The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1878-10-12
THE FIRE AT JUNCTION.
Geeat Destruction Of PrDperty-Th 9
Work Of au Incendiary- Detailed
Statement Of Losses.

JUNCTION CRY. Oct I, 1878.
The heaviest blow ever dealt at
the business interests of Lane
county. and one from which we
cannot soon recover, was the fire
which land in ashes solid block,
with the exception of Gilmore's
hotel, in tie very heart OF our
town. The accumulated life ears
nlngs OF industrious citizens was
destroyed in few hours time.
The fire originated in the back
part OF B. Cohen's store, about
seventy feet back from Front
street. It was first noticed about
1 o'clock by parties who were IN
Craig's saloon. This saloon Is
the next door but one south of
Cohen's store, but before Mr..
Craig and taose who were with
Linn could give the alarm the fire
Dad got beyond control and the
flames were shooting up the sides
of the building and Il rough the
root as If the walls had been sat-
urated with coal oil. The alarm
WAS struck at once. The church
bells were sounded, the district
school house and the railroad ems
gin bells were rung and the citl>
zens turned out en- nadSse to fight
the flames. We have no fire en-
gin and were poorly prepa, ed for
the emergency. Hundreds nfour
men fought brave and hard, at
times running great risks with
their live, and for hours with
great odds against them. The
flames passed rapidly from Eo-
hen store to the north, consums
ing Shiply's L Carson 3 meat u arr
ket and into TIE root OF l.. alo,
mon s. Celigs general mere ,ilse
store On the south, the fire ran
rapidly along Front street, part of
the upper story of Richard hall
falling over on Henderson 8 bar>
her shop, aud giving the fire in>
creased headway. II soon pass
ed III Al. raigs saloon aud
from thence into Beehee's boot
end shoe store, where the flames
We're held in check for awhile
through an extra effort by the clt>
zens and the Wind beng favorable.
AT this innciure the roof of Sales
men aud Celig's store fell IN with
deafcnlng crash, and II was no
tieed that j. Il. Berry's hotel
which is situated across Depot
street to the north from alomons
l. Celig store, was in imminent
danger. Men mounted the roof
OF this handsome ediflce, covers
ing it with blankets upon which
barrels OF water was thaown. It
It appeas that there were one
hundred pounds of powder and
sixty gallons of coal oil in the rear
of Solomon & Cellg's buildings,
and while the root OF Berry's ho-
tel and adjoining buildings were
covered with men, this powder
and coal oil exploded, throwing
boxes of iron holts, hoes, spades.
boxes of nails and timbers, % and
some OF them $50 feet into the
air. The men on Berry's hotel
had no chance for dodging, be-
cause they were ft'y and sore
OF them tsne hundred feet from
the ground on the top of a steep
roof. A great volcano cinders
was blown into the air and fell
thick upon the roots of adjoining
buildings. There was no person
however. seriously hurt by this
accident. AT the lime of the ex-
plosion Mr.. G. w, Washburne
was standing in a window III the
third story of Berrv's hotel. snd a
large iron bolt was driven through
halt-inch plank within a few feet
of his bead. Pieces sf iron bolts
were thrown 200 yards from the
buildino. Ii was a fearful SIGHT
men dodging aud lowering under
poarch s tor protection, while
aearly every window glass IN the
south expo'ure OF Berry's hotel
was shattered to attops. The re-
port Was distlnc>ly heard at Har-
risburg and Irving, distances six
and ten miles.
The fire agail broke out from
Beebee's boot and shoe store,
where it had been held IN check
awhile, and rapidly consumed
Shcug Lees laundry building,
VOLTS harness harness shop Kit
er's tin and hardware stare, leavs
ing between the fire and Gilmors
hotel and this building, tailor
shop, was, by the aid of a arge
force OF men, pulled dowd and
torn away, thus saving this hotel
the fire extendep back along a
cross street, consuming a blacks
smith shop and L Cunningham
4 TO, g hardware establishment.
There is not a bnildlng standing
between the two hotels. All are
one heap OF smoulderlng ruins.