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Show MONTPELIER,-DA The western business center of the city was visited about 1 ? l0.cph.tr0ved day morning by a fire hhT property valued at $25,000. The ance on the entire prPert;mted to ing goods and fixtures, amounted to only 4,500. . -",..,, The fire broke out in the r slory of Oakley hall, on Washington street, occupied by Hansen's bowling alley s The origin is unknown, but there is no suspicion that it was a case of rson-When rson-When the fire was discovered the flames were well under vray a na naa reached the second story of tlie uaK-ley uaK-ley building. It illuminated the whole city and the citizens responded to tne fire alarms. An attempt was made to get the furniture, fixtures and gooas, out of the building. . tho . Besides the bowling alley ndit ") dance hall, the building was occupied by the Cement Building Block Manufacturing Manu-facturing company; Stranger & ; to-. dealers in sporting goods, and nugne& & Co., men's furnishings- . Crowds of men rushed into tne stores and carried out goods and tur-niture tur-niture until the building commenced to fall. A slight breeze fanned tne flames until the fire spread across tne street to Frill & Jonelly's confectionery confection-ery store. Then the light began in earnest. Bucket, brigades were formea and the force pumps were utilized. For some time it looked as if the entire en-tire business portion of the city would be consumed. The chemical engine w as put in use, but it was of no avail. The Oregon Short Line pumps at th-2 depot were put in action, but the supply sup-ply of water was too slight to cope with the range of the "fire. . For fully four hours the citizens battled bat-tled with the flames before they were able to check their progress. Ihe breeze was not strong enough to carry the flames any distance, but the heat was so intense that windows were cracked across the street. Shortly after daylight the . fire was under control. The bucket brigade and the men who worked with a linte of-hose attached to force pumps checked the flames after I a hard battle and undoubtedly saved the entire western portion of the city from destruction. |
