1912 September 5 Los Angeles Tribune 

The Tribune: Los Angeles, Cal., Thursday, September 5, 1912

Daily Tribune Independent Progressive Thursday Morning September 5, 1912

Vol. II, No. 64, 20 pages.

Here is the Story of the Great Ocean Park Fire

     The Story of the Ocean Park Fire told in Pictures: See Pages 8 and 9

     Ocean Park to Arise Grandly from Ashes.

     Out of Ruins and Smoke Will be Built a New City, More Wonderful Than Before, Done So Quickly as to Astound Those Who Knew Her Beautiful Resort Damaged by the Flames.

     Concrete to take the place of buildings that are destroyed.

     Before first load of debris is cleared away load of lumber is deposited for work of reconstruction; Owners planning finer, safer structures; much      sympathy offered.

     "Out of the ruins and smoke of Ocean Park will arise by the magic of concentrated effort a new and more wonderful city than before built so quickly that only those who know the Ocean Park of a day before yesterday will realize the wonderful transformation.

     "An increase of 16 cents in the coming year's tax levy was voted by the Santa Monica city council last night to make up for the nonrenewal, at present, of business licenses of houses destroyed by the fire.

     "A call for systematized aid to relieve the suffering of many families who lost their homes and effects in the fire was received by D.F. McLaughlin, head of the local Humane society here last night.

     "Many women and children are in want and will suffer severely from lack of shelter with the advent of cold nights at the beach, and immediate assistance is required. Mr. McLaughlin will go to Ocean Park in response to the call for help today."

Want Troops Kept on Guard

     "To relieve Companies A and E of the National Guard, who have been on duty at Ocean Park since the fire started Tuesday night, fifty men of Company F, under command of Capt. F.R. McReynolds and Lieuts. A.K. Crum and Paul Seidener, left at 6 o'clock last night for Ocean Park to take up patrol work. Mayor C.B. Holbrook of Ocean Park made a request of Gen. Robert Wankowski, who has been constantly at the scene of the fire, that troops be kept on guard over the burned district for a few days longer. Two other companies, B and C, will be held in readiness for duty there.

     "The Venice city council last night arranged to meet tonight at 7:30 to discuss the Ocean Park situation, and consider relief measures. The meeting was called for last night, but owing to the unavailability of prominent men to be present, action was postponed.

     "Concrete is to take the place of the fire-brand shacks of the destroyed city, and by the 1st of next June a new Ocean Park, as nearly fireproof as human habitations of the kind may be made, will be thrown open to the pleasure-loving public, a place more beautiful and substantial by far than the city which has just been razed by the flames.

     "Where charred timbers and ashes now tell of ravaging flames, within a short time will rise the walls of new and imposing structures.

     "Already workmen are busy clearing away the debris, and owners are busy planning finer, safer buildings to take the place of those destroyed."

Determined to Rebuild Structures

     "Determination to rebuild was unanimous among residents of the destroyed beach city, and before the first load of debris had hauled away from Pier avenue the cry of "gangway" was raised by the driver of an auto truck hauling a pile of lumber into the burned district.

     "The councils of Venice and Santa Monica, the Santa Monica Bay chamber of commerce, the Pacific Electric Railway company and the state militia have united forces in clearing ground and making ready for the beginning of building operations with all possible dispatch.

     "Transportation companies have offered to lend every assistance in rushing building supplies to the burned city, and within a week's time it is estimated a thousand men will be at work on new edifices which will mark the rebuilt city."

Adequate Protection oif a New City Planned

      "The new city will be adequately protected from a second devastating fire. A special bond election to vote money for salt water mains throughout the city, and to provide for a pumping plant to assure adequate pressure, will be held soon, and in this manner a firm foundation will be laid for the protection of the new city.

[p. 2] Better, Finer, More Beautiful Ocean Park To Arise

Concrete To Take the Place of of Structures That Are Destroyed

     "Fire Chief E.P. Nittinger of Santa Monica was assurred yesterday by many property owners that they will rebuild of reinforced concrete on a larger scale than formerly."

Telegrams Express Sympathy

     "Adding strength to the determination of property owners and amusement managers came telegrams of sympathy from other cities, and chambers of commerce expressing entire confidence in the capacity of Santa Monica and Ocean Park citizens to replace all that is lost with that which is more enduring and win greater prosperity and still better fame.

     "The Los Angeles chamber of commerce, the Long Beach chamber of commerce, Mayor Hatch of Long Beach, Abbot Kinney of Venice and others sent formal words of regret, sympathy and encouragement.

     "That from the Long Beach chamber of commerce follows: "Long Beach as a sister resort expresses heartfelt regret for your present loss, sympathy in your affliction, but utmost confidence that with the passing of a few weeks you will recover to a status greater and grander than before. Long Beach, through her chamber of commerce, stands ready to aid you in any manner possible." B.F. Tucker, president."

     "Search among the ruins and along the shore yesterday revealed no additional fatalities. One Japanese employed in the kitchen of the casino is still missing. Whether he jumped off the pier and was drowned cannot be learned. No inquest will be necessary in the case of H.S. Locke, cashier of the Casino, who was drowned. His body is at the Kirkelie undertaking parlor awaiting funeral arrangements."

Two Russians Held

     "In the Venice city jail are two Russians held for investigation as to where they acquired an armful of clothing and other property they were found with when officers encountered them. One man was arrested and placed under bond in Santa Monica on a similar suspicion but no complaint has been filed against him. The police were under great difficulty in not knowing the owners of property.

     "No further report on the six children of N. Baida, a rug dealer, said to be missing this morning, had been received at police headquarters late this evening. The police were confident throughout the day that the children had been taken in somewhere together with a colored nurse girl seventeen years old, and cared for. Mr. Baida resided at 718 Kinney street, a cottage that was burned."

     - 8 -

"Rebuild," is Slogan of Ocean Parkers

     "Santa Monica, Sept. 4-Telegraph and telephone wires fairly burned with their burden of orders for new materials, mechanics and supplies for the rehabilitation of the amusement center on a greater scale, that were sent flying to Los Angeles and the north and east from the earliest hour this morning and kept up much of the day. There was but one voice among all property owners and concessionaries-the voice of progress. On the ashes of their lost possessions they determined before the fires were out to rebuild and with better and more substantial structures. In nearly all instances the new structrures plannned will be larger than those burned.

No Difficulty in Getting Money

     ""The plans being formulated today will mean an amusement center second to none in the United States," declared T.H. Dudley, president of the Ocean Park Bank, and former mayor of Santa Monica, who knows the financial conditions of the property owners in the burned district and has been associated with its growth for years. "Every new building will be a better one. As far as possible brick, stone, steel and other fireproof materials will be used.

     "There will be no difficulty in getting plenty of money to finance all the enterprises that want to get into business again and new ones that undoubtedly will start. This will be one of the busiest winters ever seen in the bay district. By reason of the great amounts of building our pay rolls will be bid and merchants, restaurants and all kinds of business houses will benefit by the big force of mechanics that will be on hand.

     "A.R. Fraser, who lost more than any other man, about $400,000 in all, only $10,000 of which was covered by insurance, was on the ground this morning soon after daylight and with his pier manager, A.W. Layne, at once mapped out a line of action for replacing the amusement pier, the Decatur hotel and other possessions burned.

     ""I have a plan mapped out," he told the city council this afternoon, "and have been informed by the most responsible financial man in Los Angeles that I am good for anything I need to rebuild with. We shall go right ahead. I have a force of men at work now clearing away debris and making ready to cap the concrete piles on the pier so that they will be preserved from any damage and be ready to serve as supports for the superstructure that I shall put on them. One idea I have in the direction of better fire protection is that the auditorium and other buildings along the ocean front should stand farther back from the broad walk. I think this would reduce the danger of fire spreading so rapidly and with a sufficient water pressure it could be fought to much better advantage."

Plans Better Buildings

     ""Speaking for myself, and I believe I can say the same for Mr. Jones and Mr. Hile, I feel like going ahead and profiting by the mistakes I have made and building better than ever and doing all in my power to make the Ocean Park Amusement center as great if not greater than it was before."

     "G.M. Jones, owner of the Casino and the Marine Street apartments, placed his loss after payment of insurance at $50,000 but in the same sentence stated that he will take steps at once to rebuild. "I shall go ahead just as soon as the lots can be cleared and lossses can be adjusted," said Mr. Jones. "My brothers-in-law, W.E. Byrne of San Bernardino, and L.D. Byrne of San Francisco, also will replace at once the fine three-story apartment house they have just completed on Marine street. In my opinion the important thing for Venice and Santa Monica to do now on the ashes of this disaster is to consolidate; become one city and establish an efficient water plant for the entire district that will give us plenty of pressure at all times."

     "Before he had even examined the ruins of his company's property, Ellis Zemansky of the auto maze in the Dragon Gorge building, which lost $52,000 by the flames, had wired to Omaha, Neb. for a force of experts and a new model with which to reconstruct the amusement device operated by the Laske-Cicronel company.

