Imperial Valley press., 1929-06-15
Blaze Causes
Heavy Damage
(Continued From Page ~

damaged the tin shop belonging to
j ohm Kuhn.
When the department had con-
trolled the State street fire another
alarm was turned in a block away,
which the department answered.
Sparks from the first blaze had set
fire to the zafaris packing shed and
another shed belonging to n.
Smith.
The blaze from these two places
spread to the Edgar Brothers prop
erty, leased to the International
Harvester company. All three build
ings and their contents were com
pleteiy destroyed.
According to the w. A. Scheni-
man, the Seheniman Paper Com
pany had approximately $4,000
worth of melon packing paper stor-
ed in the Zafaris shed while W. l..
Frederick, warehouse superintend
ent of the International Harvester
Company estimates that $4,000
worth of machinery, including
tractors and other farm imple-
ments. were stored in the Edgar
Brothers warehouse.
While the value of the Zafaris
and Smith sheds could not be ac-
curately estimated it is believed
that each was valued at approx
mately $1,000 each.
The buildings between Fourth
and Fifth street on State which
were destroyed, belonged to the
Bank of Italy. Estimates of the
value of the buildings today were
set at approximately $32 2,ooG This
amount does not include machinery
equipment, automobiles, etc, which
were completely destroyed.
4 check this morning, the figures
being estimated and set at mini
mum, would indicate the loss one
of the largest ever suffered by fire
in the valley. Reports made to the
Press today gave the Individual
losses as follows:
Imperial Motors, six Oldsmobiles
and three Vikings and other mater
ials, $4,000; international Har-
vester Company, tractors and farm
machinery, $4,000; Seheniman
Paper Company, packing paper,
10000; Edgar Brothers warehouse,
leased to the international Haryes-
ter Company, $4,000; Zafaris pack
ing shed, $1,000; n. Smith packing
shed, $1,000, d. Augusta machine
shop, tools and machinery, $500 ;
Erickson s blacksmith shop, ma
ehinery and tools, $4,000; Benton
Welding company, $1,000; John
Kuhn tin shop, water and smoke
damage. $1,000; Bank of Italy,
building value, $4,000; Triple \
water company, 800.
Five Alarms Answered
The above figures were taken
from reports made by various par
ties interested and were their esti-
mates of the minimum damage.
Practically all of them stated that
they were covered all or partially
by insurance. Much personal prop
ertv loss occurred and no estimate
of that amount has been included
in the above figures.
The fire department answered
five alarms altogether last night
and early this morning, two of
which were false alarms. One of
the latter was a repeated call on
the original blaze.
The fire department was given
valued assistance by great mum
Der of citizens who volunteered to
help combat the confiagration.
Chief Reams stated this morning
that although he did not recall all
those who had worked until the fire
was under control, he wished TO
thank those who had served and
appreciated their work.
The police department patrolled
the fire area throughout the five
hours devoted to fighting the blaze
and their efficient work was high
ly praised by city officials. Motor
cycle Officer Everett Wcatherbie
was one of the first on the scene
of the fire and kept the streets
leading to the scene open at all
times. There was only slight con
! fusion or interference.
During the second blaze close to
the railroad tracks, prompt work
on the part of telephone and tele.
graph linemen probably saved the
I lives of number OF spectator
/ when they cut the wires leading TO
the packing sheds before they TELL
A number of firemen handling a
hose on the Zafaris shed narrowly
escaped electrocution when the
stream of water hit highly
charged wire, which fortunately
burned connection as the water
struck that portion Of the build
ing.
The Imperial Valley Hardware
company's warehouse, said to hay,
contained many inflamable pro
duets was saved and suffered oni,
slight burned paint damage. The
fire department kept two lines O