Los Angeles herald., 1909-04-07
BLAZE IN PAPER
CONCERN CAUSES
LOSS OF 100000
zELLERBACH BRANCH IS PRO-
TECTED BY INSURANCE
BUILDING DAMAGED TO EXTENT
OF ONLY $4,000
Firemen Work HerolcalIy, Notwith-
standing Death Was Imminent, and
Several Had Close Escapes
from Injury

Fire, believed to have been caused
by crossed wires on the floor of the
three-story brick building occupied by
the Los Angeles branch of the Heller-
bach Paper company at 1928 North
Los Angeles street, resulted in a loss
of 100000 on the contents and damaged
the building to the extent of $l0,OO0. Inc
fire broke out, short time atter IL
o'clock yesterday.
The blaze originated in the south
east part of the building on the third
hoor 1t was first detected by news
boy, who saw the flames darling from
the windows, near the fire escape, and
the heavy black smoke pouring sky
ward.
The lad rushed into the building and
met C. w. Jones, q salesman, whom he
notified Jones hurried from the build
ing, turned in an alarm, and then re-
turned to the store and telephoned
Joseph Y. Baruh, manager of the
company, who was at dentists Of
flee at the time.
Three young women, Edna Lee, 715
West Forty-third place; Luella Con-
ner 10071% West Eleventh street, and
Amelia Koerting, 1881 Vernon avenue,
employed in the office of the manager
were in the building when the fire was
detected. They Immediately gathered
the books and papers from the desks
and carried them to place of safety
On their return to the building they
were met by Manager Baruh, who ar
rived just after the fire engines APP
peared. With Baruh, the young women
entered the vault and assisted him In
carrying out the books and valuable
papers.
Fire Gains Headway
The firemen quickly laid several lines
of hose, but by the time the streams
were playing on the building the fire
had gained great Roadway and vast
quantities of smoke was pouring from
the windows on the second and third
floors.
On the top floor is stored high-grade
paper, paper bags, Irvine and different
kinds of cordage. The flames rapidly
consumed this material and spread to
the rear part of the building on the
second and third floors.
The firemen ran several ladders to
the second floor and directed the noz-
zles into the blazing mass. The water
tower was put into action and soon
high-pressure stream was raking the
top floor through the windows, Whlch
had been burned away.
Thousands of people hurried to the
scene. attracted by the heavy black
smoke, which was pouring from the
burning building and darkening that
part of the city.
Chief of Police Broadhead was on the
scene a short time after the arrival
of the fire engines and he took per-
sonal charge of handling the crowd.
Ropes were stretched by squad of
patrolmen and the people were or
dered out of the enclosure. Little
trouble was encountered in this, as the
heat from the flames was SO intense 1t
was extremely uncomfortable inside the
ropes.
Firemen Undaunted
The fremen succeeded in driving the
flames from the front part of the
building and mounted the fire escape
on the extreme south end of the build
ing. Carrying a hose, they mounted to
the third, floor and directed stream
into the flames. Suddenly the black
smoke began to pour out of the front
windows in increased volume, and al
though almost stified, the flremen stuck
to their posts in logged determination.
The water seemed to have no eff
feet at this particular point, and when
small tongues of flame began to lick
out OF the opening directly over the
heads of the four hosemen, who were
on the top landing of the fire escape,
they covered, but maintained their
positions.
Finally the flames burst out in such
volume that the hose was fastened to
the escape and three of the men slid
down the hose to the ground. The
crowd, having shouted frenzied cries
of warning to the men, suddenly be-
came silent, but was spurred into
speech again when it saw Oscar Johns
of engine company No. 6 trying to
maintain his position in face of the
seething flames. Finding he could do
nothing toward driving back the blaze,
Johns graspod the hose and slid to
Il i11r ohaarc from
the spectators.
AS soon as the men reached the
ground several streams were directed
to this point and the flames were sub
dued enough to allow the men to re-
turn to their positions.
Comrades Rescue Firemen
Another narrow escape of two fire
men from probably serious injury oc-
CURED when a ladder on which two
men We're standing near the top slip
ped on the sidewalk and leaned TO one
side. Just as it was about to plunge
through a heavy plate glass window
a half dozen firemen dropped a heavy
nozzle and rushed to the assistance of
their endangered comrades. They
grabbed the ladder and held it While
the two men clambered to the ground.
The stream of water from the re-
leased hose played havoc with the
oughly drenched.
Two other incidents of a similar ma
ture caused much amusement for the
spectators. A nozzle connected to q
hose laid near the east side of the
street got loose from two tiremen who
were having a hard time to hold 1t
because of the high pressure. Imme-
diately it was throwing itself about
the street, wetting the crowd and elud-
ing the firemen and a patrolman who
attempted to assist them. FINALLY,
after six men had received thorough
soaking, the hose was secured and di-
rected on the fire.
Street car traffic on the lines run
ming to Arcadia, Pasadena, MOnrovia
and other places where the cars have
to pass over the Los Angeles street
rails was delayed for almost two
hours.
Racegoers Delayed
Racegoers who We're not so fortunate
as to be on board the first five cars for
Arcadia were not present at the first
races. The big Pacific Electric cars
were lined up on Main street from
First street to the Pacific Electric sta
ton on Sixth street, and a correspond
ing number of cars stood on the tracks
on Los Angeles street north of Mar
ket street.
The fire was well under control be-
fore 2 o'clock, and the firemen turned
their efforts to pumping out the base
,,,ent of the building, which was flooded