, 1889-04-25
CHENEY IN ASHES.
Incendiaries Fire the Town and
Disable the Apparatus.
The Business Portion Of the
Place Is i'm Ashes.
The Loss vii, Roach o1bO,OOO-Ths Cit
i.en1 Powerisss to Protect Their Prop
srty-Thsy win Rebuild.

disastrous con1aRration visited this cit,
early this morning, brief account TO thai
Effect appearing in the REVIEW. At2A.
M. tire was discovered issuing from the
Mount building, occupied by D. Butler as
a general merchandise store. The Changing
OF bells and firing of guns brought the
citizens to their doors in hurry only to
see the glare of great fire down town
against the black sky. The streets we're
soon filled with an excited throng of peo.
pie. The fire company got out the appa-.
ratus and hose AZ soon as possible and
were prepared to conine the aam mes to the
building in which the flames origi mated,
but they found to their dlsmay that the
hose would not work. A hasty investiga.
tion revealed the un welcome fact that the
NOZZLE HAD BEEN PLUGGED
with chisel handle. So firmly had the
obstruction been driven that some time
was consumed in clearing the pipe, and by
the time it was accomplished the fiery
demon had gained mastery of the situa.
tion, and 1t was found i'm possible to con-
tine the flames to one building. While
the plug was being taken out of the nOz.
zle the bumpers at the other end were hard
at work and the consequence was the
HOSE BURST IN SEVERAL PLACES.
A panic Of decentralization now seemed to
possess everybody, including the 6remen.
The stores we're hastily ransacked and a
bucket brigade organized, but nothing
was accomplished as there were only two
or three wells available.
Finally the hose was patched up, but
the fire bad made such headway it was
physical impossibility TO CHECK it. The
hames cleaned out everything on both
sdes of Main street from street on the
west. to street on the east, and from the
railroad on the south to Second street on
the north. Ii was terrible to watch the
raging element as it tore down through
Main street with an awe-stricken and hor-
rifed crowd standing powerless, watching
their homes go up in smoke. The flames
increased in fury and aided by slight
breeze, jumped from one building to
another with almost Lightning rapidity.
Une by one the buildings went down,
while the citizens worked like trojans
ahead OF the flames in an endeavor TO save
personal effects and the contents of their
homes.
NOTHING CHECKED THE FLAMES
until the brick building djoiuing the
Cheney bank formed barrier on the west.
and but for this not vestge of the bust.
ness portion Of Cheney would have been
left standing.
AS matter Of course the fire fighters
became thoroughly tired out, and could
only stand and watch the ruins of bust
ness houses, and in many cases the entire
extent Of their earthly possessions.
The men who arrived from Spokane
Falls on special train just before day.
light were unable to aid in any way TIE
hose was in such complete state of use.
lessness that any attempt to fight the 6re
seemed, and really was, futile. When
daylight dawned there was
SCENE OF RUIN AND DEsoLATIoN
that almost beeears description. But a
small portion of the business houses of the
town remained, and everywhere was
broken furniture and damaged articles
which we're hastily carried from the houses
in vain hope of saving something.
THE LOSSES.
The number of buildings destroyed is
about forty FIVE, and the total loss will
reach $780, 900, which is distributed
among the following individuals; also the
amount OF insurance: