European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 1, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 6 the stars and stripes thursday May 1,1986 smoke Billows from the Central Library in Las Angeles As firefight i is raise ladders to seek to control the Blaze. Thousands of valuable books believed destroyed in la fire los Angeles a a Bhe that roared through the City s fio year Oid Central Library the third Large so in the nation probably destroyed thousand of valuable books including a 1695 Shakespeare Folio officials say More than 1 million boats Triail Calv photographs maps patents manuscripts and exhibits were housed in the Library whose collection was estimated four years Vigo Al won $69 million director Betty Gay said. Skid Row denizens from a nearby shelter joined Library workers to grab charred and in scr Sua cd books after the fire Beuan. Tuesday inn Ning in the landmark building s Central Book Slacks. The Blaze whose cause is unknown burned for 7 a hours before it was extinguished. Thirty five of the 250 firefighters who fought he Bla were injured and 19 required . About 400 Library patrons and employees were evacuated from the building but none was reported injured. Library spokesman Bab Reagan said a full evaluation of damage would have to wait but the potential is that one of the Greal libraries of the free world has been seriously damaged.". The Fate of such rare Worts As the Shakespeare Folia and u first edition copy of James Joyce s Ulysses was unknown after Library officials toured the dark and Smoky building tuesday night. We have lost the , Patent collection Gay said. It s the largest in the Western United states. It was a very heavily used urea of the  tens of thousands of volumes in the fiction and periodical Slack sections also were damaged but the fire department did a tremendous Job of salvaging More than we thought possible Gay  chief Donald Manning said it was very  Ous the worst fire to contain i be seen in my 31 years As a firefighter. The Blaze scorched he Concrete building s exterior but apparently left it intact. Inside however two of the three floors Pari Aljy collapsed and were littered with a Jumble of burned furniture shelving fixtures Woodwork and the remains of books. The literary Rescue Effort was aided by 24 residents of the san Julian shelter and transition House who ral us Creed to help in retrieving tic damaged books. Romaine Angstrom the Library s head of circulation development. Said workers have Hryc Days to by 10 save the books or they la be lost id Mold. Books that appear salvageable will be separated from those damaged beyond repair und will be shipped to Ware houses for Frauen storage to prevent Mold Ahlstrom said. They will Hen be freeze dried to remove moisture. Mayor Tom Bradley who Cut Shon a trip to san Diego to Survey the damage said earlier Whitt the deity museum and the University of California at Berkeley already had offered to restore damaged books. Dod aide suspected in leaks of stinger data is fired Washington