Show Park City Almost Fire Started in Cafe Kitchen Kitche Early lin in Morning Wind Spread Flames I Three pistol shots fired by Policeman Walden at 4 o'clock Sunday morning June 19 1898 1893 sounded Bounded the beginning of the tha disastrous fire which caused over one million dollars loss and left the prosperous happy and contented consented con con- tented mining camp of Park City a tragic sight to behold All of Park In Flames Flame The entire business district of ot some 1120 12 1 places of business a complete ruin 75 dwelling houses on Rossie Hill 22 2 houses In Ln Chinatown the entire east and west sides of Park Avenue to the Keith home the Ferry Smelter Crescent mill and tramway six Immense horse barns and dozens of small barns storehouses and many other em small all buildings fed the flames which covered the entire bottom and parts of the walls of the canyon Park City Is situated In The fire created its Us own draft and flames flame rushed down the narrow narrow nar row gulch like the fire from a ablow ablow ablow blow torch Insurance carried by home owners own ers era and businessmen will not Dol cover coyer one quarter of the million dollar 10 loss ls but 33 35 businessmen have already ady started to rebuild Fire Started I In le Kitchen Cafe The fire tire Is supposed to have started In the kitchen of the restaurant of the 11 Harrington a r r I n g ton House A stiff south wind was blowing at the time the fire was discovered and by am a.m. the fire wa was burning buildings on both sides of ot the hotel it started In had crossed the Main Street and despite the fact tact that every hose line In the city was playing water on the fire It was realized the town was doomed as the fire had tad been discovered too late Out of Control Frantic men and women moved their belongings out of buildings Into the streets where they were soon consumed by the raging in in- ferno The shifting wind carried fire brands hundreds of feet to set new fires raging When It became be came apparent the fire could not be controlled employees of the Marsac mill set to work to save the big mill A shift shirt in the wind aided the themen Illien men and the mill was saved I Finally three houses south of ot the John Harwood concrete home an Park Avenue were blown up with giant powder and the flames brought under control The Union Pacific depot and Kimball Brothers large livery stable bl escaped the flames Had they theT burned the whole lower part of Park City's City residential district would have burned also I O. O C C. C Lockhart F F. A A. A McCarty Dr E. E P. P LeCompte J J. J M 01 Lockhart Lockhart Lock Lock- hart J J. T T. Kecel and se eral several others were more or less leu burned I during the tire fire but not one life was lo lost t. t I The Salt Lake Herald with no charge printed The fhe Record until untila I a new plant could be built I 1 help Came Help quick and generous from outside cities came for devastated ed Park City and a large and efficient relief committee was formed to make sure no one suf suf- People with homes saved from the fire tire took In less fortunI fortunate fortun fortun- I late ate friends and relatives Tents were erected and building materials materials mater mater- soon on the spot before the ashes were scarcely cold cold and and Park City began to be rebuilt It had to be done quickly as winter comes early and so most buildings were of frame construction construction construction tion hurriedly put up Residents homeless Park City residents were pram deafly penniless and homeless but the thought of giving up or leaving the cleanest and best governed mining camp in Utah never entered their heads and the sturdy brave souls rebuilt the homes and business houses now being occupied by present day Things are dated In Park City by before and after the fire It was a terribly cruel blow to befall the good industrious ous citizens of good old Park City and some few families left to make new homes elsewhere This information greatly condensed condensed con can was taken from the files tiles I of The Park Part Record of June 25 1898 They are Intensely Interest Interest- Ing I One million dollars dollars- In 1899 1898 would mean about six million dollars today gives an Idea of the stunning loss taken by Park City residents The hotel and boarding house I where the fire started on site of John Davich Grill Main Street One flippant story told about the fir fire was Fred Jennings an ex- ex reliant piano player sat down at ata ata ata a piano In the street moved from froma a dwelling and played a very popular tune of the day Therell i J Be De a Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight a tune used in political political political cal rallies Fred was a character and he may well have done It and It typifies the spirit of Park City's people |