Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-06-23
SWEPT BY FIRE.
Vancouver, W.T., Falls a Prey
to the Flames.
THE WORK OF INCENDIARIES
The Garrison of Fort Vancouver Do
Fine WJrk-FOQr Frame
Blocks Burned.

Associated Press Dispatches to the HERALD.
PORTLAND, Ore., June 22.-At an early
hour this morning fire swept through
the business portion CT Vancouver,
W. T., destroying the principal part of
the four blocks of frame buildings lying
east and west of Main street. The loss
is between $4,000 and 100000. Insur-
ance is small, and mostly in Seattle COM
panies. There were two fires during the
night, both undoubtedly incendiary.
TWO FIREBUGs AT WORK.
PORTLAND, June 22.-At II O'Clock
last night q watchman near the old
Catholic Church, about half mile from
the business center of town, discovered
flames in the ruins. They were little
more, according to his statement. The
flames burst up like wild6re, and the
smoke was heavy with the odor of burn
ing petroleum. He gave the alarm, and
the city fire department, as we'll as that
from the garrison, quickly responded. The
structure had been abandoned for three
years. 1t make a quick, hot fire, that
attracted q majority of the town and of
L
the old Mission, and the fremen re-
turned to their quarters and the citizens
to their homes.
THE SECOND FIRE BREAKS OUT.
Shortly before O'Clock the same watch
man saw flames bursting from the rear
of the bakery of Myers & Petros, on the
east side of Main street, near Fourth
He again sounded the alarm, and the
tired fremen from the garrison and the
town responded promptly, bat by the
time the crowd had gathered in the
streets the city was brilliantly lighted by
the flames, which had now grown into a
confagration that was feeding north and
south on the frame buildings in that
vicinity.
By the time the firemen had stream
playing, the heat was so fierce that it
beat them back. In another instant the
flames had lesped to the west side of
Main, and four blocks of small shops
and stores were sea of flames.
THE FIREMEN AND SOLDIERS.
The fremen did excellent work. The |
city has one steam engine and an old |
hand machine, and the garrison wac
represented by their hand engines. The |
soldiers worked to better advantage than |
did the citizens.
They were naturally better disciplined, |
andin addition to this powerful streams
were soon thrown on the fire from the east |
from hydrants Of the Government water |
works This checked the flames in that |
direction, and enabled the other fremen |
to confne their efforts to the west, north |
and south, and at 4 80 the fire was un- |
der control, and at O'Clock, when the |
Portland engine, with Chief Morgan and |
Fire Commissioner Storey, arrived on the
steamer Oklahoma, only the ruins were
blazing fitfully.
The Portland soon had stream play
ing from the river, enabling the Van
couver firemen to take much needed |
rest.
THE LOSSES.
Following is the list of losses Com
mercial Bank and Odd Fellows hall was
damaged about $4,000. This is the
brick building which stopped the pro-
gress Of the flames north.
INCIDENTS OF THE FIRE.
PORTLAND, June 22.-Two prisoners in
the city Jail we're removed only with
great difficulty. Goods and furniture in
houses several blocks from the burned
district we're carried into the streets by
the panic.stricken residents.
While the fire was raging wild rumor
was afoat about somebody having been
caught while cutting the hose and taken
to jail. There was no foundation for it. |
The losses fall mainly upon the poorer |
classes of shopkeepers, number of
whom lost their all.
One large family escaped without shoes
or stockings. There will be some suffer
ing, but outside help will hardly be re-
oy,irad