OCR Text |
Show LIGHTNING DESTROYS TIE COUNTRY CLUB BIMG At 6 30 o'clock this morning Rv, Frank 6. Brainerd. of the First Con gresatlonal church and bis young son Garpth. barely escaped death In the flames bv jumping from the upper floor of the Congregational Country Club building at the base of the moun tains, near the Ogden City reservoir, between T went v-second and Twenty-third Twenty-third streets At that tlmo thunder and lichtnin? played high jinks in a snow storm, on-of on-of the thunder bolts striking the base of the building snd starting a fire The building was beyond the fire limits lim-its and above the city waterworks sys torn, rendering the fire department helpless In quenching the flames A hurried ran was made to the placp but the building was practically In ajshea when the firemen arrived. The club was a roi k structure, but contained much woodwork Thf wood hplnc dry It burned like tinder making mak-ing a bright blaze in the early morn lng Having a little writing to do, and desiring a quiet place. Mr Brainerd. with his son. last evening went to the club house for the night Bot.i were sleeping soundly this morning when the thunder began to roar Thev were awakened by a crash but wer not aware 'hat the building had been struck until Mr Brainerd arose to close one of the windows, thronph which the snow and sleet were comlns In upon the bed He said that he could smell smok bu' paid no particular par-ticular attention to it. returning to his bed to finish his morning's sleep It was only an Instant after, howev er, that he noted smoke In the room. He and his son then hurriedly dressed and started down stairs where thr'.r cools and hats had been left the evening eve-ning before, only to be driven back on the staircase by smoke and fire They rushed to the window, broke out the wire screening and hanging by their hands from the window sill droi-ped droi-ped to the ground, a distance of about la feet I By this time the building was en veloped in flames and its destruction made certain Before leaving the up 1 per floor, Mr Brainerd threw some of the bedding out ol the house and that was all that was saved from the fire. All the ilub fixtures were destroyed and an organ which Mr. Brainerd valued highly as a family relic wad consumed Inside of an hour the entire en-tire structure was in ashes and all that now remains are the masFlve stone walls. The estimated loss is 1000 The building has been under lease by the Congregational church Country club organization and during the two seasons In which it has been used, something more than 600 guests haw been entertained Mr Brainerd has. upon different occasions, entertained among others, the Boy Scout6 organ i zation and members of the baseball team of Ogden. He states that the fixtures of the club consisted of beds with necessary bedding, chalra. dishes, etc. In the four lower rooms there were clothing and other personal per-sonal property of Rev Brainerd estl-1 estl-1 mated to be worth $100 The club It self loses $100 In furnishings There was no insurance. Mr Brainerd cannot say that llghi-' llghi-' ning set the place on fire as he wis ' not awake when the heavy flash of lightning came, but a neighbor's bo William Broadbent. :io was doing his chores at that time, saw the lightning strike the base of the building The thunder storm was felt In the eastern part of the city to an alarm lng extenL When the heavy clap of thunder came at 6:30. residents In the neighborhood of Liberty park say the windows of the houses Rhook and people were frightened from their beds The fuses In the Twenty-first street cars were burned out and the ser Ice slightly delayed Snow and bail fell rapidly during the electrical disturbance |