Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1890-08-21
A $4,000 BLAZE.
Lewiston Falls This Time the Victim
Of an Incendiary Fire.

O1 an A0CenOlaTy ClTe.
Lewiston has so long escaped ravages
by fire that many have wondered, and
a, few believed. that the city had u
charm against the dreaded pest. But
the illusion has been dispeIled and ali
are thoroughly awakened by being
shown how helple - we are In con-
test with flames.
About midnight Of Sunday last, fire
was discovered in the shingle yard of
w. S. Wyncoop in the extreme eastern
part Of the city. BY the time the
slumbering citizens could Lc aroused
and gotten to the fire the whole yard
was Il mass Of flame. The cedar
shingles, posts and bolts were dry as
tinder and burned with the roar of a
tempest. Nothing could bc done to
save the material of the yard and
every energy was turned toward saving
the dwellings directly exposed to the
heat. One pile Of the burning posts,
containing about fifty cords, lay within
forty feet of the residence Of s. L.
Thompson. The intense heat from
this pile soon threatened that and
every effort was made by friends and
neighbors to save 1t but of no avail.
The household goods were removed
across the street to place of safety
and II bucket brigade passed water from
the ditch to the building but soon the
fire caught under the caves and
working up under the roof drove off
the sturdy workers after valiant
struggle. The men worked desper-
ately yet excitedly and without sys-
tenn, being hampered by lack Of
buckets and ladders. The lower town
had not been aroused yet. No hell
had rung. The fire brigade with hooks
and ladders were fearfully slow. Still
the men fought on with tin pals, tin
cans, ewers, sprinklers, anything that
would hold water was passed along the
line but the fire won and drove them
off just rs the hook and ladder made
Its appearance. The Thompson house
was abandoned and all att ntion d.
rected toward saving the residence of
Niles Lundstrum on the adjoining lot.
With better apparatus and an increased
force of men the work here was with
not 40 near the burning timber and
what wind there was favored it. After
an hours steady fighting the Lund-
strum house was saved and the spread
of the fire was stopped. Nothing re-
mained but to watch that no damage
resulted from the flying sparks Luck
lily the wind did not raise and by care
full watching the sparks did not fire
any other property. the piles Of bolts
burned all day Monday and did not
die out till every vestige of the
material was consumed.
The fire Is Of incendiary origin be-
yond doubt. There has been no fire in
the factory for months. All who came
first to the fire assert that 1t was burn
ing In four or Ave different places from
the first, each fire being separate and
distinct from the others. The belief Ia
very prevalent that the fire In the
shingle yard in the upper end of town
was but decOy to lure the citizens
there while another would be started
in the business portion, and an addi.
tiOnal force was added to parOl the
city during the night but nothing
further was discovered.
The shingle yard contained over one
thousand cords of bolting timber, one
million shingles and some twenty We
thousand posts. The cedar was the
best quality from the upper forks Of
Clearwater and new machinery had
just been added to work it up. The
mill and machinery was not touched
the wind favoring 1t. The material
burned on the yard was valued al
$751; 600 and was covered by $l2, 900 in
surance. OF this there was 81 500 IN
each of the following companies: The
Columbia + 4 NJ, of Portland, Oregon
German American, Of New York
Commercial, Of San Francisco; Tht
Hartford, Of Hartford, Conn. The re
naming 81, 900 was with the Phoenix
Of Hartford, Conn. Mr.. Thompson,
residence had been just completed. Il
was neat two-stOry frame building
valued ut $2 600, uninsured.
LewistOn's first fire does not show ny
the fire department In very great style
The apparatus on hand is not sufficient
to stop fire of any dimensions and
such as 1t is, 1t Is sadly out of repai
and nobody Is familiar with the work
tenn about handling even ladders ant
can be said Of them? "WhO cOmpos'
the fire company?'' and "Where is tn,
fire company" were among the ques
: tions asked by the workers ct the fire
The firemen were all present probably
:. and working as hard as anybody bu
I they had forgotten their cart and an
paratus. It was not till the ThOmp
: son house had burned down that tn
= ladders, hooks and buckets arrived ant
3 then not In charge of the company bu
! hauled by lively team. These fact
, alone speak volumes for the need of al
J active and thoroughly trained FIR
company.
Notice.
The law co-partnership hcretofor
!. existing between J. w. Poe and w
o g. Piper under the firm name O
e Poe & Piper, Is hereby dissolved b.
/ mutual consent. Either member q
/ said co-rartnershlp h authorized to n
ceive and receipt for all claims due sal
Arm. J. w. PoE.
w. g. PIPER.
July o, 1880. FTi
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