The Daily Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Or.) 1876-1883, 1883-07-03
ATERRIBLE DISASTER.
The Most Disastrous Fire in the
History OF Astoria.

1eSterday was an exceedingly warm
day. The wind blew steadily from
the west, but the streets and house
walls felt warm. The long continued
drought had made the whole city un-
usually dry, and even where care
less passer dropped cigar stump, the
smouldering plank showed how little
cause was needed to start a dreadful
blaze. About six o'clock the breeze
had gone down in measure, the
streets we're full Of people when sud-
denly the dreadful fire alarm was
sounded. A dense volume Of black
smoke and a column of fire showed
that it was no common scare, but that
Astoris's worst fears were realized.
Quick as it takes 20 write il the
companies were on the ground to find
the Clatsop mill, formerly Geo.
Hume's, in o sheet of flame The
| fire swung around from the engine
room where it seemed to have origi
mated, and licked up the lumber piles
and store house giving out the most in
tense heat No. Is were stationed by
Chief Barry IN front IF Barth &
Meyers, No. Is on Hume's dock.
The efforts of the department were
at first to confne the fire 10 its origi-
nal limits, bat the cursed wind famed
the fiery mass which set the houses
across 9th street in blaze. 4 large
barn standing on Squemoqua
street was full / goods and
coal oil, this nas the point
centered on by the department. -
Streams were put onto it, and an
opening being made in the building,
hundreds Of cases cf coal oil were car
ried up to Oiney street. The r""ds
were thrown into the water, and not
withstandiDg the intense heat, every
case of coal oil was got ont.
! We have never seen a hotter fire;
nor one in which the iiremen worked
harder. Indeed nothing but the most
superhuman cXertIon saved that
building. Everyone worked The
idea suggested to blow up the build
ing was good ore, and should our
unfortunate little city ever be scourg-
ed so again, the first and ONLY thing
to do will be To blow up or pull down
ali ia the way Of the fire and cut of
all connection that il would be likely
10 feed on. 1t was evident from the
first that all on the roadway between
the saw mill and 0'Brien's hotel was
doomed. No time was there TO save
anything. The dry houses were
glowing and burst into sheets of fame
that instantly spread. Every availa-
bic force was brought into requisItion.
Men worked till they dropped and
others took their places. They stood
in clouds of smoke and kept the TIRE
at bay; Flavei's pdinp sent good
stream; the one lack was sufficient
hose to throw another stream; the old
hand engine was brought up from
Hustlers wharf but was OF little avail.
The fire leaped across the street and
beginning at the o. X. lodging
house burned that, Greenburg's store
went next and the great column oi
crimson fame swept down the road.
way. Amid the roar of the adyaEc
ing flames swept on by the bceeze,
could be heard the crash of. falling
timbers and the sharp detonatioBs ot
F cartridges. The roadway was on,
solid mass of fame. The houses, Ght
street itself, the sidewalks, everything
The history of that dreadful horr car
never be written. There was b
frenzy. From Frank Fabre's dowr
past Luigi Serra's, and Mrs. Grants
to Ike Fosters and across to Foard &
Stokes, and on the other sid,
from Spexarth's down psst the Cen
s. tennial, everyone saw that there wa
{ no help and that their property wa
, doomed. Nothing left but to seiz'
: money and valuables and rush out VI
the hill. 1t was awful. 1t is useles
= to attempt any description of it
/ Where everything was built of wood,
dry and seasoned, a wind blow
ing and the great masses of hamt
advancing with appalling speed, tn
/. wonder is that there is no los
of life to report. To talk of Bha
6 "might have been" had Chief Eng
neer Barry's orders been carried out
! is useless now. He sent q writtel
order that showed excellent judgmen
and ons which should have bee
, Obeyed. Bis IDEA was to mass thre
u streams OH one point and check tn
fire from crossing where the o. r. 4
n. dock presented an interest
ing morsel for the FIRE. Bu
through some misunderstanding
that was not done. Perhaps
: cou ldn't have been. Barry wa
Q up in front and he and indeed ever
a member of the three companies di
all that men could do, to stop tn
fire. When the flames threw out Ion