Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-01-13
HOTEL WRECKED
AND BURNED BY
GAS EXPLOSION
SEVEN INJURED AND MANY
LIVES JEOPARDIZED
ROOF PERFORATED AND WALLS.
SHATTERED BY SHOCK
Persons Occupying Rooms in Building
Thrown from Their Feet and
Numerous Hairbreadth
Escapes Recorded
THE INJURED

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g THE INJURED @
9 William Thomas, proprietor of the @
g RedOndO restaurant, 52S East Fifth @
9 street, burned about face, arms, neck @
g and body. win recover. @
g Mrs. Schubert, Hotel Austin, $50 @
g East Fifth street, overcome by shock of {.
g explosion and smoke. @
g Mrs. FreeIand, Hotel Austin, $50 @
g East Fifth street, overcome by smoke. o
g Mrs. w. Booth, Hotel Austin, $50 @
g East Fifth street, overcome by smoke. G,
g Jacob Alter, 526 East Fifth street, @
g injured by falling timbers. g
g Mrs. Sarah Brennan, 526 East Fifth @
g street, hysterieaI because of fright. g
@ p. j. Spath, 737 East Twelfth street, @
g laceratiOn nose and bruised about @
g face. Treated at receiving hospital. 6,
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Several persons were injured and a
score or more were severely shocked
yesterday afternoon when an explosion,
thought to have been that of gas in the
kitchen of the Redondo restaurant, SIS
East Fifth street, blew hole through
the roof of the three-story building at
Fifth and Croker streets and set fire
to the structure, which was almost to-
tally destroyed.
The escape of a score of persons from
the endangered building was marvel
Gus.
Al Avila, a barber who conducts a
business in a portion of the building
occupied as a pool room at 532 East
Fifth street, was blown Though the
plate glass window of his shop and es-
capped with minor injuries.
Mrs. Sarah Brennan, wO with her
father, Jacob Alter, conducts a jew
elry store at 526 East Fifth street, per-
formed an act Of heroism when she
dragged her parent from the ruins, he
having been knocked unconscious by
falling timbers.
Honeycombed with Stores
The building destroyed was a three
story frame structure owned by f. w.
Wild. The two top floors were given to
rooms and furnished and occupied by
Mrs. Sarah NJ. Shields. The place was
known as the Hotel Austin. The
ground floor was partitioned into stores
and was occupied by H. S. Vreeland,
who conducted a grocery and meat
market at 536 East Fifth street; the
Los Angeles Liquor company, at 532|
East Fifth street; Schuman's pool
room, at 534 East Fifth street, the front
portions of which were occupied by Av-
ila's barber shop and by a cigar stand;
the Hotel. Austin, at $50 East Fifth
street; the Redondo restaurant, owned
by William Thomas, and the jewelry
store of Brennan & Alter at SIG East
Fifth street.
The fire was caused by an explosion
in the rear of the restaurant. Thomas
stated that he and his waitress, Mrs.
E. Palmer of Redondo, had gone to the
81
o'clock. A few minutes later he re-
turned to the kitchen and noticed a
leakage of oil in the distillate stove
This Increased, and soon there was a
small fame burning near the base of
the stove. He tried to adjust the burn
er, and while he was working on the
stove the explosion occurred. He was
hurled about fifty feet and seriously
burned. He was stunned for the mo-
ment, but regained consciousness and
made his escape through the front door
of the restaurant.
Thomas said he had two gas stoves,
9, coal oil stove and a coal range. The
last two, he declared, were used only
when business was not british.
Tenants Thrown to Floor
The explosion tore hole through the
building to the roof, forced the rear
walls and shattered nearly windows.
Persons occupying rooms in the hotel
were thrown to the floor by the force
of the shock and slightly injured by
the falling plaster. A huge sheet of
flame sprang up Immediately, and with
in a short time the entire building was
ablaze.
Six engine companies, three trucks,
two hose companies and the water tow
er responded to the alarm, and the
tfremen worked hard in their efforts to
prevent adjoining buildings from
catching fire. Their work was not in
vain and they deserve much credit
for it,
Patrolman A w. Hartmeyer of the
University station was among the first
to arrive. He obtained a ladder, held it
on his back and enabled ten occupants
OF the hotel to escape by sliding down
the ladder. When he was satisfied all
had left the building he lowered the
ladder and assisted in other work.
Chief Lips had a narrow escape from
serious injury. He was about to mount
a ladder to climb to the upper part of
the burning structure when the top of
the building collapsed, injuring P. j.
Spath and bruising f. r. Anderson.
Louis Albright of 6O2 East Sixth
street was about to enter his home
when he heard the explosion. He
rushed to the building and found it a
mass Of flames. Without hesitation he
ran up the burning stairway, searched
the building to see if there was anyone
in the rooms, and then assisted the Oc-
cupants in removing their belongings.
Charles Mattas was in room 4 of the
hotel. When the explosion occurred he
was thrown to the floor and the plaster
rained on him. He rushed to the win
dow, went down the fire escape and
jumped to safety.
Joseph K. Hutchinson, a we'll known
local amateur aeronaut. in searching