Imperial Valley press., 1936-04-01
RESIDENTS
ROUTED FROM
BEDS IN NIGHT
Continued From Page u

AOO0lllutQ FROM rage u
aroused in time to escape the
flames.
Twenty men and all available
equipment in town were utilized
in checking the spread of the
fire TO adjacent buildings.
The buildings are situated in the
600 block on Main street on the
north side OF the street. They
are the property of Mrs. Ada
Murphy of San Diego and the
building loss was covered by in
Surance.
Flames gutted the Vreeland stu
dio, the Newkirk Beauty shop, the
Newkirk Barber sshop and the
Martin Gift and Music shop. Water
used in checking the fire damaged
the Montgomery Ward collection
agency and the Peoples finance
and Thrift company offies.
Studio Uninsured
The studio was uninsured and
the loss inluded three cameras,
four expensive camera lenses, rec
ords. orders, of photographs, fur
nishings, etc Mrs. Edna Morrison,
manager, saia no plans for the
future had been made as yet.
The studio is a blackened mass OF
debris.
The beauty and barber ships al :.
so are ruined. There is said to
be some insurance on new equip
ment. The gift shop is a charred
wreck. 1t was covered by some
insurance. A large supply of viol-
ins was damaged by heat and
water. Mrs. Martin Wednesday
had made no plans for the fcture
Flames had their way within the
confines of the two 25 feet build,
ings.
The blaze started near the par
tition between the beauty shop and
the studio. said Reams. He said
he is OF the opinion it was caused
by failure to turn off some cleo
tric appliance in the beauty shop.
He did not credit the theory that
the lire started from chemicals in
the studio.
Curtis eKating, merchant patrol
man. saw flames shooting from the
building as he was making his
lOulldo ilCd1 AAAC OAlldLh
more than half block away. He
turned in the alarm. The two
buildings were afire all over,
Reams said, when the department
arrived.
All Equipment i'm Use
Six heavy Itreams of water were
played on the flames from three
angles. Firemen tore off tin roof
ing and played the water through
the ceilings of the finance office
TO hold the blaze in check. Hose
was carried through the finance
building and out 10 the roof via
the skylight hence the flood in
that office.
Reams said he is of the opinion
the fire ran up the walls in the
beauty shop and studio TO the
roof and thence down into the
other shops.
The Calexico fire department
was summoned TO stand by here il
case a fire was reported in an
other section OF El Centre. AL
the FL Centro equipment was In
use. Reams said.
Awnings on the Bank of America
building were damaged by the fire
and gave an indication, the chief
said. OF the reach Of the flames.
Hundreds of Spectators
If the wind had been blowing
during the fire as it had been a
few hours before, ali the fire fight
ing equipment in Southern Calf
ornia could not have averted wide
spread disaster" Reams said
The fire was said TO be visible
from a distance of 10 miles and
attracted hundreds of spectators
TO the scene
This is FL Centro's first disas-
trous fire since the Davis building
burned on New eYars eve several
years ago.
Insurance adjusters were check
ana losses Wednesday with Mrs
Murphy and the shop owners.
Ileber-Nfr ana Mrs. Wilbur
HOaee have new baby daughter