     ""Both men and model are on the way this morning." he announced.

     "If the city council will adopt a stringent fire limit ordinace," said E.L. Allen, owner of a two-story building at Pier avenue and Speedway that was destroyed. "I will erect a new and modern business block on that site."

Phone Circuits Reopened

     "W.L. Porterfield, general manager of the United States Long Distance company, placed that concern's loss at $7000. All its switchboards were destroyed in the Decatur hotel building. New apparatus was rushed down in the night and under the direction of District Manager Stone the twelve circuits to Los Angeles at 6 o'clock this morning were handling more business than they ever had. The company is quartered in the E.S. Toimblin office, in the Ocean Park building on Trolley Way.

     "The Merchants Commercial and Savings bank was the first concern to unload lumber with which to rehouse itself for business. The bank building at Marine street and Speedway was burned but the loss is covered by insurance. As soon as the remodeling can be completed the J.A. Bangs real estate office at 153 Pier avenue will be the temporary quarters of the bank. "A four-story modern building of brick and stone will replace the one burned," said S.A. Girard, vice president of the bank, who personally superintended the buidling operation today."

     - 8-

Bank to reopen

     "At a meeting held this morning the directors of the Merchants Commercial and Savings Bank decided to reopen for business at once to temporary quarters. This action will be followed by the immediate erection of a four-story brick and steel block at Marine and Speedway, to replace the single story brick that were harmed.

     "The Evening Journal, whose two-story brick building and plant was wiped out of existence, will rebuild at once. H.F, Cassidy, the owner of the paper, although suffering a loss of $15,000, today placed orders for a new linotypoe machine, and will establish a modern plant, as a steel and stone structure, to be erected on the site of the ruins. The Journal was issued as usual this afternoon . . .

     "The fire has left the Journal homeless and adrift," says the paper editorially, "but it is not without hope. Brick and Steel will replace wood in the new city."

p. 8] The Tribune: Los Angeles, Cal., Thursday, September 5, 1912

Here is the Story of the Great Ocean Park Fire

1- After the fire (September 4) 2-Ocean Park before the fire (July 4, 1912) same view. 3-Dragon's Gorge in flames, looking north. 4-View of the fire looking toward the pier from Kinney street. 5-Skeleton of pier buildings as the fire swept on. 6-Volunteers manning hose to fight the flames. 7-Residents of burning district piling their belongings back of fire lines after spread of flames to the east and north had been stopped.

1-Early morning flashlight of refugees huddled on beach. 2-First daylight photograph of beach campers, victims of fire. 3-The coffee line, which began at 7:30 a.m. 4-Searching the ruins under militia guard, the only way possible before 8:30 a.m. 5-Ocean Park bank vault, $50,000 is tied up here because the intense heat warped the huge steel door. 6-Viewing the havoc wrought at the pier amusement center. 7-The merry-go-round as the flames left it. 8-Rehabitation begins. Note the smoke of burning embers on the left. 9- Panoramic view of burned region. Decatur hotel ruins in the foreground.

(Other news reported by the LA Tribune, Sept. 5, 1912)

[p. 19] Editorial Page of The Tribune, September 5, 1912

Ocean Park's Fate Warns Other Cities

"Every aspect of the Ocean Park conflagration calls for sympathy -the vast property destroyed, much of it without insurance, the business losses by interruption, the hundreds made homeless and dependent, and the wreck of material hopes for many. But the only irreparable losss-that which in the long run will be found the only real cause for mourning-is the loss of human lives.

     "Their fate gives one the best grasp of the swiftness with which the pretty and prosperous resort was converted from a theater of merriment into an inferno. Black as the ruins look today, however, there is already assurance that the other misfortunes will be soon repaired in a larger and more beautiful and permanent Ocean Park. Many of the losers must have generous credit to square their pluck with their needs, and big, wealthy Los Angeles should not and will not be wanting in the emergency.

     "Every beach city has has a vivid lesson in the fate of Ocean Park. That town at least will not again be found scant of water on the very edge of the greatest of the world's oceans. The prime lesson of Tuesday's fire is that no building should be permitted in such a place of necessarily inflammable things without a standpipe service sufficient to smother the worst blaze with an overwhelming cascade.

     "The poorest economy for a seashore resort is neglect of fire equipment. Ocean Park's purpose to build fireproof structures on the ruins is praiseworthy, but let its people lose not a minute in devising an emergency water supply that will make a conflagration impossible, for all the buildings of a resort of the kind cannot be made fireproof."

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(Back to 1912)

 Kelyn Roberts 2017