| Show I IN HISTORY OF SALT LAKE Oregon Short Line Liao Building and Several Sev ral Fine Stores Wiped Completely Out of Exist Existence ence Loss Estimated at From to A Terrific Explosion That Tore An Immense Hole sole in ethe the Building and Put the Hie Flames Beyond Human Control Origin Ori iri of the fie Fire Pire a n Mystery That Powder Was Vas Carried in III Basement of Mine and Smelter Smeller Supply Company Also oral eral Firemen Hurt Some Narrow arrow Escapes lH HH H H l tI w 3 1 T t c f r Chief Edward Me Mc T C f In head hend cut and antl andT V T or kg Ig Captain cut J W 1 love A cut cutIn cu cuC t 7 C In right hand and fingers lacer J I ft aled Otto of right i hand and amI lingers fingers of left Idt hand bad badly badly ly Iy CUt Cat CUtT T Amos Moreton Hands cut In J I j jT several places T t r e t 13 Iii Williams Hands cut and antl 1 bruised by br a II fall fan Walter Palter Clawson scorched hands f Hobert Pearce Arma and antl legs lees cut cuti jH H H i What will easily prove to be the most disastrous fire that ever visited Salt Lake City occurred this morning It r started In the tho basement of the Ore Oregon Or Orgon Oregon gon Short Lino building directly under the store above occupied by the Spencer Clawson wholesale Dry Goods company Its exact eX ct origin Is ti a mys mystery mystery mystery tery that may Ina never be solved As s a ci result of the tho fire lire nil of the om offices ces of the Oregon Short Line arc aro wiped out of existence as are arc also the thc UK Ug store of the Mints Mint and Smelter Sup SupT Supply ply fly T company Spencer store the ine Salt Lako Soda Boda Water company and the Chicago Milwaukee and antl St StPaul StI t I Paul railroad offices office while tho the north northeast northeast east eMt corner of the High school build building building ing and a number of offices on the tho louth side of the Dooly block are lore or less damaged as Is la also n II hoarding house at dt 24 m South West Temple street run by liy Mrs T O G M 11 Smith The exact loss Is lit difficult to deter determine determine mine but the most conservative cs es estimate places It at from to 20 WO The Thc Insurance so far as 19 could be ascertained Is hi about though further Inquiry may ma cause these fig fi figures ures HITS to be revised somewhat Never Old did a tire fire department render more inure valiant service than did Snit Salt Lakes today and seldom did a de do department deJl Jl have more obstacles les to meet meetor or dangers to confront It was prompt promptly ly on the scene cene and antl would have hud had the fire lire under control In a com ula short time had It not been for fora a terrific explosion which tore an nn Im hn Immense Immense mense hole holo in the tho building making a largo large opening through which the tho draft dratt carried the fire to tho the upper stories Into the offices of the tho Short Line com COll company Company pany where here It soon got beyond all nil hu human human human man control That half a dozen fire filo jm n Including Chief Devine were no nob blown to atoms Is little short of or a miracle They rhey had hall Just left the jt beneath which the tho explosion oc occurred occurred occurred when It rent asunder asu that portion of the buildup Proceeding the tho big bl explosion there Has U a II conies of ot smaller ones olles Some cf of those present are of the opinion that was only one but Spencer Claw Clawn Fm I in n who was on the thu around at the tho time and some somo of ot the firemen deplore declare th t thou there were wore several distinct con concussions Of course courso It Is going to be a II adl dl proposition to prove roe what these explosions tX were caused 1 by b The firemen nuke the specific charge that powder poder v u h stored In the basement of ot the line Aline fm lIer and Supply company and antl that they were rushing In to remove the sane FlIM when there was Vaa a 11 violent shak shaking shaking ing up that hurled them through the thet t rs and windows window on to tn the tho sidewalk H Is further charged that giant cups caps and other oth r explosives were also In Inthe Inthe the basement of the building So far A Jl M powder J la Is l the smelter smeller coap COI jinny panY deny that lily ear car earned ned lied a p 01 of H It In la stock In answer anaw r ti tl this th the fin nun say aay they care cro Mth lag Ing for the and anti declare they Jo to donot not count as 41 they know kno beyond all ull 0 Q jest on of doubt that the contained powder and that the tho powder poder explosion put Jut the building In such eon con on dilon ns all to make It beyond all hu hUe man iian effort to save sac It IL The building was as feet by b IO feet I I Mil and of two ho story II to pressed ll brick and It was erected In m by John t l Dooly for n a 1 London capitalist named expressly for tor the Oregon r rt Line company which took the tho t t le upper loot floor The first floor was occupied Of by b the stores tores who whose hou e names Am s a aim given Riven above The Smelter and Sup J II I Company had the largest apartment 1 nearly tr and d nearly the whole cf o 0 ib th basement bailment which extended ns as f I T e n rth as III the th north line of the Spen r er r I store Eton It Is Ii In this that lr t IEe ion Is said to have occurred nF From rn parly