The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-07-09
TERRITORIAL TOPICS.
Further Particulars of the DisaS-
trous Pennington Fire.
TEN ACRES OF WHEAT DESTROYED
Another Fatality from Drinking Lye-The Bear
River Canal-0ther Notes of
General Interest.
Pennington Facts.

The duietness of our celebration cere-
monies, which were in progress in Spack-
mans grove yesterday, was disturbed
about o'clock p. M, by the dreaded cry OF
fire, and, looking to the south east, about
three-fourths of mile distant, huge vol
ume of black smoke could be seen ascend
ing toward the sky. The fire was on the
premises of Thomas j. Steed. Hundreds
of people were quickly gathered, witness
ing the terrible conRagration; but only a
few poles boards, and gates from the corral
fences could be saved The total valuation
of property destroyed was about 81, 800,
consisting of a frame barn IS feet
square, a stable IS 200 feet, a granary
containing fifty bushels of wheat, fifty
tons of hay in barn and stacks, five and
one-half sets of harness, three saddles, one
wagon and a lot of tools, farming i'm
plements, etc. An imported English Shire
stallion, worth $1,000; two ull-blooded
Holstein calves, worth $500; two full
blooded Berkshire pigs, worth SIS, were
consumed.
4 hired man, Mrs. Steed, and the chill
dreR were at home, and MIR. Steed as
marshal of the day, was at the grove. Some
stock was driven out of the stables and all
of them could have been saved, had there
not been some excitement occasioned by the
temporary absence of one of the children
until he was found, they were of course,
afraid that ne was in one of the burning
buildings.
No water was accessible except from
the well at their residence, ten rods east of
the barn. The residence is built of adobies !;
the shingles of the roof were nearly hot
enough to ignite, but sufficient water was
thrown on it to prevent its taking fire. A
little breeze from either direction would
have been apt to carry fire brands to
neighboring stacks and buildings. a sub
scripton list was started, but Mr.. Steed,
with characteristic grit, firmly refused to
accept dollar, saying that he could stand
the loss, and that others needed assistance
worse than he did.
His occupation is farming, and stock
raising. The latter he makes speciality
of, and that he takes pride in importing
and dealing in good breeds is evinced by the
grade of stock destroyed by the fire. 1t
was regular patriotic Fourth of July
blaze, and the loss ought to be sustained
by manufacturers and dealers in fireworks,
The parents have always strictly forbidden
the children to buy fire crackers; but in
this instance some one gave them a few,
and Mrs. Steed had them shot off some
distance from the house, but little four
year-old daughter here took advantage of
her first lesson in the use of fire works,
and as near as can be ascertained from her
statement, she picked up tire-cracker, or
Pal VI OllC, SCCuIGu d LLCICu III SOl1lC LAdll-
ner, and tried to light it in the barn. She
says that when the match burnt her fingers,
she dropped it and when the fire started,
tried to blow it out but could not.
As the death of young Parker a few
years ago in southern Idaho, from the
effects of a shot from a toy pistol in the
hands of little child on New Years day,
and only few hours after his marriage,
helped cap the climax of public opinion
~ CT tho solo of p1iSfNlc II &c fO J n
hoped that few fires of this kind will
assist to crystalize public opinion against
the present dangerous system used for
amusement in our celebrations.
Our wise law makers will perhaps study
out some practical remedy for the evil,
between now and the sitting of the next
legislature. Meanwhile, cannot the inven-
tive genius of our cOuntrymen be called on
for an Improvement on the somewhat noisy
popgun of olden times, or for some harm
less continuance that will assist our urchins
to give vent to their individual share of
patriotism, born to their fore fathers on
Independence day, without burning up the
of their present fathers9
Such disasters as the above suggest |
ideas in regard to preventing a repetition |
so far as practicable. l have heard men |
a few buckets of water would have been |
sufficient to extinguish il. | think where |
there is not a good well, barrels of water, |
and one or more buckets with them should !
be kept on hand, and to partially secure |
the water from evaporation, and to pre-
vent children from falling in, a lid should !
be nailed on and this covered with some
Thing to keep the barrels shaded; and if |
arge underground tanks, or wells of large
liameter, where water is near the surface,
we're prepared in appropriate places, they
would very often be found paying invest
nent; also few fire extinguishers should
De available on private as well as public
premises. c..
FARMINGToN, July ), 1889