The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1869-02-13
DE sTRUCT.yE FIRE.
SI5 900 to $4,000 Worth of prorcrt,
DESTROYED.

Destroyed.
The second time within a few weeks
we are called upon to chronicle the de
struction and consequent loss Of valuable
property by fire. On the morning of
Thursday last, 11th inst, q few minutes
before four O'Clock, the fine frame hotel
building, known as the Pacifc, on the
corner of Second and Washington, owned
by J. b. Sprenger, Esq, was discovered
to be on fire, and in very brief time
thereafter was a heap of smoldeing
ruins This is the secoud time within
two years that Mir. Sprenger has suffered
loss of hotel by fire on the same srot Of
ground Owing to the extraordinary ex-
ertions of the members of our new Fire
Company--who have not, as yet. been
furnished with the necessary apparatus
to extinguish confa gratioas, and the
help of many citizens, large portion Of
the furniture, beds and bedding, was
saved, and many OF the doors and window
sash were secured and removed to place
of safety. We must do our boys the
justice to say that we never saw men 90
into the business Of saving property
with more zeal and perseverins Industry,
than was exhibited by them on Thursday
morning. They went at the work with
the GOODNESS and deliberation of old FIRE
men, without noise or confusion, and
~ f1,
any hope of saving property, and until
the falling timbers, intense heat and
dense. suffocating smoke, drove them
from the devoted building.
Considerable alarm was manifested by
persons living iu close proximity to the
Pacific for the safety of their dwellings,
but as the wind was not very high, and
blankets were hung on the exposed por-
tions of the buildings and kept wet with
water, little or no damage WAS done out
side of the complete destruction OF the
Pacific and its outbuildings.
The hotel and buildings attached cost
something over SIT 900: we are inform
ed, and this, together with the destruc-
ton of furniture, ETC., will bring the total
loss up to some $4,000 or $50. 900.
There was an insurance on the building
of $4,000
The fire first made its appearance in
the floor and the petition between the
reading and dining rooms, about the
centre of the building, from whence the
flames spread rapidly all over the build
ing.
It is asserted by several who reached
the scene of the confagration in its car
liest stage, that an efficiently organized
''bucket company could have conquered
the flames in a few minutes, had they
been on the ground. We are satisfied
that had our boys been in possession OF
the engine they have been. asking the
City Council for ever since the COM
mencement of the new year, the Pacific
Hotel and contents would have been
saved, with but very small loss.
Whose fault is it, then, that the build
ing was not saved, and that an enterprls-
ing, harl-working citizen. who has in
vested all his means in erecting a hotel
that was an ornament to our city, and
the best and completest hotel building In
the State, is to-day comparatively beg
gar?
Had the wind been from the opposite
quarter Marshalrs stable would have
caught. and the flames would have been
communicated to the stores on Front
street, and the entire destruction of the
business portion of our city would have
been accomplished on Thursday morning.
The destruction of the Pacific will be
seriously felt by the travelling community
lit is loss that our city could lily af-
ford, and we fear that it will be long
ere its place will be supplied.
The general opinion seems to prevail
that the fire was the work of some das-
tardly incendiary. We would suggest
that an ample reward be offered by the
city authorities-to be increased, if nee
essary, By purse raised among our
citizens,-for the apprehension and con-
viction of the party or parties guilty Of
such damnable wickedness. Hanging is
entirely too good for such villains.
Owing to the absence of our regular
"corpse," during the week, Eve" have