BURNING OF A LOS ANGELES WHOLESALE BUILDING.

BURNING OF A LOS ANGELES WHOLESALE BUILDING.

Los Angeles, Cal., recently had a destructive fire when the Goldwatcr building, in the wholesale district of the city, occupied by dealers in clothing, overalls and rubber goods, was burned. The fire, the origin of which is set down to spontaneous combustion, broke out in the third floor, and. when discovered, had made considerable headway and burst through the windows. The fire department, under Chief Walter Lips, was on the ground on the first alarm, and found the blaze so threatening that a general alarm was sounded. The following pieces of apparatus were on hand; Four Metropolitan steam fire engines, two La France, two Nott, one Amoskeag and one Ahrens: an 85-ft. Seagrave aerial truck and a city service truck ; and a 65-ft. Gorton tower, with a deck nozzle. Ten 2 ½-in. hydrants were available (the department seldom doubles up), the distance between each being 350 ft. No hydrant streams were thrown, but from the engines were thrown at one time nine i}4-in. and two 1¾-⅛. streams, from the 12-in. main that was laid on the street, which at that point is 90 ft. wide in front of the building. The distance between the hydrants called for the employment of 10,650 ft. of cotton, rubber-lined hose, none of which burst, though one coupling was blown off. A siatnese of 3 into 1, with a 1 ¾-in. top. and a deck nozzle on the Gorton tower, already mentioned, were the only special implements used. The water pressure was quite sufficient to keep up to the mark the streams thrown. The building was a new one, having been built only one year. It was five stories high and built of brick and wood. It stood in a 90-ft. wide street in the wholesale district and covered a space of 75*50 ft. Owing to the inflammable nature of the contents, the fire was a fierce one; but the good work of the department confined the flames to the place of origin. The total loss was $200,000. of which $50,000 was on the building, which was completely gutted. The insurance amounted to $145,000. One fatal accident unfortunately occurred. Adolph Hermansen, a hoseman of engine company No. 10, fell five stories to the ground and received such injuries that he died two days afterwards. He was the first fireman ever killed in the Los Angeles department.

Los Angeles, Cal., recently had a destructive fire when the Goldwatcr building, in the wholesale district of the city, occupied by dealers in clothing, overalls and rubber goods, was burned. The fire, the origin of which is set down to spontaneous combustion, broke out in the third floor, and. when discovered, had made considerable headway and burst through the windows. The fire department, under Chief Walter Lips, was on the ground on the first alarm, and found the blaze so threatening that a general alarm was sounded. The following pieces of apparatus were on hand; Four Metropolitan steam fire engines, two La France, two Nott, one Amoskeag and one Ahrens: an 85-ft. Seagrave aerial truck and a city service truck ; and a 65-ft. Gorton tower, with a deck nozzle. Ten 2 ½-in. hydrants were available (the department seldom doubles up), the distance between each being 350 ft. No hydrant streams were thrown, but from the engines were thrown at one time nine i}4-in. and two 1¾-⅛. streams, from the 12-in. main that was laid on the street, which at that point is 90 ft. wide in front of the building. The distance between the hydrants called for the employment of 10,650 ft. of cotton, rubber-lined hose, none of which burst, though one coupling was blown off. A siatnese of 3 into 1, with a 1 ¾-in. top. and a deck nozzle on the Gorton tower, already mentioned, were the only special implements used. The water pressure was quite sufficient to keep up to the mark the streams thrown. The building was a new one, having been built only one year. It was five stories high and built of brick and wood. It stood in a 90-ft. wide street in the wholesale district and covered a space of 75*50 ft. Owing to the inflammable nature of the contents, the fire was a fierce one; but the good work of the department confined the flames to the place of origin. The total loss was $200,000. of which $50,000 was on the building, which was completely gutted. The insurance amounted to $145,000. One fatal accident unfortunately occurred. Adolph Hermansen, a hoseman of engine company No. 10, fell five stories to the ground and received such injuries that he died two days afterwards. He was the first fireman ever killed in the Los Angeles department.