Show COURT MOUSE FIRE THE BUILDING GUTTED BY THE FLAMES PROBABLE LOSS 1083 A few minutes after 3 yesterday morning the court house bell rang the he f fire ire alarm and crowds of people soon began hocking flocking from all parts of town to the scene of disaster many were the conjectures as to where the fire was and whether it was a building or haystack burning AS AB the citizens neared id the scene and could more mere readily see the tongues of flame I 1 leahi leapi leaping ng higher higher find and yet higher they were stricken dumb with wonderment to find the fire proceeded from that noble and grand structure the count county y court house it would be ba but it a vain attempt for pen tu describe the peculiar ce lings which pervaded the citizens ens as tiey they gazed upon that burning ng edifice it seemed that all were imbued with inith one feeling that an old friend was slowly passing away the first seen odthe of the fire was by mr win wan thompson sr who lives just across the road east ho he says say he be heard some sort of a crackling noise and upon looking out discovered a light more great than that usually cast by a lamp issuing from the south east window down stairs this room was used by presly denny esq as a law office mr thompson without baitin waiting Z to dress ran out into the street shout ing fire fire across to tho the court house bouso and began ringing the bell sir mr fred harris and pr jr christian were soon on the ground and discovered that the fire was in iia mr penny denny s room A window from tho the cit city y cell just juat below mr Ds dr room was broken open and it was waa found that thai the floor table books he etc from the law office were pouring down into the cell it seems positive tir from the statements of these gentlemen that the fire originated iu in mr dennys dennye room but the immediate cause is and always will b be a mystery not two minutes elapsed after the lower window had been bean broken open before the flames had bad reached the district clerks room and passed on out through the window and reached tho the cornice the work of destruction now began in good earnest the roof was covered with pitch and the flames soon ran over t tea ched the cupola und arid climbed the flag staff during this time however the seven offices down stairs had beer been cleared of their contents dr christians office was the first the books wore were thrown through the window and thence conveyed to the further sidewalk this gentleman gent lemans loss sloss can probably be covered by now came amethe the county clerks office here the safe was found open it was hurriedly closed desks records record etc were soon carried out by many willing hands the loss in this office will if tho the safe and contents are all right not exceed the city office was vas easily cleared as was also the U S dep deputy u ty marshals the loss in both these offices will not run over 50 mr denny looses everything ho be had in his office and 2000 will hardly cover his loss the count county y recorder if safe and contents re remains intact will not logo ma more re than before this time every attempt had been made by deputy james hutchings Hatch ings and others to reach the district court room but the staircase was a solid flame and every effort proved fruitless W ir hutchings is worthy of commendation for the part ho ha took in making such strenuous efforts to save what he could from the court loom everything in tl the he upstairs rooms was lost i no attempt to save could be made mad e successfully not until the flames names were bursting from the front door and long after the clock tower bad been burning did many of the boys leave tho the building so eager were all to save what could bo be saved one groat great advar advantage tage to the rescuers was the fact that the roof did not fall in it literally burned where it stood and fell only in cinders to the ground everybody was wag ex expecting acting a big crash when the bell ball should should fall but so gently did it few knew it had fallen until they could see sea it was no longer jr jq the he tower the clock which cost fully a 4 1000 1900 is ie of no avail whatever it is one thing that will be greatly missed by the people here bere and many a head will bo be fruitlessly turned now to see the time and many an ear will be disappointed in not hearing the familiar sounds of the striking 9 hours all that now regains of our once beautiful court aleuse are the tha bare walls it was first tho thought aught that these were in such a sound condition i is as to w warrant arrant a rebuilding up on them but as the process of cool ing r sets ets i in n it is found that hat they are bally badly cracking acl i an and it may be that they tev wi will r 11 haye Q se to be taken downed down entirely rol 0 the o b building i I 1 is by ansur rances as follows prussian national insurance co 2500 oregon fire it marine co commercial insurance co 2500 total insurance this sum suin of money will not replace the building in its former condition m more 0 re especially if the wells have to be b torn down it Is said that work will be commenced at once on reconstruction and we wa may soon goon expect to SOO seo again a court house which if not the same will be at least equal to the one de by fire thursday morning last |