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Show 1p t ' 'll 4 THE HERALD-JOURNA- UTAH, LOGAN, L, APRIL FRIDAY. 15. 19 jM?m u ?yy SECTION TWO. PAGE ONE 3 2. FIRE TWENTY YEARS SINCE HISTORIC OPERA HOUSE AFTER DURING BEFORE ? $& - frfy .1 1 .Ki .d -- BY RUSSELL HESS Sunday marks the 20th anniversary of Cache Valleys most destructive fire. One score years ago, April 17, flames Thatcher of yet undetermined origin, razed the three-storBank and Opera House building inflicting a loss of $125,000 of which but $34,000 was returned in insurance carried. Several thousand children and men and women were crowded in the uptown district of the city on the afternoon and eyening of Wednesday, April 17, 1912, to view the devastation of the flames, and watch the feverish activity of the citys volunteer fire brigade in battling the destructive blaze. The year 1912 was a remarkable one for events oi much import both in Cache valley, and in the nation at large But two days before the fire that left the bank and opera house in ruins, the Titanic, then the worlds larges 5 1 y ptm tt -- passenger vessel. Bank in the North kiiTp- Atlantic on her maiden voyage the following Monday. The i with a loss of 1350 lives, and a U The Squaw production, rich cargo of merchandise and Man, which ! 4 the opera bouse manmalt had booked for a still That was the year also when a agement later date, had to play in Nibley new chapter was written in Cache hall also. valleys railroad history. Firemen kept an all night vigil A franchise was granted by the at the scene of the fire. Mr. Cache county commissioners to Haybal, In recalling the exciteDavid Eccles and associates for ment of the day, tells how he deconstruction and operation of the cided the firemen ought to have Ogden, Logan and Idaho inter- some good whiskey say. in ban electric line, now known as those days, there they was GOOD o and Central, the as a stimulant during the to Preston, whskey stretching from Ogden Short night they had to be active Line chmy The Oregon Idaho. and on guard to keep the flames of under control. Railroad company, a branch conPacific Union Ssystem the riMs DEMANDS WHISKEY structed the FOB FIREMEN cutoff forming a much shorter - He called the late B. F. Riter, route from Logan to Cache Junc- for years proprietor of the Riter point Brothers Drug company and ordertion, the central main line on the O. S. L. line in Cache ed whiskey brought over to the The longer route from fire laddies.. These pictures, and the .accompanying story should bring buck vivid- - memories To oIlL Alley. Xwhn to Cache Junction arOend . The picture at the uppir left shows the Thatcher bank and opera exclaimed "But, "Mayor, Mr. timers or Logan. Hyrum, Riter, what do you want whiskey house by Providence, MUlville, considered at the time it was constructed one of the foremost examples still is Mention building, and Wellsvllle, tor? Wouldn't some hot cofmaintained along with the cutoft fee do just as well?good of modem splendor in architecture in the state. The two center pictures show the big ! Coffee be damned! BIO YEAR retorted fire which swept the building in 1912, com letely wrecking the structure while the picthe I FOB DEMOCRAT want The ture at the right shows the imposing and modern structure which those builders of Lomayor. whiskey. to wll boys have worked bard to Big things were about Below is II. G enough would carry on. from the national political boiling deserve it, and they ought to gan constructed to show their faith that Logan a was presidential have it. bull, prominent Logan merchant, who was mayor at the time of the big fire. pot in 1912. It won his way, and year. Democrats H ere grooming of theMayor Hayball Woodrow Wilson, 'Jovernor liquor was doled out in small New Jersey and former Princeton draughts to each man during the university president. The future night Students of the Agricultural colWar time president of the United States was to beat in the lege manned the college hose cart fall race that House White and spent the late afternoon and William Howard Taft early evening hours keeping the Rooseand Progressive Theodore Studebaker building, adjoining was the bank velt iMr. Taft that AprU quarters to the south, in himself succeed to from catching fire. in the race while Mr. RooseFiremen could gain little headthj presidency, velt was being groomed as the way in the basement where the Progres- fire was discovered as a large pile choice to head the boxes blocked their sive party that was forming out of of the Republican split. way. of the to story to return Calls were sent to Salt Lake But uncheckable and the fire.' Gaining Ogden for additional fireafter fighting Some was headway as the hours passed apparatus. diswas loaded at Ogden but was turned 3 p. m. when the blase the in an employe covered by back at Brigham City, when MayRule or basement of the Golden Hayball notified tha Ogden store occupying the west wing fire chief that the local lad' lies of the building on Center street, had the situation well enough but four in hand to the fire left the structure walls keep the blaze from battered by charred and spreading to other buildings. early morning. constructed in 1830, RAPP WAS ON The edifice, OGDEN DF.PARTMEV1 ranked as Cache valley's moat Fire Chief C. W. Raup c,' the corner. The fire department was wtUi imposing business was Logan at cost placed construction the Ogden fire crew at that time