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| Top left: Sergeant Murray and Firemen carrying out victims. Top right: Carrying out May Anderson. Portraits (top to bottom): Miss Lavonne Meyer, M.C. Fuentes, John W. Mains, Anna Crawford. Bottom left: Carrying out John W. Mains, who died in hospital. Far right: Searching the ruins. |
Dead and Dying Lie for Hours Before Being Taken OutEmployes of Company Whose Negligence Caused the Wreck Are Among the Victims |
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Exploding gas from a leaking pipe demolished a brick building which housed Richard Cressaty’s tailoring shop at 114-116-118 West Second St. yesterday. Four persons were killed outright. As many more were so badly hurt that they probably will die. In all, 29 were injured. A blinding flash of white light, the flame from which singed the clothing and hair |
and blistered the exposed flesh of those [nearby], a noise like a sudden monstrous clap of thunder, followed immediately with the roar of splitting timbers and falling walls, above which could be distinguished the shrieks and groans of many victims — that in brief is the story of the explosion. . . .
The disaster came as a result of neglect on the part of the Los |
Angeles Gas and Electric Co., which had protested that it had no workmen when it was notified time after time that gas was escaping in large quantities . . . .
The gas company was prompt to deny that it was to blame for anything . . . that it was due to combustibles stored about the place and referred to an oil burner recently installed in the kitchen. . . . |
| This kind of biased news coverage provided ammunition for those "trust-busters” (like William Randolph Hearst and his newspapers) who wanted municipal ownership of public utilities. | ||
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It was with great difficulty that the police succeeded in keeping back the morbidly curious crowds that blocked Spring, Main and Second streets . . . . Ropes were quickly stretched, cutting off Second Street between Main and Spring, but at times the crowd surged over and under those ropes. So curious were the people that many rushed into danger fairly under the crumbling and tottering walls, and that |
several were not crushed when the walls were pulled down is remarkable.
Firemen aided the police in restoring and preserving order, but the majority of Chief Lips’ men were used in tearing |
down the dangerous walls and in the rescue work, which was carried on under the direction of Chief Lips, Chief Kern of the Police Department and Captains Auble and Bradish. . . . |
ARREST ONLOOKER AT EXPLOSION FOR INSULTING WOMEN |
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Complained against by several women that he was insulting them in the crush of the crowd on Second Street, . . . |
A. Dunnbier was arrested yesterday by Detectives Hosick and Ziegler and is being held in the City Jail on suspicion. | |
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Los Angeles Daily Times, February 22, 1907Annexation Is Knocked Out by the Voters(For a map of the proposed additions to the city, click here.) |
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Annexation went down to defeat in the city yesterday by a vote of almost two to one. Inclement weather aided the real estate boomers in their effort to bring the blanket strip inside the city’s gates, but enough taxpayers sloshed through mud and rain to the polls to win by a handsome majority. The total vote inside the city, excluding Hyde Park [which failed to report its votes], was 1,161 for annexation and 2,277 against. . . . Numerous complaints were made at City Hall . . . that it was impossible to find polling places . . . . When City Attorney Hewitt |
went to the supposed polling place at Ninth and Burlington . . . he found only a vacant lot.
. . . he spied Commissioner Hubbard of the Board of Public Works standing in the rain and eyeing solemnly a dilapidated, water-soaked tent. Not an election officer was in site. . . . Just as they were about to go inside, the tent gave one doleful flap and collapsed. Commissioner Hubbard’s son came with a hammer, and the three reset the tent. Then Hewitt and Hubbard swore each other in as election officers, opened the supplies and started to hold the election. For two hours they remained in charge, enrolling 36 votes. |
Then they impressed three innocent bystanders into the service and went to their day’s work at the City Hall. . . . Failure of the election officers to report may lead to a legislative inquiry. . . . Honorable precedent gives to each councilman the selection of election officers in his ward . . . . Those named for the 15th Precinct were J.R. Mathews, president of the State Bank and Trust Co; H.J. McGuire, former city street superintendent; and W.D. Campbell, a retired merchant. Not one of the three reported for duty. |
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| The San Pedro City Hall in the 1920s |
Los Angeles Examiner, February 24, 1907 |
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NEW CITY HALL FOR SAN PEDROAmong the artistic buildings now being erected in San Pedro is the new city hall at Beacon, Wall and Front streets. It is of Gothic design and has a ground space of 95x105 feet. At the west side will be the main entrance. In the basement the city jail and fire department will be located. The building will contain all the offices for the city employees, a courtroom and a hall for meetings of the trustees. The total cost is placed at $40,000. The architect is F.S. Allen of Pasadena, and J. Rocha of San Pedro has the contract. |
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| For a bird's eye view of San Pedro and the harbor in this era, go to this Library of Congress site. | |
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Between L.A. and the Beach . . .. . . is found a ‘lively little burg’ |
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Santa Monica Outlook, February 20, 1907New L.A.-P Depot for The Palms |
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The Palms is still moving ahead. The latest step of progress in that lively little burg is the new passenger and freight depot being built at Fourth Street [Motor Avenue] in that city by the Los Angeles-Pacific electric road. |
Fourth Street will be opened through to the Del Rey [electric] line [Culver Blvd.] so that a larger section will be benefitted by the new depot. |
Santa Monica Outlook, February 23, 1907The Palms Talk Incorporation |
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The Palms Chamber of Commerce will hold a meeting tonight to discuss a proposition to incorporate the place. . . . the discussion may run pretty high, ans |
the residents are pretty evenly divided on the question.
The advocates of incorporation are headed by C.N. Gary . . . . |
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WHAT TO DO THIS WEEKIN LOS ANGELESClick on the venue or personality to read more. |
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This tranquil scene at the Chutes belies the pain and horror felt by a child who was bitten by a caged gorilla; family seeks damages in court |
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| Los Angeles Examiner, February 15, 1907 | ||
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The ferocity of a large gorilla, fresh from the Congo, and the savage attack the brute is alleged to have made upon little Miss Alice Kirby at the Chutes Amusement Park last December are the basis of a suit . . . against the Los Angeles Improvement Company for $4,000 damages. Miss Alice, who is 13 years old, . . . was one of the many |
onlookers who surrounded the cage, [where] the simian was billed as the star attraction. . . .
In the front row near the cage stood Miss Alice, a big bag of peanuts in one hand and feeding the gorilla with the other. Suddenly, a terrible cry was heard. In its vise-like grip the vicious beast was holding the tender hand of the little girl |
and, before anyone could interfere, was burying its long fangs into her flesh.
Several men ran to the assistance of the child . . . and with sticks and umbrellas succeeded in freeing her. The little one had fainted from pain and from the terrible shock of finding herself pulled toward the cage by the ferocious monster. . . .
Graphic from the Los Angeles Public Library.
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| From the Los Angeles Examiner, February 15, 1907 |
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| For more on the Cawston Ostrich Farm in South Pasadena, click here. |
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For a personal look at Los Angeles in the 1920s and 1930s, click for a new book by George Garrigues
He Usually Lived With a Female: The Life of a California Newspaperman |
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