morning until late this e t the police fire depart hal Nava been on duty at the Beene of Ir the ht conflagration each doing Its best J t 1 put rout out the Are end and keep back the crowd d these latter hatter were e T very great 7 Tye 11 spot fl ot was 31 visited I It d by to thousands of ot I JoO n pie e today who ho were anxious to gate gaie the tI rules tI firemen J t Ir vork ork They Ther l back ver the street t being completely c I shut oft off by a n roped enclosure of large size sire SHOUT SHORT LINKS LINES LOSS 1096 SS ENORMOUS All Its s and Fine O ecu Wiped Out of ot Existence l No loss could be ba more moro complete than that of o t the Oregon Short Line Hall I road rond company which had nil all of or Its lI In the tho building which was 18 erected er ct erected a 11 few felY years ago UBO for It by liy Mr r rJohn John E L Dooly Doo representing on un Eng English En lish capitalist named enzle The building building contained tl the direct directors ors room of ot tho the company the ollIces of Vice flee President and Man Manager nger ager and antl his clerical force the officers of General Passenger Agent gent Burley Hurley Hurle and Chief Clerk Dan Dnn Spencer Acting Manager Schumacher and clerks the tho offices of ot General Su Superintendent 13 E l S Calvin Assistant General Agent peeves Car Accountant and force Chief Clerk Brener and men freight claim mum and livestock departments dispatch dispatchers ers ers office auditors o III ce purchasing agent Treasurer Superintendent of oC Machinery and M Power Dunn draftsmen and clerks Resident Engineer En Ashton Chief Clerk Critzer and others rhe The were all nil finely equipped with the We very vary Wr best furniture and antl every cen everything thing timing that went to make up a n mod modern modern ern and antl up to date railroad headquarters tore It cost the Short Line company a great many tunny limn thousands of dollars a afew afew afew few years yeara ago ngo to furnish the second floor door of this building which It occupied occupied pied In all nil Its entirety I When General Manager Bancroft Dancroft was seen Been on the ground today recent recently ly I from tho the hospital and a 1 sick Ick bed hell he said In answer to a 11 question What have hac we wo lust lost Why Wh everything that wo had hili AVe We e have not nut ns as much as the scratch of a pen left Everything Is gone everything And then he disappeared In tho the great crush ur of humanity that surrounded tho the roped rop Into which no one except firemen police and antl men were wele permitted to tu enter asked n ked as to what the tho com total loss luss would be Mr I r linn UAn croft simply replied It Is too early yet yetto yetto ot otto to say sn I do not know You know ns as much as 1 do As Aa I have told toM you ou we Wo have lost everything It would be bo for tor any an one out outside side le of the tho Short Line company to calm esti estimate mate what It has lost In this lire It had many very vcr valuable records stored In tho the different parts of or the burned building upon which no nl money mone value could be placed They were records of ot the company compan from Its beginning rec records which represented the entire history and holdings There Is la I no Insurance or money equivalent that can con replace there They are aro gone nd nit gone forever What difference tI their loss los will make makl to the tho company Is le known knowli be best beat to Its itA who naturally do not care to discuss discuss that phase of the ques question Question tion Lion To Illustrate how great tho the conflagration tion CIon was It lt need only on be said that rem remnants nants of the burned leaves of Short Line records were found nn nR far tor east today tollI as ns th the Ihli Holy Cross Cros Hospital t n mile and antl n half distant extending up u Into the t and Antl Twentieth Twentieth wards across the tho Capitol Hill till and down the bench honch almost to the Warm Springs Springe The fact Is the air was wan liter literally literally ally nil filled Oiled with these fragments of ot burned paper rn II nil alt their weight load had be been n burned out and ami they ther floated through the tho air as lightly as u feathers The sidewalks In the bu bustness district were Ne In some romo places entirely covered with them and many a pede trian In raising raining his hlll hAnl to ward err orr erra n a 1 flying fragment would do Ito co so only to rub ruh It Arrest M his hlA face and cause eau e him to look like a chimney sweep IU much to th of that portion of the crowd which had teen been fortunate enough to escape n like experience BY OI JI I of tho lire J anti How flow mho tho l loll Occurred Chief Devine with dirt begrimed i fare face on which there thero was M a n 1 liberal sprinkling of or blood which bleh hud hlll come from some slight flight wounds caused by b fly ny ing debris was WIS seen upon uon the tho ground early earl the tM moraine still lUll giving direction direction direction tion to the th men who were C fighting the tho fire In Its last stages The chief was III loth to make a specific statement but close questioning soon Boon disclosed the fact that he ho did not believe the story that powder had not been heen stored storell In tho basement of ot the time destroyed build building building ing