The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1881-05-28
THE OGDEN BLAZE.

Now that the smoke Of the con
fiagration of yesterday has cleared
away, business men are enabled tc
realize the fact that it was fortunate
that the fiery element did not do
greater damage than it did. The
burned buildings were simply a
mass of wooden structures, best
adapted to feeding the flames, whilst
in and around them were a vast
amount of equally infiammable ma
terials. When these transfer and
depot grounds were first used the
business of the great railways was
not large. Small buildings and
short side tracks were provided.
These were supposed to be only
temporary, and were to be super
seeded by permanent and safe strue-
lures, in which to store goods and
transact the clerical work of the
freight department of the two roads.
Business increased and additions
were made time after time, only as
necessity called for more clerks and
more room for storage. New side
tracks became a necessity, and these
were run out here and there until a
large tract of land became a network |
OF rails. The business of Ogden City |
grew with the country, and shrewd |
business men arranged for a system |
of warehouses, where they could |
transfer their own freight from cars
to storage rooms and TO other roads.
Five warehouses were built, and
broad gauge track on one side and
narrow gauge on the other enabled
the owners to transact their extern
Sive business as they could not have
done without such facilities.
But to the WarehOusemen and all
the merchants and teamsters of
Ogden, as well as to the railways,
there arose another trouble, from
the fact that more cars being used
more side tracks, and these
being added, almost shut out the
access of teams to the depots and {
Several streets, once
public highways, are now crossed ]
so often by railway tracks as to be :
almost useless, and are made dan
yerous by the passing of cars. ]
When the fire was at its hight {
yesterday it was surrounded by
hundreds of cars, which were only {
saved from destruction by the
prompt action of officials and en- {
lloyeeS of the road. In saving them I
hey saved the warehouses.
Ogden is a growing city and one a
# the most important points upon i
he two great railways having their i
erminus here, and it is to the inter- /
st of both roads and the city that
hey should always act harmoni- 1
)usly together in matters pertaining "a
20 the interests Of all. G
At the conference of officials of I
5he Union Pacific and Central Paci- c
ic, which will take place this even '
ng, we trust that they may decide /
upon some plan by which better I
facilities will be afforded for the
of business between the i
people and the roads, and that the 1
public highways and roads leading +
10 the depots and warehouses may
be more accessible and safe. AS a a
natter of economy to the great cor
all buildings should be i
made more secure from fire, and i
more safeguards provided in the
way of apparatus to subdue flames. +
The time has come for good freight S
and we hope is not dis l
ant, when we shall have a Union l
depot worthy of the two Z
,reat railway corporations which i
AVE it in their power to build i
ne.-0gden Pilot. e