I7O.000. He recalls being home for lunch The spirit of the owners of the when he received a call ti rush bank and opera house building back to fire headquarters and be was not crushed by the blow oc- ready to leave for Logan with a a home for The loss. casioned by this heavy crew and equipment. He joined ing to form both hostelry bank directors and other associ- the Logan fire department in the bank and a modern 1 standpoint the valleys ates of the late David Ecclesa 1916, and was made fire chief, in From thatblaze of the one was greatest went ahead next day planning 1917 when the citys first organin on land the marks progress new building that should rise ized fire department with paid epoch ol this section. old. As a result workers was th ashes of the and established. the courage, of this planning The brothers, Moses and George y fireproof brick W. Thatcher, of Logan orgumzed modern structure housing the Hotel Eccles. Thatcher Brothers bank in 1883, HIGH AID Thatcher bank, and the Thatcher and projected the bank building Music company wa$ started with- in 1890. They determined to give in a few months, and completed and Cache county a model TO OUTPUT early in 1915. Logan ready for occupancy opera house for the tune, and exthe and cost construction The in operation the house show kept edipense of furnishing the new at a loss for 22 years. In that fice approximated 3250,000. opera house. Logon and Cache Thc water flow in Logan river residents boasted a theater the since Moml.iy been sufft-l,l- c ha big EAI. to any of its size in HERE LAST equal to carry th? citys cusciently fire one but had state. tomer load during the daytime Logan has that Never since has lucre Hei u a since lut Monthly without the major consequence since the razing of the Commer-bloc- k structure in Logan known ns an t:uxi!mt diesel engine service on West Center street opera house. The Capitol theater The c plant is is a much costlier and finer edi- lurnished in 1931. by the riwr power s pei ior the meagre fice by far than the second and wMt For hours with 1912 in boasted the third floor quarters of the hank city equipment In making this statement hose truck and building which comprised the old r. a h e r morning, Supt H O. Muugh-m- i ladder members of the volun-t.-- llayhouse, but it has never had of the uty light plant, said this fire department headed by the name opera house wetk marked the first time in Loss of the opera house brought nnuy months lhat the diejtels at Fire Chief Fred Smith, with playing a regret to many Cache residents, the power suhstnlmii on Third and1 Mayor H. G. Hayball opst streets young, middle aged, and old, Koulh and Second prominent part In Directing erations battled thj Maze. They quite In the same deg-e- e as peo- have not operated at least part, wari-- i and if not ail of the day. stale were able only to save adjoining ple throughout the business property from destruction even outside the confines of Utah, Vvith me heavy snowfall in Lowith com- and keep steady streams of wa- were saddened when the old Salt gan canyon, the river flow has ter pouring on the largo vault Luke theater was razed sonic been stcndiK mi roftsmg, and the C M. Sunday at 6 P. M. fc; Sunday at of the bank. ciH light plant fore s biiev it years ago. The crowds milled about for Few of the many who saw the will be possible to carry through Over KSL h urs on the corner of Cen'er and destruction wrought by the fire the summer season w about the Main streets watching (he flames of April 17, 1912 believed tint diesel servn e, thereby effecting a to their ate wiv a an they complete evening lhat building of mag laigt saving in plant f.iht-,inltude equaling th-- Thatcher baK com! h gutting of the building. Only the night before, students and opera house would soon bn of the Utah Agricultural college built here. Great, therefore, was ' .IKN liK.Sf SO. ViFflS had given their presentation of the surprise as well as pleasure Fpeukera me head better by male an which anopera The Mikado," of all when the bank officials listeners than women because thi ir 53 Years of Quality Footwear to repeat nounced a few days later their de- their heavy they were scheduled ilothing absorbs sound , .MAIN' NORTH 73 LOGAN, UTAH The termination to erect a much cost- waves instead the night of the disaster. of reflecting them chow was given in Nibley hall lier and more impressive build- - as light clothing of women does. dra-mat- iq ) u Starts Saturday, April Dlocert Pftettes Vffta Porto Rican Gowns $fo 0Ho IteLJETBg i ,. Ol nainsook that will full cut, wear inches long Beautiful hand embroidery I SO 25c Beautiful 1 say, And the best quality run-resi- st rayon Ive ever seen at this price I Youll isQd w dry-goo- $ Ills) LdKsC:(D 5 G uQ Bedspreads iiisiau BO raewd amsi Rayon- - and GSGdC&KMI AAAAAto EEE Sizes Rea $5. n er ? 1'ibnit lhat nexor. lU'vrr diil Miih tailoring, smartness and all-;- :i uind perfection go along with the pi it e- - as it iloes new at Denney's! fin'll SHOES fitting them This choice of .women gills Tan Varsity Trousers Lave y . Todays Young; Fellows! hydro-electri- hri-dn- . -- ; 80x Heres a Value Miracle for Marion $6. ENNA JETNCK 105 in. . $1.49 to 12 POWER . . design! WATER fire Cotton ground-colore- d tour-stor- horse-draw- lUStb Exquisite! Tailored RAYON , ; S StwEpei? Xfsmnej Utah-Idah- t Week TTMi?(ol $11 who style .8 R OverKSL e$IJ.C.PCNNE l Petersons Shoe Store 0er - I. G--0. L |