the map by the flames.
The origin of this fire as in the case
of the five other fires at Gibson is
mystery. All the firemen know about
the manner in which the fire started is
that 1t began in the front part of the
building and had gained headway when
they arrived that it was out of the
question TO attempt to put it out.
Girl Aroused by Smoke
Before the arrival of Assistant Chief
Mill and his five men Florance Braman
was awakened by the sound of the
cracking and roaring flames and jump
ed to the ground from second story
window, sustaining a fracture of two
ribs Just after the arrival of the
firemen they noticed that there was a
man In one of the rooms who was
nearly sufTocated with the smoke.
The ladders were at once placed In
position and Louis Tim who was q
border, was saved from death By suno-.
cation. He was brought. to a place of
safety in partly unconscious condition
and he had suffered so that blood was
streaming from his nose and mouth
The only fire plug in the vicinity was
between the general Offices of the In
diana Harbor railroad and the Y. M. C.
A. buildings at Gibson and at this was
quarter of mile away from the
scene of the fire it was out Of the ques-
tion to try to get water on the build
ing.
Other Buildings Lurd From Flames.
Before the arrival OF Assistant Chief
Mil and his five men Florence Braman
buildings, however and in this manner
they were saved from destruction. The
firemen fought valiantly from 2:30 in
the morning until o'clock this morn
ing and the fire was so hot that some
of them were blistered by the heat.
The building was owned by the Pabst
brewing company and the two girls
lived above the saloon. They prac-
tically ran the place and tended bar.
The Braman house, where the family
lived was about block farther down
the street. Braman himself is an In
diana Harbor business man. Tim dis
covered the fire first and awakened
other members of the house. The in
surance is carried in a Hammond
agency.
Many Other BIazes There.
This neighborhood is reached from
Hammond by Forsythe avenue the
north and south road which leads
through the subway under the Gibson
yards hump and from East Chicago
by the same street which leads directly
to the neighborhood
It is in this peculiar neighborhood
which had it's mushroom growth OF
temporary saloons of the vicious sort
that there were several shooting scrapel
and it has been enormously called
Gibson, much to the chagrin of the peo,
pie who live in the vicinity of the gen
eral offices and the shops at Gibson
The people of the little settlement OF
Forsythe avenue, in the vicinity of tn,
Gibson yards. are aroused over tn,
numerous attempts to burn buildings ii
that vicinity.
The narrow escape Of Florence Bra
man and Louis Tim and the terrors o
the fire last night have made the res
idents of this settlement uncertain as t
where the next confagration will start
In fact fires have become so sfrequen
that another visitation is expected a
almost any time. An effort will b.
| made to solve the mysterious origin o
the fires and if they are found to be o
incendiary origin steps will be takel
to locate the criminals who are re
sponsible.