InS It Is sate safe to say that no man mall cun can convince him that he did not taste see sec secand and smell the tho evidences of or this explosive she sive Ho Ile had been told that the oxide explosion sion slon was WIlS caused by b acid but hut he Is certain certain tain there was WIlB powder stored there thero ns as aswell well The chief narrated the mho thrilling story atory of ot the lire fire as IS follows The alarm was turned In from box 32 at nt and I was promptly telephoned to from the station nt at home In a II very few mingles I was wasat wasat at nt the tho scene Beene of f the tho fire and found the department already there theta hard hartl at al work with two lines of hose a It chemical In majority of ot mortals would have done dOM Capt Workman yelled to his men They picked themselves up P grubbed the hose hosa and aM amid a shower of ot debris d glUM glass and antl bricks the th thoy Ji stood to their post and ond did not leave leav It until thoy they wore stere ordered out by Chief Devine In relating thu the affair to a 1 News Nerve re reporter reporter reporter porter Capt Calt Workman said raid It was wasa a 1 great piece of luck that flint wo tv 10 were standing where wo we weal i for Jf it wo YO had been u II few yards further south louth some of us UR s null have got It sure lIuro an ne It was seas we w e went vent flying Hying like BO so many pieces of paver pacer vaD r What caused the thc explosion lolI quer ler the reporter Do Du you OU think that It was acid as nl la lIS claimed The fhe three men looked nt at each other and smiled and antl then one of them thern said paid It might have been acid but t have not got the smell of It out of my nose yet vet and to me It smelled like powder Then the men wiped wined away the grime I from their faces and once more plunged Into the fray Cray L t tl o t r ri r tr trw trI nv if r t I It t 0 I r j If tI I t IW tiiT T I i 3 I t tl w I wY l lif 1 J 1 A 1 i i I f Ii i 1 w v f f 10 I f t X i Iii r I 4 t i it t f r 1 fi i Photographed especially for the News by Johnson Johnsont t FRONT OF THE DESTROYED SHORT SNORT LINE LING BUILDING t I oH 1 11 11 H i I I H HH I I HII H a tt 1 H i rt It IiI the tho front of the lie building and a Il waterline water waterline waterline line nt at tho tine roar rear The rho seat sent of the tho lire fire seemed to bo be In the tho basement at nt the rear of the main entrance just back hack of ot Spencer lawsons store In the tho mean menn meantime meantime time the flames were eating their way Into the south side of the store occupied pled pied by b the Mine lIne Smelter and Supply company We lord had also laid a n line IIno at atthe atthe atthe the rear but had not turned tho the water Into It when with several had gone around to the front preparatory to locating the line Ine there I opened the tho thedoor door and directed the time men where wh ro to go 10 and what to do when a It ex explosion explosion occurred under tho the exact spot lIot In the rear mar which we 10 had Just left Had our going to the front been h post postponed ost another moment several of us would ouM have been be n blown Into eternity It was wn a mighty narrow escape for us usall all nil probably as narrow narro as ns we wo will ever have again a ln and live to tell the tale talc While this explosion as I sold said was ns far to the rear It waa so o violent ns to completely disrupt the rear reRI part of the tho building and Imd tu to literally blow the firemen fire firemen firemen men out of the front 01 o the building which they thc had h II Just entered These men with myself were Assist Assistant AssistAnt ant Chief McCarthy Captain Love Firemen and antl Amos Amog Moreton All AU were hurt burt more or less lell though I suppose McCarthy KV get J a little the worst of or It It lie He was 18 taken Illar nod and I have Mc not seen him since I 1 do lo not know kno how badly ly he was Injured II S Were In the clio KJ Es but Stayed with their lt Hose c cOnc One of the tho most daring feats feat and ex examples examples amples of ot devotion to duty dut on the part of Individual members of the tile Salt Lake fire Ore department was one ono of or the feat Ceat features urea ures of the big bl fire lire Just prior to the explosion Capt W 0 G Workman accompanied by b J W Wilson on Ind nd Harry Harrr took a line of or hose hoso In Into Into Into to the basement of or the Mine lIno Smelter Supply premises and nd worked their way WI through the smoke to corn com commence C m mence playing on the thc blare blaso that was Wall eating Its Us way w ay through the thc floor noor The next Instant ln tan the In ame and the men were hurled hurle with Ith frightful force against the wall Instead of rush luh Ing lag for tor the open air aJr and Rte a u the tho 1 H heroic 1 Started to III It Occurred One OM of the thrilling features of the tho fire was the heroism exhibited by As Assistant 11 Chief Edward 1 ward McCarthy Cap Captain taut tain J W Love Loe Otto Witbeck and Amos Moreton Lying In bed at hh his hl home hOl c West Second North street Is Assistant A Chief McCarthy congratulating himself upon his hie miraculous escape from a horrible death and also allo the th escape of his Ills fel fellow fellow low fire He lie is very er weak and pale from the tile great crell t loss losi of ot |
